1921 Survey of India / General Staff Confidential Report and Maps of Waziristan

This is the official 1921 confidential report on the British-Indian military campaign to Waziristan (1919 - 1920), compiled and published by the General Staff Army Headquarters in India, with maps produced by the Survey of India. The volume offers a comprehensive and rare account of the campaign and is essential for understanding British military strategy on the tumultuous Afghan frontier.

A Closer Look

Marked Confidential in the upper right corner of the title page, this first edition of the report is richly detailed, featuring a frontispiece, 31 plates, seven maps (three enclosed in a pocket), and eight folding panoramas that showcase the terrain and operational zones. The included maps offer granular insights into British movements and positions, while the panoramas visually capture the mountainous expanse of Waziristan, a region marked by rugged terrain and hostile tribes.

The text offers a comprehensive analysis of prior British campaigns in the area, providing a detailed strategic context for the decisions and tactics employed. Notably, this edition concludes with a reflection on the lessons learned, specifically on the strategic role of aircraft in overawing and surveilling the tribes, a pioneering tactic at the time.

Historical Context

The Waziristan campaign unfolded after the Third Anglo-Afghan War (1919) and aimed to quell the unrest sparked by regional instability and Afghan nationalist movements. Waziristan, now part of Pakistan, was home to fiercely independent Waziri and Mahsud tribes, which periodically resisted British control. The British had long recognized this region's strategic significance and compiled histories of their military engagements there since the 1870s. Much of this was done to prepare future commanders for the immense challenges of this frontier.

In 1917, during World War I (1914 - 1918), the Mahsuds launched incursions against British positions, testing the limits of the Empire’s control. The following year, Waziri tribes carried out raids, prompting the British to respond with military operations characterized by traditional infantry and innovative aerial support. After a year of intermittent fighting, British forces restored a tenuous peace, though the campaign left enduring lessons on colonial warfare and military frontier management.

Publication History and Census

The British Indian Army published the report in Calcutta in 1921, a year after the campaign ended. It was initially produced as a confidential military report with serial number 224. The report is held in several institutional libraries across the world, especially in India and Great Britain. It appears on the open market at regular intervals. However, it continues to be in high demand due to its illustrative character and importance as a critical source on the history of the British presence in India.