The Indian North-West Frontier has been traversed by many invaders, from the time of great Persian empire till the formation of modern Afghanistan, for the attack on India. The Britons knew the strategic importance of this Frontier and hence after annexing Punjab in 1849, made strenuous efforts for its protection. In order to keep the tribesmen of the Indian North-West Frontier under their influence, the Britons devised the policy of levying fines and putting blockades and sending expeditions against them, if the first two measures failed to achieve their objectives. In the summer of 1897, the whole Frontier, from Tochi to Malakand and Tirah, roused against the colonial British. The uprising commenced with the Maizar incident on 10 June 1897, followed by a series of risings in Swat, Mohmand and Tirah. To suppress the tribes, punitive expeditions were planned. Malakand, Buner, Mohmand and Tirah Field Forces were formed and a huge army was deployed. The two divisions which left Kohat for Tirah on 11 October 1897, were better equipped than any division that had taken the field since 1857. From Maizar to Swat, severe punishment was inflicted upon the Pukhtuns. Houses were destroyed, villages burnt, heavy fines in money and arms imposed and agreements favourable to the British extracted. The submission of the tribes was completed by April 1898. The Durand Line Agreement and demarcation of the boundary line, the role of Afghan Amir and his Sipah Salar, the retention of fortified posts, role of mullas, the aggressive forward policy of 1890s, Kabul’s successful operation in Kafiristan, exaggerated news of the Turkish victory against the Greeks, local dissatisfaction with the colonial administrators and their negligence of the local affairs proved the main causes of the uprising of 1897. Most of the tribesmen of the Indian North-West Frontier took arms against the mighty power of the day, but lack of proper planning and discipline, differences among the local Pukhtuns, false claims of the Sartor Faqir of the would be divine help and the advance weapon and warfare tactics of the colonial troops compelled the tribesmen to give up the idea of a prolonged resistance. The British, who were masters of the Indian colony, learnt a lot from the uprising of 1897 and reshaped their policy in its light. While, for the Pukhtun tribes the uprising of 1897 proved a futile activity. They neither learnt from it nor reshaped their policy, despite its bringing a huge damages to them both in men and money.