First Anglo Sikh War

The death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, led to decade of political turmoil in the Lahore durbar. The political aspirations of the khalsa army and the British added to the sensitive situation in
Punjab culminating in the first Anglo Sikh War

1. First Anglo Sikh War Dr.Monica Sharma

2. Instability after Ranjit Singh  After Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s death in 1839, the empire went through a period of political instability. Soldiers emerged as the real power of the Lahore Durbar The Khalsa Army was no longer under the command of the crown or its appointed commanders In quick succession, various claimants to the throne had bribed segments of the army to back their claim The army expanded not only in numbers ,their salaries also increased manifold since the time of Ranjit Singh

3. Politician soldiers With their growing involvement in politics, the soldiers had developed a bureaucratic mechanism of their own. Instead of exhibiting loyalty to their commanding officers, they reported to Panches selected by themselves. These were soldiers appointed from within their ranks to represent the grievances and concerns of the soldiers. The system was modeled on the panchayat system from where the word Panches is derived .

4. British Interest On the eastern bank of the Sutlej river, The British were closely watching the developments in the Lahore Durbar carefully. They had saw the assassination of one maharaja after another. They observed as powerful wazirs found themselves at the mercy of the Khalsa soldiers. But despite their size and the fact that they possessed the latest technology, the British did not think much of the Khalsa Army, it was referred as a mob by various British officers, The British believed that the increasing political role of the soldiers had rendered them ineffective on the battlefield. Thus, in the years following Ranjit Singh’s death, the British started the process of militarizing Punjab.

5. Successors of Maharaja Ranjit Singh “After the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, there was no one strong and competent enough to succeed him. As a result , there came a period of turbulence and anarchy inseparable from a series of disputed successions. One weak ruler after another was deposed in quick succession till 1843, when Duleep Singh, the youngest son of the late Maharaja, was crowned

6. Successors of Maharaja Ranjit Singh from 1839 to 1849 A.D . Maharaja Kharak Singh (Elder son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Accession June 27, 1839 Deposed October 8, 1839 Poisoned to death November 5, 1840 Maharaja Naunihal Singh (son of Maharaja Kharak Singh, accession October 8, 1839 (De-facto ruler) Death November 6, 1840, (Suspected to have been killed). Maharaia Sher Singh . (Second son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh) Occupied the throne November 9, 1840 (for 23 days) Dethroned December 2, 1840

7. Maharani Chand Kaur (Widow of Maharaja Kharak Singh) Proclaimed Malika Mukaddas December 2, 1840 (Queen Empress) Deposed January 18, 1841 Killed June 9, 1842 Maharaia Sher Singh (Again returned to power) on January 18, 1841 Killed September 15, 1843 . Maharaja Duleep Singh (Youngest son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. September 15, 1843 *Deposed March 29, 1849 * Exiled December 21, 1849 Death (in Paris-France) October 22, 1893

8. Turmoil in Durbar The ruling elite also knew they needed the support of the soldiers to secure the throne . After the freak death of Ranjit Singh’s talented grandson Nau Nihal Singh in 1840 , Sher Singh , one of Ranjit Singh’s sons, started vying for the throne. However, in Lahore, Nau Nihal Singh’s mother Chand Kaur had taken over the throne as regent, as she claimed her daughter-in-law was pregnant with Nau Nihal Singh’s son.

9. Sher Singh Takes charge To weaken the Lahore Durbar, Sher Singh started bribing sections of the army. And in 1841, he besieged the Lahore Fort, capturing the regent and her supporters. The Khalsa Army had already been bought. But even with the rise of Sher Singh, the Panches remained an important, independent power house.

10. Summary of the Causes The anarchy in the  Lahore kingdom  followed  Maharaja Ranjit Singh's  death, led to a power struggle for  dominance  between the court at  Lahore  and the ever-powerful and increasingly local army. Suspicions among the  Sikh army  arising from English military campaigns to achieve the annexation of Gwalior and Sindh in 1841 and the campaign in  Afghanistan in 1842. An increase in the number of  English troops  stationed near the border with the  Lahore kingdom.

11. The growing tension eventually led the Khalsa to cross the Sutlej River into British territory on 11 December 1845, hoping to catch the latter unprepared. Members of the Sikh court who wanted to curtail the Khalsa’s growing power may have encouraged this risky act of aggression

12. Out Break The growing tension eventually led the Khalsa to cross the Sutlej River into British territory on 11 December 1845, hoping to catch the latter unprepared. Members of the Sikh court who wanted to curtail the Khalsa’s growing power may have encouraged this risky act of aggression  Some of the Khalsa’s own commanders, such as Generals Lal Singh and Teg Singh, were later accused of helping the British and betraying their troops during the campaign.

13. Battle of Mudki One Sikh army, under Tej Singh, advanced on Ferozepore cantonment, but made no effort to attack the exposed British force there. At the same time, Lal Singh led another army - consisting of 10,000 cavalry, 4,000 infantry and 22 guns - towards Mudki , some 18 miles (29km) from Ferozepore . On 18 December 1845, Lal Singh's army met a British-Indian force of 12,000 troops and 42 guns that had been despatched under the command of General Sir Hugh Gough, the Commander-in-Chief in India, and Viscount Henry Hardinge , Governor-General of India, to reinforce Ferozepore . The Sikhs suffered severe setback battle

14. Ferozeshah The following day, the British advanced on nearby Ferozeshah , where they encountered a Sikh army of around 40,000 troops, again led by Lal Singh, positioned behind strong entrenchments.  Gough's 18,000-strong force attacked the Sikh defences . By evening, these had only been partially taken. A renewed assault the following morning forced the Sikhs out, but at heavy cost to the British. When a new Sikh army arrived, under the command of Tej Singh, Gough withdrew his weakened force - now low on supplies - to the captured entrenchments to await its attack. But the Sikhs withdrew. Perhaps the Sikhs overestimated British strength and supplies, and believed they would not be able to eject them. Alternatively, their retreat may have been motivated by the treachery of their generals.

15. Both sides reinforce Gough's army was exhausted and in need of rest and reinforcement. Likewise, the Sikhs were temporarily put on the back foot by the two defeats and suspicions around their commanders' motives. However, the Sikhs soon mobilised new units and moved to renew the war. They re-crossed the Sutlej and established a bridgehead at Sobraon . To support this operation, Ranjodh Singh Majithia led another Sikh force to attack the British fort at Ludhiana and threaten their supply lines.

16. Aliwal General Sir Harry Smith led the British forces to counter Ranjodh Singh.  The Ludhiana garrison reinforced his troops and at nearby  Aliwal , on 28 January 1846, he won a model victory, rolling up the Sikh line, inflicting around 3,000 casualties for the cost of only 475 British and Indian troops, and eliminating the threat to the British rear.

17. Sobraon Smith now moved to re-join Gough. The reinforced British then successfully attacked the main Sikh force at Sobraon on 10 February 1846. A big fight followed. The Sikhs fought with their backs to the River Sutlej, refusing to surrender. As a result, casualties on both sides were high. British losses were more than 2,000; the Sikhs sustained perhaps as many as 10,000. Many Sikhs were unable to escape as their pontoon bridges across the river had been destroyed. It is still debated whether this was the result of too much traffic trying to cross, or whether Tej Singh - who had fled the battlefield early - deliberately cast the boats loose. His defenders claim he destroyed the bridges to delay Gough’s advance on the Sikh capital, Lahore. But the British soon reached it anyway.

18. Treaty of Lahore, 1846 Maharaja Duleep Singh, who was the ruler of Punjab was to remain its ruler with his mother Jindan Kaur as regent. The Sikhs had to cede the Jalandhar Doab to the British. The Sikhs were asked to pay a very huge war indemnity . But since they could not pay all of it, part of it was paid and to make up for the remaining, Kashmir, Hazarah and all territories between the Beas and the Indus Rivers were given to the English. The Sikhs were to limit their army. British Resident, Sir Henry Lawrence was appointed to the Sikh court

19. Results Lahore Treaty  (March 8, 1846) On March 8, 1846, the Sikhs were compelled to accept a humiliating peace at the conclusion of the  first Anglo-Sikh War. The following were the key provisions of the  Treaty of Lahore: The English were to get a war indemnity of more than one crore rupees. The Company annexed the  Jalandhar Doab  (between the Beas and the Sutlej). Henry Lawrence was to create a British residency in Lahore. The Sikh army's strength was diminished .

20. Daleep Singh was proclaimed ruler, with Rani Jindan as regent and Lal Singh as wazir . Since the  Sikhs  were unable to pay the full war indemnity, Kashmir, including Jammu, was sold to Gulab Singh. On March 16, 1846, a second treaty formally transferred  Kashmir to Gulab Singh. The Bhairowal Treaty  - The Sikhs revolted because they were dissatisfied with the Treaty of Lahore on the question of Kashmir. The  Treaty of Bhairowal  was signed in December of 1846. Rani Jindan was deposed as regent and a council of regency for Punjab was established as a result of the treaty's terms. The council was made up of eight Sikh sardars and was presided over by H enry Lawrence, the English Resident .