ANGLO-SIKH WAR I (1845-46), resulting in the partial subjugation of the Sikh kingdom, was the outcome of British expansionism and the near-anarchical conditions that overtook the Lahore court after the death of Mahārājā Raṇjīt Siṅgh in June 1839. The English, by then firmly installed in Fīrozpur on the Sikh frontier, about 70 km from Lahore, the Sikh capital, were watching the happenings across the border with more than a neighbour's interest. The disorder that prevailed there promised them a good opportunity for direct intervention.

        In July 1844, Lord Ellenborough was replaced by Lord Hardinge (1844-48), a Peninsula veteran, as governor-general of India. Hardinge further accelerated the process of strengthening the Sutlej frontier for a war with the Sikhs. The affable Colonel Richmond was replaced by the abrasive and belligerent Major-George Broadfoot as the political agent on the Punjab frontier. Lord Gough, the commander-in-chief, established his headquarters at Ambālā. In October 1844, the British military force on the frontier was 17, 000 infantry and 60 guns. Another 10, 000 troops were to be ready by the end of November. Fīrozpur's garrison strength under the command of Sir John Littler was raised to 7, 000; by January 1845, the total British force amounted to 20, 000 men and 60 guns. "We can collect, " Hardinge reported to the Home government, "33, 000 infantry, 6, 000 cavalry and 100 guns in six weeks. " In March additional British and Indian regiments were quietly moved to Fīrozpur, Ludhiāṇā and Ambālā. Field batteries of pounders with horses or bullocks to draw them, and 24 additional pieces of heavy ordnance were on their way to the frontier. In addition, 600 elephants to draw the battering train of 24-pounder batteries had reached Āgrā, and 7, 000 camels between Kānpur and the Sutlej were to move up in the summer to Fīrozpur, which was to be the concentration point for a forward offensive movement.

        In addition to the concentration of troops on the border, an elaborate supply depot was setup by the British at Bassīāṅ, near Rāikoṭ, in Ludhiāṇā district. The Lahore Darbār's vakils or representatives and newswriters in the cis-Sutlej region sent alarming reports of these large-scale British military movements across the border. The Sikhs were deeply wrought upon by these war preparations, especially by Broadfoot's acts of hostility. The rapid march in November 1845 of the governor-general towards the frontier and a report of Sir Charles Napier's speech in the Delhi Gazette saying that the British were going to war with the Sikhs filled Lahore with rumours of invasion. The Sikh ranks, alerted to the danger of a British offensive, started their own preparations. Yet the army pañches or regimental representatives, who had taken over the affairs of the Lahore forces into their own hands after the death of Wazīr Jawāhar Siṅgh, were at this time maintaining, according to George Campbell, a British civilian employed in the cis-Sutlej territory, Memoirs of My Indian Career, "wonderful order at Lahore. . . and almost puritanical discipline in the military republic. "

        When the British agent made a reference to the Lahore Darbār about military preparations in the Punjab, it replied that they were only defensive measures to counter the designs of the British. The Darbār, on the other hand, asked for the return of the treasure estimated at over seventeen lakh of rupees the Lahore grandee Suchet Siṅgh Ḍogrā had left buried in Fīrozpur, the restoration of the village of Mauṛāṅ granted by Mahārājā Raṇjīt Siṅgh to one of his generals, Hukam Siṅgh Malvaī, but subsequently resumed by the ruler of Nābhā with the active connivance of the British, and free passage for the Punjab armed constabulary-a right that had been acknowledged by the British on paper but more often than not denied in practice. The British government rejected the Darbār's claims and severed diplomatic relations with it. The armies under Hugh Gough and Lord Hardinge began proceeding towards Fīrozpur. To forestall their joining those at Fīrozpur, the Sikh army began to cross the Sutlej on 11 December 1845 near Harīke Pattaṇ into its own territory on the other side of the river. The crossing over the Sutlej by Sikhs was made a pretext by the British for opening hostilities and on 13 December Governor-General Lord Hardinge issued a proclamation announcing war on the Sikhs. The declaration charged the State of Lahore with violation of the treaty of friendship of 1809 and justified British preparations as merely precautionary measures for the protection of the Sutlej frontier. The British simultaneously declared Sikh possessions on the left bank of the Sutlej forfeit.

        On 18 December, the Sikhs came in touch with British army which arrived under Sir Hugh Gough, the commander-in-chief, from Ludhiāṇā. A battle took place at Mudkī, 32 km from Fīrozpur. Lāl Siṅgh, who headed the Sikh attack, deserted his army and fled the field when the Sikhs stood firm in their order, fighting in a resolute and determined manner. The leaderless Sikhs fought a grim hand-to-hand battle against the more numerous enemy led by the most experienced commanders in the world. The battle continued with unabated fury till midnight (and came thereafter to be known as "Midnight Mudki"). The Sikhs retired with a loss of 17 guns while the British suffered heavy causalities amounting to 872 killed and wounded, including Quartermaster-General Sir Robert Sale, Sir John McGaskill and Brigadier Boulton. Reinforcements were sent for from Ambālā, Meerut and Delhi. Lord Hardinge, unmindful of his superior position of governor-general, offered to become second-in-command to his commander-in-chief.

        Lāl Siṅgh and Tej Siṅgh again came to the rescue of the English. The former suddenly deserted the Khālsā army during the night and the latter the next morning (22 December) which enabled the British to turn defeat into victory. The British loss was again heavy, 694 killed and 1, 721 wounded. The number of casualties among officers was comparatively higher. The Sikhs lost about 2, 000 men and 73 pieces of artillery.

        A Sikh sardār, Raṇjodh Siṅgh Majīṭhīā, crossed the Sutlej in force and was joined by Ajīt Siṅgh, of Lāḍvā, from the other side of the river. They marched towards Ludhīāṇā and burnt a portion of the cantonment. Sir Harry Smith (afterwards Governor of Cape Colony), who was sent to relieve Ludhiāṇā, marched eastwards from Fīrozpur, keeping a few miles away from the Sutlej. Raṇjodh Siṅgh Majīṭhīā harried Smith's column and, when Smith tried to make a detour at Baddovāl, attacked his rear with great vigour and captured his baggage train and stores (21 January). But Harry Smith retrieved his position a week later by inflicting a defeat on Raṇjodh Siṅgh Majīṭhīā and Ajīt Siṅgh, of Lāḍvā, (28 January).

        Early in February, the British received ample stores of ammunition from Delhi. Lāl Siṅgh had already passed on to the English officers the required clues for an effective assault. Gough and Hardinge now decided to make a frontal attack on Sabhrāoṅ and destroy the Darbār army at one blow. A heavy mist hung over the battlefield, enveloping both contending armies. As the sun broke through the mist, the Sikhs found themselves encircled between two horse-shoes: facing them were the British and behind them was the Sutlej, now in spate. After a preliminary artillery duel, British cavalry made a feint to check on the exact location of the Sikh guns. The cannonade was resumed, and in two hours British guns put the Darbār artillery out of action. Then the British charged Sikh entrenchments from three sides.

        . . . although assailed on either side by squadrons of horse and battalions of foot, no Sikh offered to submit, and no disciple of Gurū Gobind Siṅgh asked for quarter. They everywhere showed a front to the victors, and stalked slowly and sullenly away, while many rushed singly forth to meet assured death by contending with a multitude. The victors looked with stolid wonderment upon the indomitable courage of the vanquished. . . .

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        Policy precluded me publicly recording my sentiments on the splendid gallantry of our fallen foe, or to record

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        Lord Hardinge, who saw the action, wrote:

਍㰀瀀 挀氀愀猀猀㴀∀䌀㄀∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀䘀攀眀 攀猀挀愀瀀攀搀㬀 渀漀渀攀Ⰰ 椀琀 洀愀礀 戀攀 猀愀椀搀Ⰰ 猀甀爀爀攀渀搀攀爀攀搀⸀ 吀栀攀 匀椀欀栀猀 洀攀琀 琀栀攀椀爀 昀愀琀攀 眀椀琀栀 琀栀攀 爀攀猀椀最渀愀琀椀漀渀 眀栀椀挀栀 搀椀猀琀椀渀最甀椀猀栀攀猀 琀栀攀椀爀 爀愀挀攀⸀㰀⼀瀀㸀ഀഀ

        

B. J. Hasrat