Modern History gets a lot of questions in Punjab papers, and for Punjab-specific history, the Anglo-Sikh Wars are the most asked chapter. Every question is a date, a battle, a treaty or a name, so this is a topic you can master fully with three revisions. I have arranged it in the order the questions come: background, first war, treaties, second war, annexation.
What this topic covers
Background: why the wars happened
- Treaty of Amritsar, 1809: Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the British (through Charles Metcalfe) fixed the Sutlej as the boundary. Ranjit Singh stayed north of it; the British protected the cis-Sutlej states.
- Ranjit Singh died on 27 June 1839. After him the Lahore Darbar fell into chaos. In six years four rulers came and went: Kharak Singh, Nau Nihal Singh, Sher Singh and finally the child Duleep Singh, with his mother Rani Jind Kaur (Jindan) as regent.
- The Khalsa army became the real power. The British moved troops close to the Sutlej. In December 1845 the Sikh army crossed the Sutlej and war was declared.
First Anglo-Sikh War (1845-46)
- Governor-General: Lord Hardinge. Commander-in-chief: Sir Hugh Gough.
- The Sikh commanders, Lal Singh (wazir) and Tej Singh (commander), are remembered for betraying their own army.
| Battle | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Mudki | 18 December 1845 | British win |
| Ferozeshah | 21-22 December 1845 | British win, very costly |
| Baddowal | 21 January 1846 | Sikh win (Ranjodh Singh Majithia) |
| Aliwal | 28 January 1846 | British win |
| Sobraon | 10 February 1846 | Decisive British win |
At Sobraon, Sardar Sham Singh Attariwala fought to death. He is the hero of this war in every Punjab textbook, and his name is a common answer.
The three treaties of 1846
- Treaty of Lahore, 9 March 1846:
- The Jalandhar Doab (between the Beas and the Sutlej) went to the British.
- A war indemnity of ₹1.5 crore was imposed. The Darbar could pay only part of it.
- The Sikh army was cut down, and a British Resident was posted at Lahore.
- Treaty of Amritsar, 16 March 1846: the British sold Kashmir to Gulab Singh of Jammu for ₹75 lakh. Don't confuse this with the 1809 Treaty of Amritsar.
- Treaty of Bhairowal, 16 December 1846:
- Rani Jindan was removed from power and given a pension.
- A Council of Regency under the British Resident, Henry Lawrence, ran Punjab until Duleep Singh came of age.
- From here, Punjab was effectively under British control.
Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848-49)
- Governor-General: Lord Dalhousie.
- Spark: the revolt of Diwan Mulraj at Multan in April 1848. Two British officers, Vans Agnew and Anderson, were killed there.
- The revolt spread. Sher Singh Attariwala and his father Chattar Singh Attariwala led the Sikh side.
| Battle | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Ramnagar | 22 November 1848 | Indecisive |
| Chillianwala | 13 January 1849 | Indecisive, heavy British losses |
| Gujrat | 21 February 1849 | Decisive British win ("Battle of the Guns") |
Annexation
- On 29 March 1849, Lord Dalhousie annexed Punjab.
- Duleep Singh was given a pension and sent away, first to Fatehgarh, and later to England.
- The Koh-i-Noor was taken and presented to Queen Victoria.
- Punjab was run by a Board of Administration: Henry Lawrence (president), John Lawrence and Charles Mansel.
How it is asked in the exam
- Match the battle to the year or the war: "Chillianwala was fought in which war?" (Second).
- Last battle / decisive battle: Sobraon (first war), Gujrat (second war).
- Governor-General: Hardinge (first), Dalhousie (second and annexation).
- Treaty details: which treaty gave away the Jalandhar Doab (Lahore), which one sold Kashmir (Amritsar 1846), which one set up the Council of Regency (Bhairowal).
- People: Sham Singh Attariwala (Sobraon), Mulraj (Multan), Rani Jindan, Duleep Singh (last Maharaja).
Points to remember
- Two Treaties of Amritsar: 1809 (Ranjit Singh and Metcalfe, Sutlej boundary) and 1846 (Kashmir sold to Gulab Singh).
- Baddowal was the only Sikh victory of the first war.
- Gujrat here is the town in Punjab (now in Pakistan), not the Indian state Gujarat. Paper setters use this confusion.
- Duleep Singh was the last Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.
Common mistakes
- Giving Dalhousie for the first war. It was Hardinge.
- Putting Chillianwala in the first war because it sounds like Ferozeshah.
- Mixing up Bhairowal (December 1846, regency council) with Lahore (March 1846, Jalandhar Doab).
Practise straight after reading
Draw two timelines from memory tomorrow, one for each war, with every battle and date. Check them against this page. Repeat after 7 days and after 30 days, and then solve the History of Punjab quizzes on this site until you stop missing dates.