The Sikhs and the Sikh Wars

The Sikhs and the Sikh Wars

THE SIKHS AND THE SIKH "WAES THE EISE, CONQUEST, AND ANNEXATION OP THE PUNJAB STATE. BY GEN. SIR CHARLES GdUGH, V.C., G.O.B. V AND ARTHUR D. INNES, M.A., AUTHOR OF “ BRITAIN AND HER RITAL8 IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.” LONDON: A. D. INNES & CO.. BEDFORD STREET. — PEEFAOE. The autliors of tliis work kave endeayoured to leave no source of information neglected. Various portions of tke subject witb which it deals have been treated in the works of Captain J. D. Cunningham, Sir W. W. Hunter, Mr. Sir in such Marshman,- Herbert Edwardes, and others ; and biographies of the principal figures in the story as have been published from Eanjit Singh to the Lawrences. Blue- books and dispatches are necessary to the historian, though not always consulted by the picturesque story-teller. At the time of the two great campaigns, numerous letters and articles appeared in the press and the magazines, the work, occasionally, of men who knew more than they told, but not less often of men who told more than they knew. That some erroneous ideas on the whole subject should have become prevalent, and threaten to be stereotyped is, perhaps, natural; the more so, no doubt, because Lord Gough made a point, not only of refusing to answer his critics in the press, but of forbidding his friends to do it for him. In addition, however, to the published matter already referred to, the authors have had access (1) by the courtesy of the present officers, to the regimental records of all the British regiments engaged to the unpublished notes ; (2) vi PREFACE and diaries of ofBoers who took part in the campaigns, notably of Sir Arthur Borton, through Lady Borton's kind- to the diary and memoranda of Lord Gough, in ness ; (8) of the Gough family to personal com- the poeaeoion ; (4) munication with men who were eye-witnesses of many of among their are the erents narrated ; whom thanks more especially due to Field-Harshal Sir Frederick Baines. On one point they have to express their regret It has been found to be a sheer imposaibility to adopt any uniform principle in spelling. "Wherever it can reasonably be maintained that one way of spelling a name is more generally recognised than another, they have naed that form. In other cases, they have Mien back on the spelling of the old hlua-books and dispatches. But when the published books speak vsjriously of one single place os Peroseshah, Feeroshsh, Firosshah, Firoseahahar, Ferose- shur, and F^eerooahuhur ; of another as Tricca, Triokhur, Truokhur, and Tirkha ; it will be admitted that with the best intentions, nnifoimity of principle Is a little difficult of attainment. Of the acxmraoy of the facts as here set forth, the authors believe there can bo no question. As to the soundness of the opinions and inference# derived from those &cta, the impartial reader must judge for Tifmiifilf. 0. G. A.D. L —— CONTENTS. BOOK I. INTRODUCTORY: BIJFORE 1808. CHAPTER 1. Peelimihaby. PAQH Interest of the narrative—Difficulty of following it—Geography of the Punjab—Its races and creeds—The Sikh community Eanjit Singh ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 CHAPTER IL The Mogul Bmpibe and the Beitibh Advance. Mussulman invasions of India—^The Great Moguls—^Disintegration of their empire—French and British—Conquest of Bengal Warren Hastings—Subsidiary alliances—The constitution of 1784—Conquest of Mysore—And of the Mahrattas ... ... 6 CHAPTER lU. The Growth of the Sikhs. Hinduism—^Nanuk’s reformation—^The successors of Nanuk Govind and the Eihalsa—^The Sikh outlawry—^Formation of the Misls or Sikh confederacies—Development of Sikh dominion Appearance of Eanjit Singh ... ... ... ... 15 — —A vifl corrrsNTs BOOK IL BIKH muimoN. OHAPTEB L Baxtit Butm obeatts thx Labcoui SiiTKi riQi G«Er«pliy—Chmctar of the BIkh body—Cbaiwtff of Rmjlt fflngb — Bdthh policy—EftilBihinfflrt o( friendly nl*lioo»— Bh*h Sbajah od th« Btrotaai*—Banjlt BtogbS orertnw*— CoIMcd with Fntteh Khan—AtqtdilUaD d Unltin and Kaihiolr—And of E^ahswnr .» 27 OHAPTEB H. Lanca Tcxci or Habjit Satmt ISlD-lBSfl. Abmad fihal^Bco){t Shigh'i daalgm <m Sdnde—AttUnde to th« BrIUih Oosuiiacial Theory—*Shah Shojah attetQpti to ratorD to Kabol—Doit UohoiQEDad tirila to r ecorc Fcahawnr—Both of BdjU Shtgh—Kahm of hla Hla anoy—Hia ao^adty S7 OHAPTEB nL Arm Raxjrr 8owhi 1838--1W3. State of Af^ltauittm; Doit Hcihanmied—Pania and BomU— boll^-ftata—Biitkh iwilre to roatore Shah Bhi^ah—Defeooe of Herat agaloft the Perrisna—^Bntccation of Ebah Bhn)ah ArmflitUtWi of the Brlriah force at Kahol—Ptaatzma efleot on theoatiremlod—AnoExitkinof Bofaide—Hahenjpere Pn^fahi the repoted aana of Banjlt —^Tbe Janrnni brothen—The Sikh army and the Paoohayeta—Dhlan fflogh end Shore ffingb —InaobordtoatioG of the Khal»—Murder of Maharajah Bbere ScBgh and PhtsQ Bin^ 44 OHAPTEB IT. The Sikh AxaxcHT. PhoIIp Shigh and the 'R^nt—^Hlra Rlng^ pryl the army—HoatlBty to the Britiih—PiU of Hire Sngh—Deeigiia of the Rant— —— CONTENTS IX PAOB Policy of Sir Henry Hardinge—Domination of the Panchayets Increasing animosity^ towards the British—Crossing of the Sntlej ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• BOOK ni. TEE SUTLEJ CAMPAIGN: DEC., im-MABOE, 1846. CHAPTER I. OpEKIKa OF THE CAMPAIGN: DECEMBER. The Sikh force—Ferozepore and Ludhiana—TTmhalla and Meerut— Europeans and sepoys—Deficiency of troops on the frontier Explanation—Sir Henry Hardinge on the frontier—Kapid col- lection of the avaUahle forces—^Advance on Moodkee ... 65 CHAPTER II. The Engagement at Moodkee, and after: Deo. 18-21. Order of British troops—Elanh movements of cavalry—Bout hy the infantry—Losses—Cruelty of the Sikhs—^Their generosity to Lieut. Biddulph—Discomfort in camp—Reinforcements from KassauR and Snhathu—^Their march—Considerate action of Sir H. Hardinge—^Hospital at Moodkee—Sir Hugh Gough’s plan for a junction—Sir H. Hardinge appointed second in command —^With Sir John Litller—Littler’s forces and movements at Ferozepore ... ... ... ... ... ... 76 CHAPTER ni. Feeozeshah, the Attack: Dec. 21. The start from Moodkee—Composition of Sir H. Gough’s force Position of Tej Singh and Lall Singh—Sir Hugh’s plan of action—^Forbidden by the Governor-General—Junction with Littler—Disposition for attack—Commencement of attack Littler’s advance—^Repulsed—^Losses of his division—^Advance of Gilbert’s Division—Taylor’s Brigade—McLaran’s Brigade Charge of the 3rd Light Dragoons—Wallace’s Division—Sir H. Smith’s Division—Within the Sikh entrenchments—^Dis- positions for the night—^Danger of the situation—Prince Waldemar—^Events of the night... 86 — B X CONTENTS OHAPTEE IV. FzatoxEmiH— ecovd Dit : Dm 22. rxa Brnfwal of tb« tttick—FHg^t of Uto fllUii—AppnAch of Slngli —Hlf ttt*ck npolnd—GiOmtij of Sir Engli Goo^—Botrwt of Tej Siogb—Gfiaerodty of a fltVli aoldler—Lcnea at Feroxo' >wi>L—OconMot of Uie Do^ of WalOogtOD—PiacTMrioo of Sir H. Hudlnge'a action on tba {nrloai dajr, iitd Iti effact .... 101 OHAPTEE V. Btohoth. jjtD AuwiX : Dw. fiS-Jai. 28. UoretoeDta of troopa—Baocwed aotM^ of Sitha—IToraninta on T,Tvt>>I»Ti*—flHrmtih of Bodhcnralf Jan. 21.—Bm^Joor at Alhral—Jirartion of Sir H. Smith •t**! Wbeder—AdTince oo Allwal—Tha attack A/irtun of caTahy—Boot of th« 81kh^- the ... 110 Britiah Loira ' Effooti of Ttotcry ... GEAPTBB VT. SoBUoa: Pzb. 10. Tb« BTkh ps^tioo—FUsa of attaek—Floal The Brttlih force —PrrparatloDa Ux ottaek—ArtiDar^ doal—AdTUce erdared— He attack—Sdlth'i DitktoD—^QBbert'i DtrUa^^Bcnt of the Blkha—Lo^ ... 120 OHAPTEE VH. ScxTiT or TBB QaMranis. QitaUtj of the Stkh annj—Ooodoet of the BHdah traipa^^Accotmt of the European reghneota engaged tn the Tadooa hattlea^’^Of the Kattre troopa—Of the offlci Iferita of the Sfkha—Oon- clmfiTII ai to the Qamjwtgn ... ... ... ... 129 BOOK TV. FEOJI TBS TRKATT OF LABORS TO BBSBS aHfOITB RSVOLT: MAROB, IBiL-BEFT^ ISiS, OHAPTEE L Tn* Ljlhom T*kitt : Uafiaa-Dia, 1840. Satanlaa^ of the Doibar—PoUeir of MrMfttm—Of a nhaldkiy alHonce—Of the buffer-aUte—CoodltioDa of a treaty—Syitem —— CONTENTS XI — PAGE of governmonfc ^Triumplial marcli—Honry Lawrence and Ids problem—^Early disturbances—Gbolab Singb—^Imam-ud-Din Fall of Lall Singb—^Eequest for a continued protectorate ... 141 CHAPTER II." The Rule of Henry Lawhence : 1847. Terms of the new arrangement—Lord Hardinge’s military arrange- — — ments ^Lawrence’s men and methods —^Bunnoo and Herbert Edwardes—^Influence of British officers ^Tho Rani’s plots State of the Punjab—Lord Dalhousie becomes Govemor- ... l.’il . General—Sir F. Currie takes Lawrence’s place—Multan CHAPTER ni. The Outbreak at Multan : March-May, 1848. Apparent tranquillity—^Dewan Mulraj—^Attack on British officers at Multan—^Revolt of Mulraj—The Derajat and Multan district —Action of Herbert Edwardes—^Van Gortlandt and Foujdar Khan—^Lord Gough’s objections to a force for Multan—^En- dorsed by Lord Dalhousie—^Position of Edwardes—Movements of Muhaj—Sir F. Currie’s plan of operations—The Derajat operations—Capture of Dera Ghazi KRan—Advance of Bhawal iLhan ... ... ... ... ... ... 150 CHAPTER lY. Advance of Herbert Edwardes : June and July. Edwardes crosses the Indus—^Prepares for junction with the Daood- pootras—Crosses the Chenab—^Victory of Kineyree—^Edwardes’s plans—^Battle of Suddoosam—^Edwardes’s wish to attack Multan —Lord Gough’s view—Approach of the Durbar troops Junction with them—^Attitude of the Sikh soldiery ... ... 170 CHAPTER Y. The First Siege op Multan : July-September. The Resident decides to send a force to Multan—Lord Gough in- creases the force—Chutter Singh—^Arrival of Whish’s force Proclamation—Plan of attack—Difficulties of the situation Fighting from Sept. 9 to Sept. 12—Shere Singh joins the rebellion—Story of Ms plot on Sept. 13—Change in the situa- tion—Shere Singh prepares to summon the Khalsa—^Making the war a national rising ..

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