Second Anglo-Sikh War
| Second Anglo-Sikh War | |||||||||
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Part of Anglo-Sikh Wars
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
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Sikh Empire Supported by: Emirate of Kabul | |||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Sir Hugh Gough Charles Cureton † Herbert Edwardes Walter Gilbert |
Jind Kaur Mulraj Chopra Sher Singh Chattar Attariwalla | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
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24,000-32,000 men 97 field guns 67 siege guns |
35,000-60,000 men 66 guns | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
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Total: 8,403 3,379 killed 4,920 wounded 104 missing |
Total: 6,500 2,584 killed 2,583 wounded 1,333 missing | ||||||||
The Second Anglo-Sikh War was a military conflict fought between the Sikh Empire and the East India Company, which took place from 1848 to 1849. It resulted in the fall of the Sikh Empire, and the annexation of the Punjab and what subsequently became the North-West Frontier Province, by the East India Company.
On 19 April 1848, Patrick Vans Agnew of the civil service and Lieutenant William Anderson of the Bombay European regiment, having been sent to take charge of Multan from Diwan Mulraj Chopra, were murdered there; within a short time, the Sikh troops joined in open rebellion. Governor-General of India Lord Dalhousie agreed with Sir Hugh Gough, the commander-in-chief, that the British East India Company's military forces were neither adequately equipped with transport and supplies, nor otherwise prepared to take the field immediately. He also foresaw the spread of the rebellion, and the necessity that must arise, not merely for the capture of Multan, but also for the entire subjugation of the Punjab. He therefore resolutely delayed to strike, organized a strong army for operations in November, and himself proceeded to the Punjab. Despite the brilliant successes gained by Herbert Edwardes against Mulraj, and Gough's indecisive victories at the Battle of Ramnagar in November and at the Battle of Chillianwala on 13 January 1849, the stubborn resistance at Multan showed that the task required the utmost resources of the government. At length, on 22 January, Multan was taken by General Whish, who was thus set at liberty to join Gough's army. On 21 February, Gough won a complete victory at the Battle of Gujrat. The Sikh army was pursued to Rawalpindi, where it laid down its arms, and their Afghan allies retreated from the Punjab, leaving the region to the British.
After the victory at Gujrat, Lord Dalhousie annexed the Punjab for the East India Company in 1849. For his services the Earl of Dalhousie received the thanks of the British parliament and was advanced in the peerage to marquess, the usual honor for governors general of India.