The Start of the Sikh Wars
Smith arrived on the 28th January and opened up artillery fire on the Sikh positions. He decided that Aliwal was the Sikh weak point and sent two of his infantry brigades to capture it. The brigade seized the village and now threatened the fords across the Sutlej. The Sikhs sent out cavalry to threaten the British flank, but a British and Indian cavalry brigade led by the 16th Lancers, charged and dispersed them.
The Lancers then attacked a large force of Sikh infantry who, having been trained by Neapolitan mercenary Paola di Avitable, formed squares in the European fashion, but were unable to maintain it in the face of the fierce Lancer attack. The square was broken with heavy casualties.
There is a contemporary account of the battle written by an eye witness (probably an officer of the 53rd Regiment) that gives a flavour of the event. He relates, “The instant we began to advance, the enemy seeing the determined manner in which we came, deserted their guns and fled like chaff in the wind. This gave fresh vigour to our troops and on we went after them. We galloped up to the captured guns and spiked them, but we did not stop here, for again we perceived that the enemy had not fled more than 800 yards and formed squares, bringing the few guns they had to bear on us again. Our artillery were now ordered to the front and began blazing away like wildfire and soon silenced them. Then the 16th Lancers were ordered to attack the enemy squares which they did most splendidly rushing straight through them and wheeling round, charged through them back again cutting them to pieces”.
The remaining Sikh infantry tried to make a stand in a dry river bed, but were forced into the open and then cut down by artillery.
The battle became a rout and the remaining Sikhs fled across the fords and leaving behind 67 guns and baggage, tents and supplies as well as some 2,000 dead. British losses were reckoned at 850 killed or wounded.
Sir Harry Smith later wrote, “I have gained one of the most glorious battles ever fought in India. Never was a victory more complete and never was one fought under more happy circumstances”.
He was not to know that, within two years, the country would be torn apart in the Second Sikh War.
At the end of the war the Sikh empire was forced to cede territory to the East India Company and the Maharajah Gulab Singh, the ruler of Jammu, was allowed to acquire Kashmir from the Sikh empire by a large cash payment to the East India Company.
The infant Maharajah Duleep Singh of the Sikh empire was allowed to retain his throne, but a British Resident, Sir Henry Lawrence, controlled the Sikh government. Duleep Singh’s story is a sad one and does no credit to the British government’s treatment of the young man.
He became Maharajah at the age of five, following the death of his half brother Maharajah Sher Singh. Following the Second Sikh War, he was deposed and the Punjab was annexed by the East India Company. His mother was imprisoned and he was placed in the care of Dr John Login and sent to Fatengarh in virtual exile with his long time retainer Bhajan Lal and under the combined influence of the two men, converted to Christianity. His two closest friends were both English, one being the child of an Anglican missionary.
He was forced to sign the Treaty of Bhyowal which enabled the British to seize his lavish estates and belongings, including the famous Koh-i-noor diamond which was presented to Queen Victoria and now forms part of the Crown Jewels. His time at Fatengarh and later at Lucknow was spent in a form of house arrest with the British controlling all access to him. In 1854 he was sent to Britain where he was befriended by the Queen who called him Frederick and showered affection on him, noting in her diary “those eyes, those teeth, too beautiful”. He was originally lodged at Claridges until the East India Company bought him a house in Wimbledon. London society clearly did not excite him and he yearned to return to his home. The East India Company was against this and persuaded him instead to take a tour of Europe with Login and Sir John Spencer.
On his return he was granted an annual pension and placed in the charge of Spencer and Login who leased Castle Menzies in Perthshire for him. He spent the rest of his teens there, but at nineteen demanded that he be allowed control over his own household. He became known for his lavish lifestyle, shooting parties and a love for dressing as a highland chief, soon earning the soubriquet, “The Black Prince of Perthshire”. His longing for his own country was never far from his thoughts however and he renewed his interest in Sikhism despite efforts by his English “handlers” to dissuade him. He re-established contact with his cousin Sardah Singh Sandharwalia who came to England carrying a list of properties still owned by Duleep in India, He became determined to return to his homeland,but in 1886, the British government forbade him to leave England. Despite this he managed to board a ship bound for India, but was intercepted in Aden. Despite British pressure he re-converted to Sikhism before being returned to England.
He died in Paris in 1893, but his wish for his body to be returned to India was not honoured, the British fearing that the symbolic value of the funeral of the son of the Lion of the Punjab might add to the growing unrest over British rule.
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