India | Punjab

First Anglo-Sikh War

The first Anglo-Sikh war took place in Mudki in Punjab between the British and the Sikh forces on December 1845. The Sikhs were the rulers of Punjab, then one of the few remaining parts of India still to come under the British rule.

The English troops were commanded by Sir Hugh Gough and the Sikhs by Lal Singh. On December 13, 1845, Governor-General Lord Hardinge issued a proclamation of war and declared all Sikh possessions on the left bank of the Sutlej River to be part of the British Empire. In the war the Sikhs fought very bravely, but were betrayed by their commander Lal Singh.

The next attack by the British army was at Ferozshah (in Punjab) on December 21, 1845. Here the Sikh warriors were betrayed by their general Tej Singh and they suffered heavy losses.

With this victory, a major threat to the expansion of British power in India was removed. The English army occupied Lahore (now in Pakistan), the capital of undivided Punjab, on February 20 ,1846.

Updated on 20th August, 2018

