Second Anglo-Sikh War and Annexation of Punjab

The Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848–1849) resulted in the total collapse of the Sikh Empire and the complete annexation of Punjab by the British East India Company. Driven by deep resentment against British interference following the Treaty of Lahore and the Treaty of Bhyrowal, local uprisings in Multan and Hazara expanded into a full-scale national war across the region.

Causes of the Conflict

• Humiliation under the Regency Council: The Treaty of Bhyrowal (1846) stripped Maharani Jind Kaur of her administrative powers, placing governance under a British Resident, Henry Lawrence. Her subsequent exile to Sheikhupura and Benares enraged the Sikh populace and military veterans.
• Economic Strain and Disarmament: Disbanded soldiers of the Khalsa Army faced financial hardship, while heavy land revenue demands imposed by British officers created widespread agrarian discontent.
• The Multan Incident (April 1848): Dewan Mulraj, the governor of Multan, was forced to resign over increased revenue demands. When two British officers, Lieutenant Patrick Vans Agnew and Lieutenant William Anderson, arrived to take charge, local troops murdered them. Mulraj led an open revolt, serving as the immediate catalyst for war.
• Spread of Rebellion in Hazara: Sardar Chattar Singh Attariwala, the governor of Hazara, revolted after British officer James Abbott accused him of treason. His son, Raja Sher Singh Attariwala, who was initially sent by the Lahore Darbar to put down Mulraj’s revolt in Multan, joined the rebellion against the British.

Major Campaigns and Battles (1848–1849)

Governor-General Lord Dalhousie declared open war against the Sikhs in October 1848. Command of the British Army of the Punjab was given to General Sir Hugh Gough.

• Battle of Ramnagar (November 22, 1848): Fought near the Chenab River, Sher Singh Attariwala repulsed the cavalry attack led by British General Sir Hugh Gough. British Brigadier-General Robert Cureton died in the action.
• Siege of Multan (September 1848 – January 1849): General Edwardes and later General Whish besieged the fort of Multan. Dewan Mulraj held out for months before surrendering on January 22, 1849, after heavy artillery bombardment breached the fortress walls.
• Battle of Chillianwala (January 13, 1849): Fought in dense jungle terrain near the Jhelum River, Sikh forces commanded by Sher Singh Attariwala inflicted heavy casualties on Hugh Gough’s forces, capturing several British regiment colors and guns. The heavy losses led to severe public criticism of Gough in Britain.
• Battle of Gujrat (February 21, 1849): The decisive tactical victory for the British, often termed the “Battle of Guns.” Hugh Gough deployed 96 heavy artillery pieces to overwhelm the Sikh positions commanded by Sher Singh and Chattar Singh. The victory crushed the remaining organized military resistance in Punjab.

Summary of Key Battles

Annexation and Post-War Settlement

On March 12, 1849, Sher Singh, Chattar Singh, and their remaining troops formally laid down their weapons before General Gilbert at Rawalpindi. On March 29, 1849, Governor-General Lord Dalhousie issued a proclamation annexing Punjab to the British Empire.

• Deposition of Duleep Singh: Eleven-year-old Maharaja Duleep Singh was deposed from the throne. He was granted a annual pension of £50,000 and eventually sent to England.
• Surrender of the Koh-i-Noor: Clause 3 of the Terms of Submission compelled the Lahore Darbar to yield the Koh-i-Noor diamond to Queen Victoria.
• Board of Administration: Lord Dalhousie bypassed the traditional governorship and set up a three-member Board of Administration to govern Punjab. Sir Henry Lawrence served as President (handling political affairs), John Lawrence managed finances, and Charles Grenville Mansel oversaw judicial administration.
• Reorganization into Non-Regulation Province: Punjab was classified as a Non-Regulation Province, giving executive officers wide discretion to maintain law and order, disarm the population, and establish the Guide Corps for frontier defense.

Key Facts

Sir Charles Napier was appointed Commander-in-Chief of India to replace Sir Hugh Gough after the British high command learned of the heavy casualties suffered at Chillianwala. However, Gough defeated the Sikh forces at Gujrat before Napier reached the scene. Dewan Mulraj was put on trial for the murder of Vans Agnew and Anderson, convicted, and sentenced to life imprisonment at the Benares jail, where he died in 1851. The Board of Administration introduced a land settlement in Punjab that lowered agricultural tax rates, created secure tenant rights, and funded new irrigation canals, including the Upper Bari Doab Canal. The Board of Administration was abolished in 1853 and replaced by a single Chief Commissioner for Punjab. Sir John Lawrence became the first Chief Commissioner and later earned the title “Saver of the Punjab” during the Revolt of 1857. Disarmed Sikh soldiers were recruited into new British native regiments, which helped keep Punjab stable during the widespread uprising across Northern India in 1857.