The Sikh Wars
Under their leader, Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839), the Sikhs had established a strong state in the Punjab, in north-west India, with its capital at Lahore (in modern-day Pakistan). The Sikhs were good soldiers and possessed a large army, trained along European lines and particularly strong in artillery.
Friction between the British and the Sikhs increased after the death of Ranjit Singh, when the Sikh state became politically unstable. When the British started massing troops on the border, the Sikhs feared an attack and struck first.

The First Sikh War 1845-1846
In December 1845 a large Sikh army, perhaps 20,000 strong, crossed the River Sutlej which separated Sikh and British territories, catching the British before they were fully prepared. The next eight weeks saw some of the fiercest battles ever fought in India.

British’ forces were commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir Hugh Gough (1779-1869), the Commander-in-Chief in India. In fact, less than half the forces under his command were actually British regiments; the rest were Indian troops.

A less costly victory over the Sikhs came at the Battle of Aliwal (28 January 1846). In the final battle of the war, Gough engaged the main Sikh force at Sobraon (10 February 1846). Once again the Sikhs occupied an entrenched position, and British and Indian troops advanced under murderous Sikh artillery fire. The Sikhs fought with their backs to the River Sutlej, refusing to surrender. In consequence, casualties on both sides were again severe. British losses were over 2,000, Sikh losses perhaps as many as 10,000.
The peace terms required the Sikhs to reduce the size of their army, to pay a large indemnity and to cede territory.

The Second Sikh War 1848-1849
The Sikhs did not accept defeat meekly, and were still confident of success against the British. In 1848, two British officials sent to take control of the Sikh province of Multan were murdered, and the whole of the Punjab rose in revolt, under the leadership of Sher Singh (d.1858).

After two minor actions at Ramnagar (22 November 1848) and Sadullapur (3 December 1848), Sir Hugh Gough finally encountered the main Sikh army under Sher Singh at Chilianwala (13 January 1849). The British attack was led by the 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot, which suffered 515 casualties during the action, nearly half the regiment. The Sikhs eventually withdrew under cover of darkness, taking with them three captured British colours. Although the British were left in possession of the battlefield, Chilianwala could scarcely be called a victory. Gough’s force had incurred over 2,300 casualties, including over 1,000 British. A contemporary described the battle as ‘one of the most sanguinary ever fought by the British in India and the nearest approximation to a defeat of any of the great conflicts of that power in the East’. British public opinion was horrified at the scale of casualties, and pressure grew for Gough to be replaced.
Before this could happen, the final action of the war was fought at Gujerat, about 120 km. north of Lahore, on 21 February 1849. Gough had by now assembled an army of some 24,000 with which to attack a Sikh force estimated at 60,000. After an artillery duel lasting some two and a half hours, Gough ordered his infantry forward in a general advance. Although Sikh resistance was fierce, they were eventually forced to give ground, and the retreat soon became a rout. On 14 March, the remains of the Sikh army surrendered at Rawalpindi. The Punjab was annexed to British India, and the Sikh state lost its independence.
The British had been quick to recognise the remarkable fighting qualities of the Sikhs, and were eager to recruit them as soldiers. The first Sikh regiments were raised in 1846, and the Sikh soldiers remained loyal to the British during the mutiny of the Bengal Army in 1857. Six Victoria Crosses were won by Sikh soldiers in the twentieth century, and Sikh regiments form an important part of the present-day Indian Army.