FIRST SIKH WAR The first Sikh War, or Sutlej campaign, was brought about by the insubordination of the Sikh army, which after the death of Ranjit Singh became uncontrollable and on Dec. II, 1845, crossed the Sutlej, and virtually declared war upon the British. The British authorities had foreseen the outbreak, and had massed sufficient troops at Ferozepore, Ludhiana and Umballa to protect the frontier, but not to offer provocation. So complete were the preparations for advance that on the 12th, the day of ter the Sikhs crossed the Sutlej, Sir Hugh Gough, the commander-in chief, marched 16m. with the Umballa force to Rajpura ; on the 13th the governor-general, Sir Henry Hardinge, declared war, and by the 18th the whole army had marched i5om. to Moodkee, in order to protect Ferozepore from the Sikh attack. The Sikh army is referred to for brevity as "the Sikhs," but it was corn posed of Sikhs, Punjabi Muslims and Hindus, as are the present Sikh regiments of the Indian army. Gurkha, Hindostani and Afghan mercenaries were also found in the ranks.
Wearied with their long march, the British troops were enjoying a rest, when the news came in that the Sikhs were advancing to battle at four o'clock in the afternoon. The British had some Io,000 men, and the Sikhs are estimated by some authorities as low as 10,000 infantry with 2,000 cavalry and 2 2 guns. The battle opened with an artillery duel, in which the British guns, though inferior in weight, soon silenced the enemy, the 3rd Light Dra goons delivered a brilliant charge, and the infantry drove the enemy from position after position with great slaughter and the loss of seventeen guns. The victory was complete, but the fall of night prevented it from being followed up, and caused some of the native regiments to fire into each other in the confusion.
Ferozeshah.—Af ter the battle of Moodkee Hardinge volun teered to serve as second in command under Gough, a step which caused some confusion in the ensuing battle. At 4 A.M. on Dec. 2 5 the British advanced from Moodkee to attack the Sikh entrenched camp under the command of Lal Singh at Ferozeshah, orders having been sent to Sir John Littler, in command at Ferozepore, to join the main British force. At I I A.M. the British were in front of the Sikh position, but Littler though on his way had not yet arrived. Gough wished to attack while there was plenty of daylight; but Hardinge re-asserted his civil authority as governor general, and forbade the attack until the junction with Littler was effected. The army then marched on to meet Littler and the battle did not begin until between 3.3o and 4 P.M. The engage ment opened with an artillery duel, in which the British failed to gain the mastery over the Sikhs, owing to the light weight of the British ordnance. The infantry, therefore, advanced to the attack; but the Sikh muskets were as good as the British, and fighting behind entrenchments they were a most formidable foe.
Littler's attack was repulsed, the 62nd Regiment losing heavily in officers and men, while the sepoys failed to support the European regiments. But the Moodkee force, undaunted, stormed and captured the entrenchment, though the different brigades and regiments lost position and became mixed up together in the darkness. The army then passed the night on the Sikh position, while the Sikhs prowled round keeping up an incessant fire. In the morning the British found that they had captured seventy three pieces of cannon and were masters of the whole field ; but at that moment a fresh Sikh army, under Tej Singh, came up to the assistance of the scattered forces of Lal Singh. The British were exhausted with their sleepless night, the native troops were shaken, and a determined attack by this fresh army might have won the day; but Tej Singh, after a half-hearted attack, which was repulsed, marched away, whether from cowardice, incapacity or treason, and left the British masters of the position.
Aliwal.—Af ter the battle of Ferozeshah the Sikhs retired be hind the Sutlej, but early in January they again raided across the river near Ludhiana, and Sir Harry Smith was detached to pro tect that city. On Jan. 21 he was approaching Ludhiana when he found the Sikhs under Runjoor Singh in an entrenched position flanking his line of march at Budhowal. He passed on without fighting a general action, but suffered considerable loss in men and baggage. Af ter receiving reinforcements Sir Harry again advanced from Ludhiana and attacked the Sikhs at Aliwal on Jan. 28. An attack upon the Sikh left near the village of Aliwal gave him the key of the position, and a brilliant charge by the 16th Lancers, which broke the Sikh square, completed their demoraliza tion. The Sikhs fled in confusion, losing sixty-seven guns, and by this battle were expelled from the south side of the Sutlej.
Sobraon.—Ever since Ferozeshah Gough had been waiting to receive reinforcements, and on Feb. 7, his siege train arrived, while on the following day Sir Harry Smith's force returned to camp. On Feb. 10 Gough attacked the Sikhs, who occupied a strong entrenched position in a bend of the Sutlej. After two hours cannonading, the infantry attack commenced at 9 A.M. The advance of the first brigade was not immediately successful but the second brigade following on carried the entrenchments. The cavalry then charged down the Sikh lines from right to left and completed the victory. The Sikhs, with the river behind them, suffered terrible carnage, and are computed to have lost 0,000 men and 67 guns. The British losses throughout the cam paign were considerably heavier than was usual in Indian war fare; but this was partly due to the fact that the Sikhs were the best natural fighters in India, and partly to the lack of energy of the Hindostani sepoys. After the battle of Sobraon the British advanced to Lahore, where the treaty of Lahore was signed on March II.