The First Sikh War [15min]

The First Sikh War started in 1845 and ended in 1846. Another followed between 1848 and 1849. The origins may be found in 1839 when the Sikh leader Ranjit Singh died. He'd tried to form a kingdom, or a state, for the Sikhs from the Punjab where his people came from. He took over Kashmir (the capital), Peshawar and Multan. His death ignited jealousies, power struggles and palace coups. "This Sceptred Isle: Empire" is a narrative history of the British Empire from Ireland in the 12th century to the independence of India in the 20th, told in 90 programmes written by historian Christopher Lee and narrated by actor Juliet Stevenson. (You may listen again online to the five most recent episodes of "Empire".)

Real power had to be with the army, which Ranjit Singh, with the help of the French, had organized on a European system. The British were never great friends with the Sikhs who refused to let them cross their territory during the first Afghanistan war. The British sent reinforcements to frontier garrisons at Firozpur and Ludhiana. Cavalry to Ambala. New river bridges were built and roads were laid. Dozens of boats were built to cross the border river, the Sutlej.

By 1845 the British had almost 90,000 men, more than 100 field guns plus 600 elephants and 7,000 camels ready for war.

The war started when the Sikhs, who said they feared an attack from the British, crossed the Sutlej. The first real battle came a week before Christmas at Mudki, which, because it went on through the dark, became known as Midnight Mukdi. The Sikh leader Lal Singh deserted leaving his men to fight hand to hand with the British. Hundreds lay dead on the field. Three days later nearly 17,000 British charged the Sikhs at Ferozeshah, which became one the fiercest battles fought by the British in India. More than 2000 Sikhs and 1560 British were killed. It's been said that the red and white pennants of the lances of the survivors were so coated with dry blood that they appeared to have been starched.

For the next two years, the Punjab was a British protectorate. In January 1849 the British, led by General Hugh Gough, crossed the Sutlej once more. The Sikhs killed thousands of Gough's men at Chillianwallah. But Gough pressed on and took the day. In London, he was considered a disaster and General Charles Napier was sent to replace him. But before Napier could get there, Gough had his Waterloo at Gujerat.

Viscount Gough 1779-1869: Born in County Limerick, General Hugh Gough joined the army at 14 and was serving in the West Indies at 20. He then fought in the Peninsular and India. He was the forward commander in the Opium War and was as instrumental as Pottinger in forcing the Chinese to surrender and eventually sign the Nanking Treaty that gave Britain Hong Kong in 1842.