ANGLO-SIKH WARS

Between 1845-46 and 1848-49 two conflicts were fought between the forces of the East India Company, supported by troops from the British Army, and those of the Sikh Empire in the Punjab

Both the 1845-46 and 1848-49 wars, waged by the East India Company (EIC), ended in Sikh defeat and partial subjugation followed by full annexation of Sikh territory. In the aftermath of the second conflict, it also brought the British into contact with the Pashtun tribes of the North West Frontier, which the British were to contend with for the next century.

During the early 19th century the Sikh Empire, under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, had maintained civil relations with the British. Nevertheless, the Sikh ruler established a strong army to safeguard Sikh territory from the dual threats posed by the Afghans and Pasthun tribesmen, as well as from any potential territorial expansion of the British. The Sikh army was equipped and trained along European lines, and thus presented a formidable foe to its enemies.

When Ranjit Singh died in 1839, a period of political instability followed, with successive rulers dying in suspicious circumstances. Several factions emerged vying for power, while the Sikh army expanded rapidly in size - from 29,000 in 1839 to 80,000 by 1845.

What followed was more political upheaval. Watching these affairs were the British, who were concerned by the powerful Sikh military and the ongoing political turmoil, but saw opportunity for expansion. The British annexed Sindh in 1843 and built up their military forces near the Sikh border. Tensions between the two began to rise.