ANGLOSIKH WAR I, 1845-46, resulting in the partial subjugation of the Sikh kingdom, was the outcome of British expansionism and the near anarchical conditions that overtook the Lahore court after the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in June 1839. The English, by then firmly installed in Firozpur on the Sikh frontier, about 70 km from Lahore, the Sikh capital, were watching the happenings across the border with more than a neighbour`s interest. The disorder that prevailed there promised them a good opportunity for direct intervention. Up to 1838, the British troops on the Sikh frontier had amounted to one regiment at Sabathu in the hills and two at Ludhiana, with six pieces of artillery, equalling in all about 2,500 men.
Explore the pivotal role of Ludhiana Political Agency in Anglo-Sikh relations. Discover its transformation from a military post to a diplomatic hub.
Explore Sir Claude Martine Wade's diplomatic finesse with the Sikhs and his impactful role in Anglo-Sikh relations during the 19th century.
BENET, a Frenchma n, was one of the European physicians at the court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. He arrived at Lahore in 1838, and was given employment as a personal physician to the Maharaja and surgeon general to the Khalsa army on a monthly salary of Rs 1,000. After the Maharaja`s death, Benet left Lahore. He shifted to Ludhiana and started practice as a physician. He had some trouble with the British there and was forced to return to his native France.
Explore the life of Frederick Mackeson, a key figure in 19th-century Anglo-Sikh relations, diplomacy, and the Indus navigation scheme.
Discover the story of Wafa Begam, her brave quest to rescue Shah Shuja, and the famed Kohinoor diamond in 19th-century India.
BHANDARI PAPERS, a large collection of sundry papers, letters and documents preserved in the Punjab State Archives, Patiala, and named after the collector, Rai Indarjit Singh Bhandari of Batala. Little is known about the life of Indarjit Singh beyond a conjecture based upon some of the letters in the collection itself that he was a descendant or a relation of one of the Sikh kingdom`s vakils or agents at Ludhiana, namely Rai Kishan Chand, Rai Ram Dial, and Rai Gobind Das. Bhandari collection is a huge miscellany of 4103 items, mostly letters in Persian exchanged between the Sikh government at Lahore or its agents and the officers of the British agency at Ludhiana.
Discover the inspiring life of Sant Magghar Singh, a Sikh divine who preached Guru's teachings and championed social reform in Punjab. Learn more!
Baba Bohar (The Old Banyan Tree) is a poetic play, a long monologue. A tree personified is in conversation with the children who are playing under it; it starts with the contemporary situation in Punjab and goes back to elaborating its glorious past from the time of the Sikh Gurus upto the period of Independence, and ends with the narration about the martyrdom of Bhagat Singh. The play is important for its relevant symbolism and ample scope for imaginative staging.
Discover Maharaj Singh's battle against British rule in Punjab: a saint turned revolutionary who inspired many during the Anglo-Sikh wars.
