
The First Anglo-Sikh War
Amarpal Singh(Author)
Amberley Publishing
Published on 15. August 2010
Book
Hardback
256 pages
978-1-84868-983-1 (ISBN)
Description
During the eighteenth and early years ofthe nineteenth century, the red tide of British expansion had covered almost the entire Indian subcontinent, stretching to the borders of the Punjab. There the great Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh had developed his military forces to thwart any British advance into his kingdom north of the River Sutlej.
Yet on the death of Ranjit Singh, unworthy successors and disparate forces fought over his legacy while the British East India Company seized on the opportunity and prepared for battle. In the winter of 1845 the First Anglo-Sikh War broke out. From the start, the two-month campaign was marred by Victorian arrogance and bluster on the British side and personal ambition, intrigue and treason in the Sikh camp. Five keenly fought contests ensued, including the great battle of Ferozeshah where the British force found itself caught between two powerful Sikh armies and came close to destruction. Declining to retreat, Sir Hugh Gough, the British Commander-in-Chief, told his second in command: 'My mind is made up. If we must perish, it is better that our bones should bleach honourably at Ferozeshah than rot at Ferozepore: but they shall do neither the one nor the other.' The fate of the British Empire in India would be decided that day.
Amarpal S. Sidhu writes a warts and all tale of a confl ict characterised by treachery, tragedy and incredible bravery on both sides. In an innovative approach to history writing, the narrative of the campaign is accompanied by battlefi eld guides that draw on eyewitness accounts and invite the reader to take a tour of the battlefi elds, either physically or virtually. Fully illustrated with period drawings, modern-day photographs and new maps, The First Anglo-Sikh War gives a forgotten conflict the meticulous attention it deserves.
Yet on the death of Ranjit Singh, unworthy successors and disparate forces fought over his legacy while the British East India Company seized on the opportunity and prepared for battle. In the winter of 1845 the First Anglo-Sikh War broke out. From the start, the two-month campaign was marred by Victorian arrogance and bluster on the British side and personal ambition, intrigue and treason in the Sikh camp. Five keenly fought contests ensued, including the great battle of Ferozeshah where the British force found itself caught between two powerful Sikh armies and came close to destruction. Declining to retreat, Sir Hugh Gough, the British Commander-in-Chief, told his second in command: 'My mind is made up. If we must perish, it is better that our bones should bleach honourably at Ferozeshah than rot at Ferozepore: but they shall do neither the one nor the other.' The fate of the British Empire in India would be decided that day.
Amarpal S. Sidhu writes a warts and all tale of a confl ict characterised by treachery, tragedy and incredible bravery on both sides. In an innovative approach to history writing, the narrative of the campaign is accompanied by battlefi eld guides that draw on eyewitness accounts and invite the reader to take a tour of the battlefi elds, either physically or virtually. Fully illustrated with period drawings, modern-day photographs and new maps, The First Anglo-Sikh War gives a forgotten conflict the meticulous attention it deserves.
Reviews / Votes
With this book in hand, the battlefields of the Punjab come alive once again.-- Professor Peter Doyle, Battlefield Archaeologist, Co-Secretary, All Party War Graves and Battlefield Heritage Group. The First Anglo-Sikh War unearths a wealth of rarely studied sources and marries them to exhaustive field research to produce a detailed study of an important but largely forgotten campaign -- John Keay, Historian, Author of India: A History. The sections on the battlefields today, which include vivid descriptions of the aftermath of combat by eyewitnesses, so often overlooked in works of military history, will help to make this a key work for a long time to come. -- Dr. Tony Pollard, Battlefield archaeologist (BBC TV series presenter Two Men in a Trench).More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Chalford
United Kingdom
Illustrations
69 Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
785 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84868-983-1 (9781848689831)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Amarpal Singh
The First Anglo-Sikh War
E-Book
08/2010
1st Edition
Amberley Publishing
€9.19
Available for download
Person
Amarpal Singh was born in the Punjab, India. He spent over 20 years working in the software industry before turning to his real interest in military history and the exploration and analysis of battlefields. His books on the First and Second Anglo-Sikh Wars have been very well received. Amarpal has appeared and collaborated on history programs for several TV channels. He currently lives in London with his wife and two sons. His other interests include the later Roman Empire, Byzantium, the Ottoman Empire and World War Two.