War: First Anglo-Sikh War
Date: 21st December 1845.
Place: In the Punjab in North West India
Combatants: British troops and Indian troops of the Bengal Presidency against Sikhs of the Khalsa, the army of the Punjab.
Generals: Major General Sir Hugh Gough and General Sir Henry Hardinge, the Governor General of Bengal, against Lal Singh and Tej Singh (British India Agents/Spy in Khalsa Sarkar).
Size of the armies: A British and Bengal army of 18,000 men, 63 guns and 2 Howitzers against a Sikh army initially of Lal Singh’s force, then joined by Tej Singh’s troops from Ferozepore of 30,000 men and 150 guns (including many heavy calibre). The Sikh army contained a force of religious group called the Akalis.
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Account: Following the Battle of Moodkee on 18th December 1845, the second action was fought three days later, on 21 December at Ferozeshah, 16 km both from Mudki and Firozepur. The Governor-General and the Commander-In-Chief, assisted by reinforcements led by General Littler from Firozepur, made an attack upon the Sikhs who were awaiting them behind strong entrenchments. The British — 16,700 men and 69 guns—tried to overrun the Sikhs in one massive cavalry, infantry and artillery onslaught, but the assault was stubbornly resisted. Sikhs’ batteries fired with rapidity and precision. There was confusion in the ranks of the English and their position became increasingly critical. The growing darkness of the frosty winter night reduced them to sore straits. The battle of Ferozeshah is regarded as one of the most fiercely contested battles fought by the British in India. During that “night of horrors,” the commander-in-chief acknowledged, “we were in a critical and perilous state.” Counsels of retreat and surrender were raised and despair struck the British camp. In the words of General Sir Hugh Gough, Sir Henry Hardinge thought it was all up and gave his sword—a present from the Duke of Wellington and which once belonged to Napoleon—and his Star of the ISath to his son, with directions to proceed to Firozpur, remarking that “if the day were lost, he must fall . ”
Lal Singh and Tej Singh again came to the rescue of the English. The former suddenly deserted the Khalsa army during the night and the latter the next morning (22 December) which enabled the British to turn defeat into victory.
Casualties: The British loss was again heavy, 1,560 killed and 1,721 wounded. The number of casualties among officers was comparatively higller. The Sikhs lost about 2,000 men and 73 pieces of artillery.
Follow-up: A temporary cessation of hostilities followed the battle of Ferozeshah. The English were not in a position to assume the offensive and waited for heavy guns and reinforcements to arrive from Delhi. Lal Singh and Tej Singh allowed them the much needed respite in as much as they kept the Sikhs from re crossing the Sutlej. To induce desertions, Lord Hardinge issued a proclamation on the Christmas day inviting all natives of Hindustan to quit the service of the Sikh State on pain of forfeiting their property and to claim protection from the British government. The deserters were also offered liberal rewards and pensions.
A Sikh sardar, Ranjodh Singh Majtha, crossed the Sutlej in force and was joined by Ajit Singh, of Ladva, from the other side of the river. They marched towards Ludhiana and burnt a portion of the cantonment. Sir Harry Smith (afterwards Governor of Cape Colony), who was sent to relieve Ludhiana, marched eastwards from Firozepur, keeping a few miles away from the Sutlej. Ranjodh Singh Majitha harried Smith’s column and, when Smith tried to make a detour at Baddoval, attacked his rear with great vigor and captured his baggage train and stores (21 January). But Harry Smith retrieved his position a week later by inflicting a defeat on Ranjodh Singh Majithia and Ajlt Singh, of Ladva, (28 January).
Only when reinforcements and additional ammunition arrived in the New Year would Gough resume his offensive and attack the main Sikh army in “Battle of Sobraon”
Source:
• History of the British Army by Fortescue.
• History of British Cavalry by the Marquis of Angelsey.
• The Encyclopedia of Sikhism Edited by Harbans Singh ji.