22 January 1849: The Siege of Multan ended in Second Anglo-Sikh War The Second Anglo-Sikh War of 1848-1849 was one of the last major military conflicts between the East India Company and an important Indian power before the 1857 revolt, and resulted in the annexation of the Punjab by the British. The siege of Multan, that ended on 22 January 1849 was a turning point in the war, and victory for the British was now within sight. Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the greatest of the Sikh rulers, had expanded his empire during the initial years of the 19th century and captured parts of Afghanistan and Kashmir as well. But with the British East India Company’s stranglehold over the subcontinent steadily increasing, the British-controlled territories soon touched the edges of Punjab. After Ranjit Singh’s death in 1839, disorder spread in his empire and there were differences between the court (durbar) and the Khalsa (the military wing). With the British stepping up the pressure on the borders, there was a conflict between the Khalsa and British forces in 1845-46. Known as the First Anglo-Sikh War, it was won by the British and came as a blow to the Sikh empire.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 07:13:30 +0000
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