Decisive Battles Since Waterloo/Chapter 8
CHAPTER VIII.
BATTLE OF GUJERAT—1849.
One of the bravest and most powerful nationalities of the many races and nations of India, during the early half of the present century, was that of the Sikhs. Like most other Oriental nations, they owe their origin to religious belief, the word "Sikh" signifying "Disciple." The founder of their faith was a Hindoo named Nanek, who was born about the middle of the fifteenth century of the Christian era. His father intended him for a merchant, but he felt an irresistible longing for religious studies, which resulted in an uncontrollable dislike to the Hindoo, the Moslem, and the Bhuddist forms of worship. He taught the unity of God, the equality of all in the sight of heaven, and inculcated universal kindness, charity, and forbearance among men. He rejected the distinctions of caste, the burning of widows, and all other peculiar features of the Hindoo religion, and at the same time rejected the sensual paradise and devout observances of the followers of Mohammed. The progress of the new faith was steady, though in its early history it met with much opposition; for four centuries the Sikhs contended with the enemies that surrounded them, and gradually increased their power over the neighboring states. They were emphatically a soldier race, and in the early part of the present century, under the leadership of Runjeet Singh, "The Lion of the Punjaub" the Sikh Confederacy included a population of seven million, with an army of eighty thousand men, possessing three hundred guns.
It must not be supposed that this army was of the ordinary character of Oriental forces in general. On the contrary, it had been carefully drilled by French and Italian officers, so that it was in a high state of efficiency even when judged by the European standard. In addition to this regular force the whole country contained a warrior people, and with its entire strength called out, it could put more than a quarter of a million fighting men in the field. The Sikhs are tall, robust, brave, and full of military ardor; they are the best native soldiers in Asia, and would be more than a match for any other native troops which the cradle of the world could bring to oppose them. In the cavalry and artillery arms they are particularly distinguished, but this remark should not lead the reader to infer that they are inefficient as infantry. Their country is known as the Punjaub (Land of the Five Rivers), and it has been celebrated through many centuries for its richness and fertility. The rivers from which it takes its name are the Indus, Jhelum, Ravee, Chenab, and Sutlej. These rivers with their tributaries are available for purposes of irrigation over a wide extent of country, whose capital is Lahore, and chief city Umritzur. In the time of Runjeet Singh, the province of Lahore contained four million inhabitants, Mooltan one million four hundred thousand; Cashmere, six hundred thousand; and portions of Afghanistan which that fierce warrior had subdued had a population of at least one million.
The British government in India, realized that it had a dangerous neighbor on the north, but during the lifetime of Runjeet Singh there was no disturbance, and the British were on the most friendly terms with "The Lion of the Punjaub." His army clamored to be led against the English, but the clamor was totally disregarded by the 
ruler who dreaded the power of the British arms, and knew that his best way to conquest was one that would not interfere with the Europeans. In 1838 he began negotiations for a closer alliance with the British, but died before they were concluded. His death was followed by a weak and distracted rule which bordered upon anarchy; the demand of the Sikhs to be led against the English became steadily more and more fierce, and at length led to open warfare.
The Sikhs in 1845 invaded British territory, and thus brought on what is known in history as the first Sikh war. They crossed the Sutlej, which had been established by treaty as the boundary, and on the 14th of December attacked the British at Ferozepore. The place contained seven thousand five hundred men, and the Sikh army numbered nearly sixty thousand. Had the Sikhs made an immediate attack, Ferozepore must have fallen, but they contented themselves with intrenching within a safe distance of the fort and detaching twenty thousand men to meet the British column that was advancing to reinforce the garrison of Ferozepore. It was well for the British that Runjeet Singh was in his grave and not commanding the invading army.
The column of twenty thousand Sikhs was encountered and defeated by fourteen thousand British troops at Moodkee. The Sikhs lost heavily in men, and among the spoils of battle were seventeen guns which they were forced to abandon. The British army remained in camp for two days, until joined by reinforcements from the south, and then advanced upon the Sikh camp, having previously arranged for the division in Ferozepore to join at a point opposite the Sikh camp. The battle that followed was favorable to the British, but it was desperately contested by the Sikhs, and for a long time the result was doubtful. The Sikh army retreated and recrossed the Sutlej. When the retreat began, the British artillery ammunition was exhausted, and that of the infantry very nearly so. The British cavalry and horse artillery were actually moving to seek the shelter of the intrenched camp at Ferozepore; the Sikhs supposed it was a movement to seize the fords of the river, and cut off their retreat, and hence came the panic which gave the battle to the British at a moment when all hope seemed lost.
For some time following this battle there were no active hostilities, but the interval was occupied by the British in bringing up all available forces till their strength exceeded thirty thousand, with abundant supplies of ammunition and stores. Late in January, 1846, occurred the battle of Aliwal, and on the 10th of February, the battle of Sobraon, where the Sikhs had an intrenched camp of thirty thousand men with one hundred and seventy guns. The camp was on both sides of the river, and connected by a bridge. The British attacked the camp on the south side, and were desperately resisted by the Sikhs, who inflicted a loss of nearly three thousand men on their assailants. The battle resulted in a British victory, and a loss to the Sikhs of ten thousand men and sixty-seven pieces of artillery, mostly of heavy calibre. The principal loss to the Sikhs was made during an attempt to retreat over the bridge, which was choked with people under the fire of the British guns. The river had risen seven inches during the night preceding the battle, and while it was easily fordable before the rising, thousands were drowned in the attempt to cross it when swollen.
The battle of Sobraon was followed by an appeal on the part of the Sikhs for peace, which was granted after the customary negotiations. By the treaty the whole of the territory between the rivers Beas and Sutlej was given up to the British, and the Sikhs paid a crore and a half of rupees (£1,500,000) as an indemnity for the expenses of the war. All the guns which had been pointed at the British were given up, and the army was to be reorganized on the system that prevailed in the time of Runjeet Singh, and on a scale to be arranged in connection with the British government. The moderation of the British was a surprise to the Sikhs, who had expected the conquerors to take all they possessed, and leave them without a vestige of a government or any thing else. In common with most Orientals, they judged this moderation to proceed from fear, and therefore were encouraged to renew the struggle without great delay. In 1847 there were several manifestations of turbulence, and in 1848 it was plainly evident that war could not be long delayed. The British made preparations accordingly, and when the shock came they were far better prepared for it than at the outbreak of the first Sikh war.
On the 18th of April two English officials in Mooltan were set upon by a body of armed Sikhs and severely wounded; they were carried for safety to a small fort outside the citadel, but the Sikh garrison let in their assailants and the two men were murdered. There was then a general revolt, and the whole fortress of Mooltan, as well as the small fort where the murder took place, fell into the hands of the insurgents. This act precipitated the war, as the English took immediate steps to avenge the murder and accompanying insurrection. Several small battles took place, the rising among the Sikhs spread with great rapidity, they openly set up their standards, and declared their determination for independence, and in a few weeks they had a force of thirty thousand men ready for battle. The British concentrated their forces on the banks of the Chenab, and on the 21st November Lord Gough took command in person of an army of twenty thousand men. He immediately took the offensive by advancing on the Sikh camp, the orders being given to be ready for marching on the morning of the 22d. The attack resulted in the repulse of the British with considerable loss, including three officers of high rank.
Both armies remained quiet for some time, each receiving reinforcements and preparing for another passage of arms. In January, 1849, Lord Gough determined to attack the Sikhs, and on the 12th of that month was fought the battle of Chillianwallah, which was practically a drawn battle, as neither side had any thing to boast of in consequence of it. The English were well advanced towards victory, when a sudden panic, one of those unaccountable occurrences in battles in all ages of the world's history, caused a confusion in the ranks; it led to the loss of all the artillery which had been wrested from the Sikhs earlier in the day, and, in addition, four guns were taken from the British. On the British side there was a loss of two thousand two hundred and sixty-nine in killed and wounded; the English assert that the Sikhs lost three thousand killed and four thousand wounded, but this assertion is open to question. The result was so unsatisfactory that Lord Gough was removed and replaced by Sir Charles Napier, but in the meantime he terminated the war with the battle of Gujerat, which is now to be considered.
The siege of Mooltan was ended by the surrender of its garrison, and the besieging force immediately moved to join the army of Lord Gough. With this and other additions to his strength he had twenty-five thousand men eager for battle; he was also stronger in artillery than were the Sikhs, as he had one hundred pieces to oppose to fifty-nine. The Sikhs, who were commanded by Shere Singh, had been recently reinforced until their number reached sixty thousand, but notwithstanding this numerical disparity, Lord Gough determined to attack them in the position they had chosen. Colonel Malleson puts the actual fighting strength of the Sikhs at thirty-four thousand, and says they were encamped as follows:
Their centre was formed back of the town of Kalrá; their left on a small stream called Kátelah, which runs into the Chenab; and the Dwárah, another small stream of some width but nearly dry, protected their right. Not far from the Khoree Pass, in the rear, was the city of Gujerat. On a thorough examination of the position by Lord Gough and his staff, it was seen that it lacked strength. Nowhere did the right wing of the Sikh army offer serious resistance to men or artillery. The left wing on the Kátelah was even weaker than the rest of the position as it rested en l'air; in fact, on no side was there any serious protection against assault. It was decided, therefore, to strike at the left and centre of the Sikh position, and to force them back on their right.
To act upon this plan an advance of the heavy artillery, formed in his centre, was ordered by Lord Gough; the right wing, made up of the divisions of Gilbert and Whish, supported by the larger part of the field artillery, was also to move forward. After these should have doubled in the left and centre of the Sikh army, upon its right Campbell's and Dundas' divisions, forming the British left wing, were to come up and end the work. Then the cavalry reserve were to come in to make the disaster to the Sikhs irretrievable. The British line was to advance to the enemy's position by following the bank of the Dwárah. The British artillery, being much superior to the Sikh forces, both in the number of guns and their calibre, Lord Gough intended to delay the advance of his infantry to close quarters until the guns had been freely used. The British officers felt that a Pyrrhæan victory, as the hard-fought battle of Chillianwallah had proved only five weeks before, could not be afforded. The Sikhs as well as the British wished for a decisive battle and were entirely confident of victory.
Although Lord Gough was certainly an able leader, he had not that coolness in action which a Clive or a Wellesley displayed under similar circumstances. On the contrary, a battle so excited him that his well-formed plans were lost, and his sole aim was to attack with his infantry, disregarding entirely the service of cavalry and artillery.
At half-past seven in the morning of that remarkable day of February 21, 1849, the British army was ready to advance to battle. The morning was bright, and the advancing columns made very little dust. The camp of the Sikhs was sharply outlined against the snow-capped ranges of the Himaláya behind Gujerat. At the call of "Forward, march!" sounding swiftly down the line, the British advanced to meet their enemy. Shortly after passing the town of Hariwald, a halt of a few moments was made to re-form the lines and close the ranks. The Sikhs, seeing the British resting, opened with their artillery, but their fire did not reach the enemy's lines, for the distance was fully two thousand yards, or something more than a mile. The heavy guns of the British were used in return, but the range was too great to be effective. It was necessary to approach more closely, and again the British advanced.
Suddenly, out rode the British cavalry dashing into the very muzzles of the Sikh guns in the face of a fierce storm of shot and shell. The horse artillery now followed them, unlimbering within short range, and discharging their volleys with great rapidity and with telling force into the Sikh lines. The effect of this artillery charge was so great that the Sikhs, unable to withstand the English fire, retired to occupy a position farther back, beyond the villages of Barra Kalrá and Chota Kalrá. General Gough ordered the storming of the villages by the infantry, and away started the two British divisions for the work, but the stubborn opposition of the Sikhs made the attempt 
almost useless, and nearly resulted in a repulse. The Sikhs met the columns of the advancing British front to front, and inch by inch the British infantry made good its ground, until the first line gave way to fall back on the second. The British lost three hundred men in carrying the town of Barra Kalrá; and in the storming of Chota Kalrá, one half of the first brigade was killed or disabled, without counting the great loss of the horse artillery in aiding the assault. One troop was nearly annihilated.
Meanwhile Colonels Campbell and Douglas, commanding the left wing, kept carefully in line with the advance movement of the right, but in a manner much more cautious. They ordered their men to lie upon the ground when halted, and advancing by slow degrees they reached a point from which they could command the head of the Dwárah creek. In a few minutes the creek was cleared of the Sikh infantry, and the ground was occupied by Campbell, the loss of men being only trifling. This was the natural ending of the first part of the battle. The advance of the British had been made with success along the entire line. On the right two important positions had been won, while the enemy had been driven from the nullah, or dry rivulet, on which they were resting, by the operations of the left wing.
Lord Gough was confidently believing that the battle had been won, but such was far from being the case. The Sikhs, alert to observe a weak point or a false move of the enemy, quickly ascertained that the English, in swinging their left upon the right wing of the Sikhs to gain that ground, had left a great gap between their left and the centre. To rush in and make a passage through this gap was their opportunity, for their line of retreat was already seriously threatened. The Afghan cavalry had not only given way before a brave charge of the British, but there was a brigade moving toward the Sikh rear. If the Sikhs could make their way through the British centre, the day might yet be turned in their favor. It was a desperate chance, but the only one. Forming their men in line, the Sikh leaders marched them forward for this forlorn attack—a brave stroke for success. The fate of the day was hanging in the balance.
The probability as well as the danger of this movement had been weighed by the English commander. He had ordered up two companies of horse artillery, but as they went into position it was discovered that they were out of ammunition. Time was lost in sending to the rear for a fresh supply. The silence of the British artillery gave courage to the Sikhs, and had it not happened that the officer nearest the gap was a ready leader, a cool-headed, watchful soldier, and a man of great resources, India might have been wrested from English hands by this one movement. Colonel Campbell perceived the great peril of the situation, and promptly directed the fire of a part of his artillery on the advancing Sikhs. The latter at once realized that the advance could not be continued except at the risk of their flank being exposed to the full fire of Campbell's artillery. This was more than they could stand, and they retreated in sore dismay, protected by their cavalry. They did so not a moment too soon, for the English right wing was already hemming them in. No alternative remained but to leave the field to the British.
By one o'clock Lord Gough had routed the Sikh army, crowding it in large and disorganized masses upon a line of retreat which, if rightly followed up, gave no chance to the discouraged fugitives of support or escape. And it was followed up with great vigor. Cavalry and horse artillery were despatched in pursuit, and followed as closely as possible by the wearied infantry. During all the rest of the day the defeated army suffered all the terrors of almost continuous attacks. It could not retain its cohesion under the strain, and the country for miles around was filled with scattered and fleeing Sikhs, and covered with guns, cattle, carts, tents, and standards left in the haste of a wild flight. At last night came on and the pursuit was ended twelve miles beyond Gujerat. The victory of the British was complete.
Fifty-seven guns, thirty-two standards, and the whole Sikh camp with ammunition and baggage fell into the hands of the British. The loss to the British was ninety-two killed and six hundred and eighty-two wounded; that of the Sikhs was estimated at five or ten times the British loss, in addition to the destruction and dispersal of an army of sixty thousand men.
Early next morning Lord Gough despatched a force of fifteen thousand men, consisting of horse and foot artillery, some infantry, and all the cavalry, to intercept the flight of the Sikhs through the Khoree Pass towards the Jhelum. But the Sikhs, to the number of nine thousand, with ten guns, had already got through the pass; the British followed, and when they reached the Jhelum Shere Singh made proposals for surrender. He was informed that nothing short of unconditional surrender would be accepted, and accordingly he laid down his arms and his men became prisoners of war. The surrender occurred on the 12th of March, near Horrmuck. Nearly ten thousand soldiers gave themselves up, the rest of those who survived the battle having fled to their homes. Forty-one guns were surrendered, including those taken by the Sikhs at Chillianwallah. The British authorities gave each man a rupee for his expenses to his home, and the cavalry were allowed to retain their horses, which were their own property; but all the arms, ammunition, standards, and all other materials of war were retained by the British.
The repeated acts of insubordination of the Sikh soldiery and the evident and serious risks to which they had exposed the British power in India, determined the governor-general to put a final end to them. On the 29th of March a proclamation was issued which recounted how the long peace and alliance which had been in force between the two governments had been twice broken through the treachery of the Sikh troops. Consequently, it had become necessary, the proclamation stated, to declare "the kingdom of the Punjaub at an end, and that all the territories of Maharajah Dhuleep Singh are now and henceforth a portion of the British empire in India." The proclamation promised due honor to the Maharajah and the few chiefs who had not engaged in hostilities against the British, and guaranteed to all the people, whether Mussulman, Hindoo, or Sikh, the free exercise of their own religion, but forbade any one to interfere with that of another.
The Sikhs accepted the inevitable, and submitted gracefully to the superior power of the British. The event made less excitement in Hindostan than in England, where the greatness of the addition to the British empire in India by the conquest of the Punjaub was appreciated at its full value. Since that time the Sikh soldiers have proved themselves the best and most faithful of all the Asiatics serving under the English banners in India. During the mutiny of 1857, they remained to a man loyal, and their splendid fighting qualities undoubtedly saved to Great Britain her possessions in the Indian peninsula, or at any rate preserved her from any serious reverses.
At present, the population of the Punjaub is not far from twenty-three million, additions having been made to the original territory. The country is one of the richest and most prosperous of all the Indian possessions of Great Britain, and covers an area of nearly two hundred thousand square miles. In the north the whole surface is traversed by spurs from the Himaláyas enclosing deep valleys, while in the south the country is unbroken by any important elevation with the exception of the Salt Range of mountains, about two thousand feet high, between the Indus and the Jhelum. Since its annexation by the British the Punjaub has progressed more rapidly than in any similar period of its history, and its agricultural and manufacturing products are known throughout the civilized world.
