Introduction
The annexation of Punjab in 1849 marked the definitive end of the Sikh Empire and its absorption into the British East India Company’s dominions following the Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848–1849). Proclaimed after the decisive British victory at the Battle of Gujrat and the collapse of Sikh resistance, the act formalized Company rule, pensioned the child Maharaja Duleep Singh, and inaugurated a new provincial administration under Governor-General Lord Dalhousie.
Background: From First to Second Anglo-Sikh War
- The First Anglo-Sikh War (1845–1846) ended with punitive treaties (Lahore, Bhairowal/Bharoval) that reduced Sikh territory, stationed British forces at Lahore, and placed the minor Maharaja Duleep Singh under British guardianship with a regency council and resident, effectively rendering Punjab a British protectorate and sowing instability.
- Rising tensions culminated in 1848 when a revolt in Multan, sparked by the murder of two British officers, widened into a general war across the province, drawing in Sikh soldiery and frontier allies against the Company.
Campaign of 1848–1849 and Key Battles
- Ramnagar (22 November 1848) and Chillianwala (13 January 1849) were indecisive and costly, revealing the resilience of Sikh forces and the scale of effort required for conquest.
- The prolonged siege operations at Multan ended with its capture on 22 January 1849, freeing British forces to concentrate against the main Sikh army.
- Gujrat (21 February 1849) proved decisive: British-Indian forces routed the Sikh field army, pursued it to Rawalpindi, compelled its surrender, and forced Afghan auxiliaries to withdraw, breaking organized resistance across the province.
Proclamation and Legal Instruments of Annexation
- Following Gujrat, Dalhousie moved to extinguish Sikh sovereignty; his foreign secretary Henry Meirs Elliot obtained signatures from the regency and Duleep Singh at a Lahore durbar to confirm annexation.
- Sources record the formal act on 29 March 1849, when Punjab was declared annexed by the East India Company, with additional proclamations around 30 March and a public declaration by Dalhousie dated 2 April 1849, reflecting the administrative sequence of incorporation.
- The arrangement is commonly referred to as the (second) Treaty of Lahore (1849), which dissolved the Sikh state, removed Duleep Singh, and transferred sovereignty to the Company.
Terms and Immediate Consequences
- Maharaja Duleep Singh, about 11 years old, was deposed, granted a pension, and compelled to live outside Punjab; he was subsequently taken to England, emblematic of the end of Sikh dynastic rule.
- The famed Koh-i-Noor diamond was seized as part of the settlement and presented to the British crown, becoming a potent symbol of imperial spoils.
- Extensive territories across central and frontier Punjab—including Lahore, Multan, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, and more—were folded into a new provincial framework under Company authority.
Administration: From Board of Administration to Chief Commissioner
- Dalhousie established a Board of Administration led by Sir Henry Lawrence, joined by John Lawrence and C.G. Mansel, to govern the newly acquired province, nominally under Bengal but functionally autonomous.
- The Board recruited a cadre of officers—Lawrence’s “Young Men”—and pursued non-interference in religious affairs while extending stipends and patronage to Sikh elites to stabilize the transition.
- In 1853 the Board was dissolved; John Lawrence became the first Chief Commissioner, centralizing authority and streamlining governance.
Military and Political Repercussions
- The annexation unlocked large-scale Punjabi recruitment into the Punjab Irregular Force and later the Company’s army, a trend that proved decisive in 1857 when the Punjab—rapidly mobilized and disarmed of mutinous elements—served as a base to retake Delhi and suppress the rebellion.
- The fall of the Sikh state removed the last significant indigenous power capable of challenging British supremacy in northern India, accelerating the consolidation of Company rule across the subcontinent.
Why the Sikh State Fell
- After Ranjit Singh’s death, internal dissension undermined civil administration and supply, while the Anglo-Sikh treaties after the first war crippled sovereignty through residency, indemnities, and forced reductions of the Khalsa, fueling resentment and instability.
- In 1848–1849, despite stout battlefield performances, the Sikhs faced superior British logistics and concentrated artillery power, culminating in the comprehensive defeat at Gujrat that shattered remaining organized resistance.
Key Dates
- 19 April 1848: Murder of Vans Agnew and Anderson at Multan; insurrection spreads, triggering war.
- 22 January 1849: Multan captured by General Whish, freeing forces for decisive operations.
- 21 February 1849: Battle of Gujrat—decisive British victory; Sikh army surrenders at Rawalpindi.
- 29 March 1849: Annexation of Punjab announced by the East India Company (durbar formalities around 29–30 March).
- 2 April 1849: Dalhousie’s formal proclamation of annexation issued.
Significance and Legacy
- The 1849 annexation completed the Company’s northern arc of control from the Sutlej to the frontier, laid the administrative foundations of British Punjab, and integrated frontier districts pivotal to later imperial strategy.
- It also set lasting patterns of military recruitment, provincial administration, and frontier policy that shaped the region’s role in 1857 and beyond.
- For Sikh polity, the end of sovereignty marked a profound rupture, memorialized in community histories and political memory; for the Company, it was Dalhousie’s signature act of annexation by conquest, emblematic of high imperial expansionism.
Quick Facts
- Conflict: Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848–1849) leading to annexation.
- Decisive battle: Gujrat (21 February 1849).
- Proclamation: Annexation finalized in late March/early April 1849 under Dalhousie.
- Disposition of ruler: Duleep Singh deposed and pensioned; removed from Punjab.
- Administration: Board of Administration (Henry and John Lawrence, C.G. Mansel), later Chief Commissioner system.
- Symbolic spoils: Koh-i-Noor transferred to British crown.
Each element of the annexation—military defeat, legal dissolution, administrative reorganization, and symbolic seizures—signaled the close of Sikh sovereignty and the rise of a militarized, revenue-driven provincial regime that would become indispensable to the British Indian state within a decade.
