Second Anglo-Sikh War: from the retreat at Chillianwala to the decisive Battle of Gujrat

Background. The conflict arose in April 1848 when Multan rebelled under Dewan Mulraj, and Sikh troops soon joined in open rebellion. Governor-General Lord Dalhousie and commander-in-chief Sir Hugh Gough agreed that the Company's forces were not adequately equipped with transport and supplies, so major units were withheld until the hot weather and monsoon seasons ended in November. The Punjab had recently lost much of its independence to the East India Company following the First Anglo-Sikh War, in which the Sikh Empire ceded parts of the Punjab region.

The Battle of Chillianwala. On 13 January 1849, General Gough launched a hasty frontal attack against Sher Singh's army near the Jhelum River. Despite advantages in numbers, weather, and logistics, the British failed to defeat the Sikhs. The battle was one of the bloodiest fought by the East India Company. Gough was driven back with heavy casualties, marking a significant setback for British forces in the Punjab campaign.

The Battle of Gujrat. The Battle of Gujrat was a decisive engagement fought on 21 February 1849. British regular and Bengal Army forces defeated the Sikh army in rebellion. The Sikh army capitulated a few days later, leading to the annexation of Punjab. The child Maharaja Duleep Singh, who was in British custody, was deposed. This victory solidified British control over the region.

Annexation and Surrender. After Gujrat, the Attariwalas Chattar Singh and his son Sher Singh, surrounded on all sides by enemy forces, agreed to British terms for surrender on 14 March 1849 at the British camp at Hurmel near Rawalpindi, to General Gilbert. The Punjab was formally annexed to British territory at Lahore on 2 April 1849. The war resulted in the fall of the Sikh Empire and the annexation of the Punjab, including areas of districts such as Gujrat and Rawalpindi, among others listed as annexed.