Battle of Ferozeshah

Battle of Ferozeshah
Part of First Anglo-Sikh War
Ferozeshah, 22 December 1845 by Henry Martens
Date 21–22 December, 1845 Location Ferozeshah, Punjab Result British victory
Belligerents
Sikh Empire	East India Company
Commanders and leaders
Lal Singh Tej Singh	Sir Hugh Gough Sir Henry Hardinge
Strength
35,000-50,000 25,000 men 130 guns	16,700-18,000 69 guns 2 howitzers
Casualties and losses
3 guns Unknown	694 killed 1,721 wounded

The Battle of Ferozeshah was fought on 21 December and 22 December 1845 between the British and the Sikhs, at the village of Ferozeshah in Punjab. The British were led by Sir Hugh Gough and Governor-General Sir Henry Hardinge, while the Sikhs were led by Lal Singh. The British emerged victorious.

The First Anglo-Sikh War broke out as a result of the Sikh Empire of the Punjab falling into disorder after the death of the Maharajah Ranjit Singh in 1839, and British desire to secure the Punjab. The Sikh army, the Khalsa, was goaded by some of the contenders for power in the Punjab and its own ambitions for plunder and glory into crossing the Sutlej River into British territory.

A British division was already stationed at Ferozepur, and a large army under the Commander-in-Chief of the Bengal Army, Sir Hugh Gough, accompanied by the Governor General, was already marching from the various stations around Delhi towards the frontier. While a detachment of the Sikh army under its commander in chief, Tej Singh, advanced on Ferozepur, the main force under Vizier Lal Singh advanced to confront Gough. On 18 December, Lal Singh's advance guard was defeated at the untidy encounter Battle of Mudki.

Gough's army itself was hard-hit and tired by the battle, and made no move on the next day, or the day after. This allowed Lal Singh's army to concentrate at Ferozeshah and fortify its encampment.

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