Fauj-i-Ain
| Fauj-i-Ain | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Active | 1805–1849 |
| Country |
 Sikh Empire
|
| Size | at its greatest height, during 1838-39, before the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab 60,000 men (45,000 Infantry, 10,000 Cavalry and 5,000 artillery) |
| Garrison/HQ | Lahore, , Kangra, Multan , Peshawar, Kashmir |
| Nickname(s) | Fauj-i -Qawaidan (The army with rules) |
| Motto(s) | Deg Tegh Fateh |
| Engagements | Afghan-Sikh Wars, Sino-Sikh War, Anglo-Sikh Wars |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Jarnail Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab Jean-Francois Allard Jean-Baptiste Ventura |
The Fauj-i-Ain (Punjabi:ਫੌਜ -ਏ-ਐਨ ,Persian:فوج ی این) was a branch of the Sikh Khalsa Army and was the regular army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab. It contained infantry, cavalry and artillery units.
Before the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh the armies in Punjab were consisting purely of cavalry. As Ranjit Singh became the Sardar of Sukerchakia Misl The tried to unify with his conquests most of the Punjab. With clever diplomacy and many battles he gradually unified most of Punjab under him. However the Afghans, The British and the Gurkhas were still a very big threat,while his empire was still in its infancy. Therefore in 1805,he started recruiting regular forces and employing East India Company deserters as officers or soldiers. This didn't went very well as most of these deserters were constantly in touch with the British. The British where alarmed with the rapid conquests of Ranjit Singh and sent many diplomatic missions to help the Phulkian sardars from a possible conquest of their lands and check the growing power of the Sikh Sovereign.
A Muslim regiment under Charles Metcalfe, 1st Baron Metcalfe was sent to Amritsar for talks with the Maharaja.The soldiers went into the temple without taking their shoes off,and some Nihang guards unsheathed their sabres and challenged them. The Muslim soldiers formed line and shot many Musket volleys. It resulted in the death of many Nihangs, while others were wounded. This impressed Ranjit Singh and left a deep impact on him. Realising the power of the British Army,he accepted The Treaty of Amritsar (1809),and started modernizing his army on European principles
It was the Maharaja Ranjit Singh who started to hire European officers to train and command parts of his army. It started in 1805 and contiuned to grow until 1839.
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Wikipedia