Sikh Khalsa Army

Sikh Khalsa Army ਸਿੱਖ ਖਾਲਸਾ ਫੌਜ سیک ارتش خالصا-ارتش لاهور
Captured Sikh battle standard of First Anglo-Sikh War
Active	1799–1849
Country	Sikh Empire
Size	at its greatest height, during 1838-39, before the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab 120,000 men: • 5,500 Fauj-i-Khas elites • 60,000 Fauj-i-Ain regulars • 50,000 Fauj-i-Be Qawaid irregulars (Consisting of Jagirdari levies, Akali Nihangs, Fauj-i-Kilajat and Ghorcharas
Headquarters	Lahore, , Kangra, Multan , Peshawar
Nickname(s)	The turbaned devils
Patron	The Maharajas of Punjab: Maharaja Ranjit Singh Maharaja Kharak Singh Maharaja Nau Nihal Singh Maharaja Sher Singh Maharaja Duleep Singh.
Motto(s)	Deg Tegh Fateh (Cauldron,Sword,Victory or Prosperity in Peace and Victory in War)
War Cry	Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal (Whoever utters it shall be fulfilled, God is Eternal)
March	La Grenadière, La Carabinière, Pas Cadencé, Pas de Charge, La Charge, La Victoire est à nous, Dans les hussards (French Napoleonic Marches introduced by the employed French generals)
Anniversaries	Vaisakhi, Diwali, Gurpurb
Official Salutation	Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh (Khalsa is Guru's, Victory is Guru's)
Engagements	Gurkha-Sikh War: Afghan-Sikh Wars: Battle of Multan Battle of Shopian Battle of Nowshera Battle of Jamrud Sino-Sikh War: Battle of Ladakh Battle of Chushul First Anglo-Sikh War: Battle of Mudki Battle of Ferozeshah Battle of Aliwal Battle of Sobraon Second Anglo-Sikh War: Battle of Ramnagar Battle of Chillianwala Siege of Multan Battle of Gujrat
Battle honours	Lahore, Amritsar, Gujrat, Dera Ghazi Khan, Dera Ismail Khan, , Multan, Shopian, Nowshera', Peshawar, Ladakh.
Commanders
Notable commanders	Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab Hari Singh Nalwa Pran Sukh Yadav Misr Diwan Chand Dewan Mokham Chand Sham Singh Attariwala Jean-Francois Allard Jean-Baptiste Ventura

Gurkha-Sikh War:

Afghan-Sikh Wars:

Sino-Sikh War:

First Anglo-Sikh War:

Second Anglo-Sikh War:

The Sikh Khalsa Army (Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖ ਖਾਲਸਾ ਫੌਜ, Persian:سیک ارتش خالصا-ارتش لاهور), also known as the Army of Lahore, Punjab Army, Khalsa or simply Sikh Army was the military force of the Sikh Empire. It was formed in 1799 with the capture of Lahore by Ranjit Singh. From then on the army was modernised on Franco-British principles. It was divided in three wings: the Fauj-i-Khas (elites), Fauj-i-Ain (regular force) and Fauj-i-Be Qawaid (irregulars). Due to the lifelong efforts of the Maharaja and his European officers, it gradually became a prominent fighting force of Asia. Ranjit Singh changed and improved the training and organisation of his army. He reorganized responsibility and set performance standards in logistical efficiency in troop deployment, manoeuvre, and marksmanship. He reformed the staffing to emphasize steady fire over cavalry and guerrilla warfare, improved the equipment and methods of war. The military system of Ranjit Singh combined the best of both old and new ideas. He strengthened the infantry and the artillery. He paid the members of the standing army from treasury, instead of the Mughal method of paying an army with local feudal levies.

Before the reign of Ranjit Singh, the armies in Punjab consisted purely of cavalry. After Ranjit Singh became the Sardar of Sukerchakia Misl he gradually unified most of the Punjab through conquests and diplomacy. However the Afghans, the British and the Gurkhas remained a threat while his empire was in its infancy. Therefore, in 1805, he began recruiting regular forces and employing deserters from the East India Company as officers or soldiers. This latter tactic did not work particularly well because most of the 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.