ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>BROADFOOT GEORGE (1807-1845)</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="BROADFOOT,GEORGE,Person,Person"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279BROADFOOT, GEORGE (1807-1845), joined service of the East India Company as a cadet in the Madr&#257s Native Infantry in 1826. In May 1841, he went to K&#257bul in command of the escort which accompanied the families of Sh&#257h Shuj&#257' and Zam&#257n Sh&#257h. He took part in the first Af<u>gh</u>&#257n war and distinguished himself in the Khaibar operations under General Pollock. In 1844, he was appointed Agent to the Governor-General at the North-West Frontier Agency. The appointment was not liked by the Sikh Government. Major George Broadfoot was impulsive by nature and had a temperamental hostility towards the Sikhs. While leading a caravan of the royal Af<u>gh</u>&#257n families through the Punjab, he had annoyed the Sikh escort provided by the Lahore Government for the protection of the convoy. He incited the Muslim population to rise and rescue him and requisitioned a British brigade from Jal&#257l&#257b&#257d to save him from what he called the violent intentions of the Sikhs. His distrust of the Sikh escort, however, proved imaginary, but his conduct had given offence to the Sikh Darb&#257r.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Broadfoot had come to the Sikh frontier with the set policy of inciting antagonisms against the Lahore Kingdom and bringing about a full-scale conflagration between the Sikhs and the British. He endeavoured to win over M&#363l R&#257j, the governor of Mult&#257n, to his side. He gave open encouragement to Gul&#257b Si&#7749gh, who had made numerous proposals to the British for the destruction of the Sikh army and offered to assist them in the occupation of the Punjab in return for his being recognized as an independent sovereign of Jamm&#363 and the neighbouring hills. In March 1845, Broadfoot challenged the right of the Sikh Government to administer its possessions to the south of the Sutlej. He arrested a party of Lahore officials, escorted by a cavalry force, proceeding to Ko&#7789 Kap&#363r&#257 to relieve State troops stationed there. He prepared a case for the seizure of Lahore lands on the left bank of the Sutlej, arguing that, if the river was the boundary between the Sikhs and the British, the former could not possess territories to the south of it. Soon afterwards took place the Anandpur M&#257khov&#257l incident. The Colebrook Award of 1828 had accepted Lahore supremacy over the town, which was managed by the So&#7693h&#299 priests, and the Sikh Darb&#257r's right so established had never been challenged. A dispute having arisen among the So&#7693his in the spring of 1845, Broadfoot took upon himself to settle it by force. The Sikh forces, however, upset Broadfoot's mediation and expelled both Lieutenant Cunningham and his assistant sent there by the British agent.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;These provocative acts on the part of Major Broadfoot were among the chain of events which culminated in the first Anglo-Sikh war. What Broadfoot did was only in line with Lord Hardinge's policy, and had the approval of the Home Government. Hardinge's approbation was expressed in his cryptic comment : "Broadfoot is in his element on the frontier. "</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Major Broadfoot was killed in action on 21 December 1845 in the battle of Ferozesh&#257h.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Gough, C. , and A. D. Innes, <i>The Sikhs and the Sikh Wars</i>. London, 1897<BR> <li class="C1"> Hasrat, B J. , <i>Anglo-Sikh Relations</i>. Hoshiarpur, 1968<BR> <li class="C1"> Gupta, Hari Ram, <i>Panjab on the Eve of First Sikh War</i>. Chandigarh, 1956<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">B. J. Hasrat<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>