ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>POLLOCK SIR GEORGE (1786-1872)</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="POLLOCK,SIR,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">&#65279POLLOCK, SIR GEORGE (1786-1872), Baronet, field marshal, son of David Pollock, was born on 4 June 1786. In 1803, he entered the East India Company artillery. He took part in the campaign against Jasvant R&#257o Holkar,1804-05, and served in Nepal, 1814, and in the first Burmese war,1824-26. In January 1842, he was appointed commander to the "Army of Retribution" which marched through the Punjab to reconquer Afghanistan after the K&#257bul massacre of November 1841. He marched with his force towards Pesh&#257war under unfavourable circumstances. There was alarm in the <u>Kh</u>aib&#257r and Frederick Mackeson was besieged in 'Al&#299 Masjid by the tribals till the Sikh force came to his relief. When, on 5 February 1842, Pollock arrived at Pesh&#257war, he was faced with a serious situation. George Russell Clerk's constant pleadings at the Sikh court at Lahore for help had received a positive response from Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Sher Si&#7749gh. Moreover, Lord Ellenborough's offer of Jal&#257l&#257b&#257d to the Sikhs on its evacuation by the British had necessitated the despatch of a large Sikh force to Pesh&#257war &#8212 16 battalions, 2 brigades and several regiments, 25,000 men in all. Pollock, who had 3 brigades under his command reached Jal&#257l&#257b&#257d on 16 April. The Sikhs kept the Pass open as far as 'Ali Masj&#299d. Pollock had instructions to hand over Jal&#257l&#257b&#257d to the Sikhs on the retirement of the British army. However, Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Sher Si&#7749gh felt reluctant to accept it without active British help.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Pollock returned to England in 1846 and, in 1854, became senior government director of the East India Company. In 1870, he was promoted field marshal and, in 1872, created a baronet "of the <u>Kh</u>yber Pass." He died on 6 October 1872 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Hasrat, Bikrama Jit,ed. and annot., <i>The Punjab Papers</i>. Hoshiarpur, 1970<BR> <li class="C1"> Buckland, C.E., <i>Dictionary of lndian Biography</i>. London, 1906<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">B. J. Hasrat<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>