ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>WAQI&#8217 &#256-I-JA&#7748G-SIKKH&#256&#7748</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 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">&#65279<i>WAQI&#8217 &#256-I-JA&#7748G-SIKKH&#256&#7748</i>, by D&#299w&#257n Ajudhi&#257 Parsh&#257d, is a chronicle in Persian prose of the events of the first Anglo-Sikh war (1845-46). The narratives of the battles of Pher&#363sh&#257hr and Sabhr&#257o&#7749 have in fact been taken from two separate manuscripts.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The work was translated into English by V.S. S&#363r&#299 and published under the title <i>Waqi'&#257-i-Ja&#7749g-i-Sikkh&#257&#7749</i>, was first published in the journal of the Pañj&#257b University Historical Society, vol. VIII, April 1944, Lahore, and later reproduced in <i>The Panjab Past and Present</i>, Punjabi University, Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, vol. XVIII, April 1984. A copy of the Persian manuscript is preserved at the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 College, Amritsar. D&#299w&#257n Ajudhi&#257 Parsh&#257d (d.1870) had served the Sikh State both as soldier and civilian since the days of Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh. Though the author has not recorded the date, it is evident from internal evidence that the book came to be written soon after the actual happenings-sometime in 1846. As, he himself tells us, his account of Pher&#363shahr and Sabhr&#257o&#7749 battles was mainly based on his personal knowledge and on reports of notable persons who were present at the scene of action. In contrast to the style of chronicles in Persian, the text is free from literary or dedicatory embellishments.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the account of the battle of Pher&#363shahr, the writer records that on receipt of news of the British East India Company strengthening the frontier with additional troops, the Sikh soldiers apprehended danger. They also suspected that those at the helm of affairs at Lahore were in league with the British. Their chosen leaders decided, against the advice and warning of their officers, to cross the Sutlej and attack the British cantonment of F&#299rozpur. Three brigades of the Fauj-i-<u>Kh</u>&#257s were ferried across on 14 and 15 December 1945. They were followed by other regular and irregular troops. On 18 December, it was learnt that the British Governor-General was advancing with large reinforcements by way of Mudk&#299 to F&#299rozpur. It was, therefore, decided that the Fauj-i-<u>Kh</u>&#257s and others who had already crossed the river should straightway advance to Pher&#363shahr and Mudk&#299 while the Commander-in-Chief Tej Si&#7749gh with the remaining force still on their way to cross would stay at Pher&#363shahr for the purpose of attacking F&#299rozpur. The British met the Sikh advance a few kilometres north of Mudk&#299. "The Sikhs opened fire first and the British guns replied. Some riderless horses from a British regiment opposite the Sikh cavalry got out of control and galloped into the Sikh lines killing some of the Sikhs but the others fired thinking that British cavalry were charging [at] them. In the confusion which followed they fell into panic and fled firing in all directions. In reply the British sent over shells of various kinds...When night fell, the British troops still held their ground. The Sikhs retired from the field abandoning some of their guns and withdrew to Pher&#363shahr."</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The battle at Pher&#363shahr took place on 21 and 22 December 1845. Tej Si&#7749gh who was bringing reinforcements had not yet reached Pher&#363shahr when the British attacked this position with artillery. Tej Si&#7749gh found the following morning that the Sikhs had already been defeated and dispersed. "An artillery battle from a distance ensued between the guns attached to the British cavalry and Sard&#257r Tej Si&#7749gh's brigade," after which these troops also withdrew and recrossing the Sutlej went towards Sabhr&#257o&#7749.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The battle of Sabhr&#257o&#7749 was also fought at the insistence of the soldiery and against the advice of officers and Sard&#257rs who had counselled, "...there was some chance of placating the British government from this side of the Sutlej. It would not be surprising, since the British government was the paramount power, if the Governor-General, knowing that the Punjab was the home of the Sikhs, and learning the true state of affairs from reliable reports should hear and accept their apology." Instead, writes the author, "the Si&#7749ghs deputed by the various brigades of the army met on the bank of the river and discussed what the officers had told them and their own ambitions and plans." Tej Si&#7749gh had also opened negotiations with the British. A bridge of boats was constructed and the Sikhs crossing the river opposite Sabhr&#257o&#7749 established a bridgehead with a big breastwork of sand and mud and a trench dug around it. On 10 February 1846, a little before dawn, the British opened the attack with artillery fire followed by advance by their main force. "The British guns wrought havoc among the <i>gho&#7771cha&#7771has</i> and the infantry, <i>sowars</i>, howitzers and guns which were with the <i>gho&#7771cha&#7771has</i> in the <i>morch&#257</i>. It was said that the howitzers fired only one round and then their crews fled, but the <i>gho&#7771cha&#7771has</i> stood their ground for some time. Ultimately they too turned and fled from the battlefield, but most of them were killed or wounded....Wounded or unwounded they fell back towards the river, many towards the bridge, which became crowded with fugitives and gave way...The Sikh troops under the command of Sard&#257r Sh&#257m Si&#7749gh continued the fight as long as they could, but even they could not withstand the onslaught of the British troops and all suffered defeat." In the list of <i>&#7692er&#257s</i> appended to the manuscript Sard&#257r Sh&#257m Si&#7749gh A&#7789&#257r&#299v&#257l&#257 has been shown as a cavalry officer in the Fauj-i-<u>Gh</u>air-&#256' &#299n, i.e. irregular army.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The account given by Ajudhi&#257 Parsh&#257d is clearly pro-British. While he writes approvingly that "on that day the truth had been revealed, the strength and valour of the British army had been proved," there is not a single word in the manuscript about the matchless bravery of the Sikh soldiers or about the shameless betrayal by their commanders, the facts appreciatively noticed even by contemporary British writers. Nor does he account for the utter inefficiency and cowardice of the officers in facing and controlling the men placed under their command.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Kirpal Singh, <i>A Catalogue of Persian and Sanskrit Manuscripts</i>. Amritsar, 1962<BR> <li class="C1"> S&#363r&#299, Sohan L&#257l, <i>'Umd&#257t ut-Tw&#257r&#299<u>kh</u></i>. Lahore, 1885-89<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Bhagat Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>