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{{War|name=1st Sikh War|dates=1845-46 |image=Punjab_district_map.jpg|thumb|400px|Map showing its districts and princely states |location=[[Punjab]] |combatant1=[[East India Company]] |combatant2=[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikh_Empire Sikh Empire] |result=British victory |medal=<br>[http://wwwen.britishmedalswikipedia.infoorg/sutlej_medal.html wiki/Sutlej_Medal Sutlej Medal]<br>Clasps: Moodkee, Ferozeshuhur, Aliwal, Sobraon |category=[[:Category:1st Sikh War|1st Sikh War]] }}

After the death of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranjit_Singh [Ranjit Singh]] in 1839, there was a period of internal strife as the succession to Sikh leadership was contested. Sikh forces were increased as were those of the British in the newly acquired territory adjoining the [[Punjab]]. Tension built up with demand and counter-demand until the British moved forces toward [[Firozpur]] and the Sikh Khalsa crossed the Sutlej. Four major actions were fought and all were won by the British. Large areas of territory were ceded to the British and a British Resident placed in [[Lahore]] effectively controlled the Sikh government.

==ActionsRelated articles ==See For details of events during this campaign see the following articles{||16 December 1845|[[Battle of Wadni Fort]]|-|18 December 1845|'''[[Battle of Moodkee]]'''|-|21 December 1845|'''[[Battle of Ferozeshah]]'''|-|17 January 1846|[[Surrender of Dharmkot Fort]]|-|21 January 1846|[[Occupation of Badhowal Fort]]|-|28 January 1846|'''[[Battle of Aliwal]]'''|-|10 February 1846|'''[[Battle of Sobraon]]'''|-|17 February 1846|[[:Category:1st Sikh WarOccupation of Phillour]] for an alphabetical list.|-|28 May 1846|[[Battle of Kangrah]]|}

*2nd Brigade: [[Hugh Wheeler|Colonel Hugh Wheeler]]

''Major General Walter Gilbert''<br>

''Major General Sir John McCaskill''<br>

== Sikh Khalsa Army ==The Sikh army created by Ranjit Singh was a formidable fighting force trained by European instructors to fight and drill in the Western manner. They were thought (especially the artillery) to be the equal of the Company's troops. At the outbreak of the 1st Sikh War the army's strength was 45,000 infantry, 26,000 cavalry and 376 guns. ==FIBIS resources==*Video: [http://www.members-area.fibis.org/archives/675 ''The First Anglo-Sikh War''] by Amarpal Sidhu, author of the book of that name. Talk given at the FIBIS AGM and Open Lecture Meeting on 26 October 2013. Video available to logged in FIBIS members in the FIBIS Social Network *"Captain Hunter: researching a memorial in Durham Cathedral" by Geoffrey Fox ''FIBIS Journal Number 31 (Spring 2014)'' pages 36-48. For access, see [[FIBIS Journals]]. Captain Hunter of the [[73rd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry]] was killed in action 21 December 1845 at the [[Battle of Ferozeshah]] ==Medals==Also see [[Medals]] and [[Medal Rolls]]*[http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishguide/sutlej.htm The Sutlej Campaign Medal] northeastmedals.co.uk==Memoirs==*N. W. Bancroft of the Bengal Horse Artillery published his memoirs in 1885, "telling of the campaigns of his career. He gives particular emphasis on the Sikh wars that culminated in the three Sutlej battles, which he describes in gory detail. His account of the actions of the artillery in the Sikh battles match with accuracy to the official accounts, giving a reliable illustration of the tactics of that time. Bancroft gives a tactile description of the sights and sounds of the battlefield, as they were seen and heard from the men on the ground". For more details see, [[Bengal Horse Artillery]]. == External Links links ==

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Anglo-Sikh_War 1st Sikh War 1845-46] Wikipedia<br>*[http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Anglo_Sikh_War_I 1st Anglo-Sikh War] Sikhiwiki<br>*[http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=QaFJAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA1&dq=sutlej&lr=&as_brr=3#v=onepage&q=&f=false Journal of the Sutlej Campaign] Google Books<br>*[http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=d0MEAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA48&dq=Army+of+the+Sutlej&as_brr=3&ei=1nH-Sv6jLJWczgTslbyoDw#v=onepage&q=Army%20of%20the%20Sutlej&f=false Despatches of the Generals] Google Books<br>*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikh_Khalsa_Army Sikh Khalsa Army] Wikipedia<br>*[http://www.queensroyalsurreys.org.uk/reg_in_india/india21_1.html 31st Regiment in the 1st Sikh War] queensroyalsurreys.org.uk<br>*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Punjab_map_(topographic).png Map of the Punjab] Wikipedia<br>

====Historical books online====*[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=2L0IAAAAQAAJ&pg=PP7 ''The War in India: Despatches of Visct. Hardinge, Lord Gough, Sir Harry Smith, Bart., and other documents; comprising the engagements of Moodkee, Ferozeshah, Aliwal and Sobraon''] 1846 Google Books*[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=OJpeAAAAcAAJ&pg=PP5 ''Despatches and General Orders Announcing the Victories Achieved by the Army of the Sutlej Over the Sikh Army at Moodkee, Ferozeshah, Aliwal, & Sobraon, in December, 1845, & January & February, 1846''] 1846 Google Books*''Papers on subjects connected with the duties of the Corps of Royal Engineers, Volume 10'' (old series) 1849 Google Books**[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=IBJ-AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA156 "Campaign on the Sutlej, 1845-6"] by Colonel Lewis, C. B., R. E., page 156**[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=IBJ-AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA166 "Unpublished Dispatches of Lieut-General Sir Harry Smith"], page 166**[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=IBJ-AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA177 "Some Account of the Passage of the Sutlej by the British Army, in February, 1846"] by Captain Yule, Bengal Engineers, page 177*[http://archive.org/stream/sikhsandsikhwar00innegoog#page/n10/mode/2up ''The Sikhs and the Sikh Wars: The Rise, Conquest, and Annexation of the Punjab State''] by Charles Gough , Arthur Donald Innes 1897 Archive.org*''The First and Second Sikh Wars'' Compiled for the General Staff, India by Lieutenant Colonel R G Burton 94th Russell’s Infantry 1911 [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.284289 Archive.org version], mirror from Digital Library of India. Contains maps. [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.82721/page/n3 2nd digital file] where text may be clearer in places, but missing maps.*''[http://books.google.com/books?id=HlUoAAAAYAAJ The history of the Sikhs: containing the lives of the Gooroos; the history of the independent Sirdars, or Missuls, and the life of the great founder of the Sikh monarchy, Maharajah Runjeet Singh''] [http://books.google.com/books?id=5WJCAAAAIAAJ ''The history of the Sikhs Volume 2 Containing an Account of the War between the Sikhs and the British in 1845-46'' ] contains details of the war from [http://books.google.com/books?id=5WJCAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA42 page 42] By William Lewis M’Gregor MD Surgeon 1st European Light Infantry 1846Google Books