Historic Guns of British India

Summary

This article describes some famous artillery pieces with connections to the era of the British in India.

The information and images in this article have been provided by Elizabeth Hancox, FIBIS member and acknowledged expert on guns.

The Celebrated Bhurtpore Gun at Woolwich

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Named "The Father of Victory", this gun captured during the Siege of Bhurtpore in 1826, stands outside the Royal Artillery Barracks at Woolwich. It is 16ft 4ins long and weighs about 17.5 tons; the calibre is 8ins. Tradition has maintained that the precious metals enter into its composition; but analysis of metal taken from three places dispelled this idea. The metal is variable; it contains 9% to 15% lead, with traces of arsenic and antimony; the other components are 3% to 5% of tin, and the remainder copper. It is remarkable, however, that the exterior of the breech is of a totally different metal from the body of the gun, being in fact brass, containing nearly 37% of zinc, and has been cast over the body of the gun subsequently to the first completion of it, as one of the ornamental scrolls is partly covered by it.

This trophy was confided to the two corps of Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers by His Majesty George IV in 1828. It bears the following inscriptions:

On the Chase:

‘The Father of Victory’	title borne by Shah Alam also
‘The Reviver of Religion’	title peculiar to Aurangzeb
‘Muhammad, Aurangzeb, Alamgir'	Extolled, Throne adoring, World subduing
‘The Warrior, the Victorious King’	titles common to all Mogul emperors

On the Swell:

‘Year of the Hejira 1087’	common era AD 1677
‘The 20th of the Reign’	Aurangzeb's reign

Under the right trunnion:

‘The gun, the aid of Ali’
Ali, the hero-saint of the Indian Mohammedans, invoked by them in every difficulty, and especially in battle.
His titles are: ‘The victorious Lion of God,’ ‘The Remover of Difficulties

Under the left trunnion

According to the weights of Shah Jehan
The Ball, 30 sirs
Powder, 13 sirs
The weights and measures, as established by the Emperor Shah Jehan are those still used in India - the sir is about 2lbs.
The meaning of Shah Jehan is ‘King of the world’

Letters from letter-book in DAQM General’s Office, Woolwich

21st October 1828

The Master General has the highest satisfaction in communicating to the Regiment of Artillery the following letter from the principal aide-de-camp to the King, conveying His Majesty’s gracious intention that the gun taken at Bhurtpoor, and presented to His Majesty by Viscount Combermere and the forces which captured that fortress, shall be mounted at the front of the barracks at Woolwich, and placed in the charge and custody of the corps of Royal Artillery and Engineers, as a special mark of His Majesty’s approbation of their services on all occasions.

His Lordship in communicating to the two corps the King’s gracious commands, feels assured that a memorial so lasting of His Majesty’s distinguished favour will be a stimulus to continue for the future that zeal, good conduct and exertion, which has gained the corps the highest honour- the approbation of their sovereign.

The Commandant at Woolwich is desired to take measures tp carry into effect His Majesty’s most gracious intention.

(signed)

A Dickson, Colonel,

D.A. General.

Royal Lodge, Windsor

13th October 1828

My Lord

Having, by desire of Lieut. General Cuppage, submitted to the King a drawing of the gun taken at Bhurtpoor, mounted at Woolwich, and presented to His Majesty by General Viscount Combermere and the troops of His Majesty’s and the East India Company’s Service which co-operated under his lordship’s command in the assault and capture of that fortress, and having solicited the King’s pleasure with respect of the situation in which this gun should be placed, I have been honoured with His Majesty’s commands to convey to your lordship, and to desire that you will communicate to the officers of the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers, His Majesty’s determination that this gun shall be placed in front of the barracks at Woolwich: and His Majesty further desires that your lordship will take the necessary steps for giving due effect to such his pleasure.

His Majesty is influenced upon this occasion, and not only by a wish to assign a public and conspicuous situation to this splendid memorial of the enterprise and gallantry of the officers and soldiers by whom the important conquest of Bhurtpoor was achieved, but also by desire to place it in the charge and custody of a body of men which has in so eminent a degree merited His Majesty’s attachment and his approbation, by its distinguished ability and gallantry on every service in which it has been engaged, and by the manner in which it has in all other respects upheld the character and credit of the British arms.

I have &c.,

(signed)

H Taylor

Principal Aide-de-camp to the King

General Lord Viscount Beresford, G.C.B.

Guns at the Royal Arsenal

The Royal Artillery Museum at the Royal Arsenal site at Woolwich.

Indian SB Bronze Gun

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This gun captured during the Siege of Bhurtpore in 1826, stands outside the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich. The extreme length of this gun is 168.6ins and the estimated weight 6.5 tons, calibre 5.5ins. The workmanship is both elaborate and beautiful; there are three inscriptions on this cannon, shown below as 1, 2 and 3

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1. Translates as ‘Maharajah Brijander Sujjan Singh Bahadur’ which is assumed to be the name of a monarch.

2. This reads ‘Maharajah Pirthi Andar Siwai Jawahir Singh Bahadur or Maharajah Briji Andar Siwai Jawahir Singh Bahadur, the latter being preferred and is again the name of a monarch.

3. This has been more difficult to decipher but assumed to read ‘Maharao Manbhir Singh tup-i-burj-i-in Maqam Sakt Walu Kari-gar which translates to ‘Maharao Manbhir Singh made the cannon of the citadel of this place Walu was the artificer’. The figures LXXII are obviously the work of some European, and are in no way connected with the writing.

In endeavouring to decide the history of the gun, the first thing which demands attention is the circumstance that at the end of the cascabel there is the design of a face, intended apparently to represent either the sun or moon. This points strongly to the presumption that the cannon belonged to one of the dynasties known in India as the ‘Surya bunsi’ (Children of the Sun) or ‘Chandra bunsi’ (Children of the Moon). Now Udaipur was a dynasty of the sun, and the surmise that this is the state from whence the gun came is strengthened by the fact that Sujjan Singh (inscription 1) does occur in the annals of that principality; but though the British Government several times interfered in the internal administration of the country they never conducted warlike operations against the chief; so it is concluded that in spite of the mark on the cascabel, the cannon was not captured in this state.

The names ‘Siwai’ and ‘Pirthi’ (inscription 2) are to be traced to the ‘Jaipur’ dynasty, but so far as my researches have extended I cannot find that this line of Chiefs belongs to either the ‘Children of the Sun’ or ‘Children of the Moon’; moreover, though on more than one occasion the British authorities have taken steps to secure good government in this state I have not succeeded in discovering any campaign of a nature likely to result in the capture and dispatch to England of a cannon of this description; so I dismiss ‘Jaipur’ from further consideration. There remains but one other state to which I wish to refer as in any way connected with the matter at issue- I allude to ‘Bhartpur’. In the first place the ruling race is sprung from the ‘Jats’ and these in turn claim an origin as the ‘Children of the Moon’, moreover ‘Brijandar’ ‘Siwai and ‘Jawahir Singh’ are all names frequently to be met in the annals of the Bhartpur dynasty, while the first of the three as far as I can learn, is confined exclusively to this state. Further there was also a Chieftain of this kingdom called Jawahir Singh who ruled 1763-1768. Lastly, the play of words in ‘Brij’ and ‘Burj’ both written b r j (no short vowels) seem to emphasise the word ‘Brijandar. These various arguments seem to point strongly to the supposition that the cannon came from Bhartpur and dates from the third quarter of the 18th Century.

(The analysis of the cannon undertaken by Mr Wollaston of the India Office)

The Mulharrao Howitzer

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A bronze 6’’ howitzer late 18th century from Baroda, it is mounted on a native carriage. Weight 3cwt. 34lbs; length of chamber 6.3 in; length of bore 7in. There are numerous implements attached to the brackets of the carriage.

This exceptional gun was captured by a British Force at Khuree (modern Kadi) in Gujarat in 1802 during a campaign often seen as the beginning of the second Anglo- Maratha War. Kanoji Rao, illegitimate brother of Anunt Rao, disputed his succession to the Gaikwar of Baroda. To back his own claim Khanoji enlisted the powerful support of his cousin Mulhar Rao who held the practically independent fiefdom of Kadi. Mulhar Rao raised an army of 32,000 men. In return for military assistance from the Company’s Bombay Army Anunt Rao promised territory and tax revenues to the East India Company. 6,000 British and Company troops attacked Mulhar Rao’s army and forced him to retreat. His fortress at Kadi, along with 58 guns, fell into British hands on 5th May 1802.

The Marathas developed some of the very best artillery encountered by the British. They were particularly noted for their technical innovation and the use of multi-purpose types. This gun is a hybrid mortar and howitzer. As a field Howitzer it would have fired explosive shell much like a contemporary 5.5 inch howitzer. But it was also capable of firing at even higher trajectories used by mortars in siege warfare. The carriage is stoutly built to withstand the shock of firing. One of the particularly unusual features is the plumb line within the decorative cupola, which ensured the gun was level, thus improving accuracy. Another is the iron spikes, stabilising the piece in preparation for subsequent high angle rounds.

Tiger Howitzer

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Captured at Tipu Sultan’s fortress at the Battle of Seringapatam in 1799.

Tipu’s emblem was the tiger and he was known as ‘The Tiger of Mysore’. This piece is probably not finished as the detail of the chasing is not as fine as would normally be expected. It is a bronze 4 pounder inscribed 'Patan (Sriringpatna) Cast by Shams al-Din'. This gun is typical of those produced throughout Tipu Sultan’s region and is decorated with his emblems; tiger heads on the muzzle, trunnions and button, and the bubri, or stylised tiger stripes, which also contain information about production.

After his defeat by the British in 1792, Tippu Sultan employed French technical expertise to improve his arsenal, including the introduction of water-powered boring machines. The ornamental finish of his brass guns and mortars, noted European observers, was ‘brought to some perfection’. At the fall of Seringapatam in 1799, 927 cannon were captured. Out of approximately 400 brass guns well over half were manufactured in Tipu’s own foundry. The rest were mostly French or Dutch.

Two rectangular marks along the middle of the gun on both sides and the offset bore indicate that it was made using the cast-on construction. A separate inner mould was used for the bore and held in place by iron chaplets which remained embedded in the bronze after casting. This method of casting was first used in the 16th century, but was phased out in Europe by the late 18th century. However, it continued to be used by Indian states well into the 1830s. It may well have been for this reason that Arthur Wellesley, who was at Seringapatam in 1799, considered the quality of Tipu’s artillery to be inferior to those he later encountered in use by the Maratha army in 1803.

Cossipore Guns

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Two views of the same presentation gun- one of a set given to Ranjit Singh- and recaptured by the British.

Bronze 9 pounder. D Presgrave, Cossipore (East India Company) 1838/39

Produced by the East India Company’s gun foundry at Cossipore near Calcutta. This cannon was one of a set intended for presentation to Maharaja Ranjit Singh by George Eden, Lord Auckland, and Governor General, on the conclusion of treaty negotiations in 1838. The guns were presented with 200 rounds of shot and shell intended for a planned Anglo-Sikh invasion of Afghanistan.

The salute was fired by the howitzers that G. has had made to present to Ranjeet. They are very handsome, ornamented more than our soldiers think becoming, but just what Ranjeet would like; there is the bright star of the Punjab, with Ranjeet’s profile on the gun and Captain E. Says that thousand of Sikhs have been to look at these guns, and all of them salaam to Ranjeet’s picture as if it were himself.

Emily Eden (Lord Auckland’s sister who accompanied him on his state visit to the Panjab) ‘Up the Country’; Letters from India Ch XXV, p 189

The guns were captured 7 years later in action at the Battle of Ferozeshah, not far from Ferozepore where the guns were first presented.

Mughal/Sikh Artillery

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Indian brass gun on its carriage. Calibre 4.75in; length of bore 7ft 7.5 in; total length 8ft 8in. The ornamentation of this gun is peculiar and quite oriental. The carriage is decorated with thin iron plates of similar design to the ornament on the gun. The dolphins represent an animal somewhat like a rhinoceros. The vent is iron and plugged.

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Elevation of 193 as drawn by Capt. Ralph Smyth, Bengal Artillery in 1848 after its capture during the 1st Sikh War 1845-6 Bronze 8.33 lb (7 seers) Panjab, probably Lahore, late 18th to early 19th century Calibre 4.1

This is one of several cannon produced between 1760 and 1825 based on ‘Zamzamah’ or ‘Kim’s Gun’ which was cast in Lahore in 1761. It is a fine example of the Mughal casting tradition already in the Panjab before the Sikhs took over. Similar pieces have been dated to as late as 1825. The barrel is decorated in the Mughal style with palmette borders and a vase and flowers motif. The button is decorated with a lotus flower and the dolphins in the shape of makara (mythical water demons); motifs widely used in Indian art.

By the mid 1820s ornate cannon of this type were being replaced by similar, more streamlined, types which were both lighter and easier to produce. The closest contemporary British equivalent, a brass 9-pounder introduced in 1719, weighed almost 531lbs less and was a foot shorter. At some point in its service life, probably in the 1820s, the barrel was remounted by Sikh engineers on a Napoleonic-style split trail carriage and aiming was improved by attaching a strap around the button connected to a capstan elevating screw.

‘Zamzamah’ (now in Lahore) was used by Ahmed Shah at Panipat in 1761.

Sutlej Guns

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Sikh Horse Artillery Light 6-pounder (5seer) Panjab. Lahore, about 1838 Calibre: 3.25in (5.5 pounder)

Throughout Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s reign, Sikh engineers had access to East India Company patterns and workshops, as well as periodic diplomatic gifts of cannon. These accelerated artillery development to such an extent that by the late 1830’s, Sikh artillery rivalled that of the Company in both quality and quantity.

This cannon (below) is one of the finest surviving examples and clearly shows the exceptional technical and artistic expertise in the Sikh foundries and workshops. The barrel, produced in Lahore in 1838, is based on the British Light 6 pounder; the carriage on the Bengal artillery pattern introduced in 1823, but lavishly decorated with brass, copper, steel and mother-of-pearl inlay.

This cannon was almost certainly captured at the Battle of Aliwal, where four guns attributed to the work of the prominent Sikh engineer, Lehna Singh Majithia, were singled out for specific mention. It may have been made for the Fauj-l-Khas, or Royal Brigade, the elite brigade of the Sikh army. Commanded by his best French Officers, using French drill and imperial flags and eagles, it was also known as the French Brigade or the French Legion.

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Two bronze guns captured from the Sikhs at the Battle of Moodkee on the Sutlej, 19th December 1845. Probably made at Lahore. Complete with carriages, limbers with boxes, buckets, rammers, port-fire holders, axes, etc. Beautifully made of mahogany richly mounted with pieced brasswork and inlaid with brass, copper, steel and mother-of-pearl. Calibre, 3,25in; length, 5ft 6in.

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Two bronze guns (one shown front) from India, elaborately decorated on the upper surface. On the reinforce are the arms of the East India Company and the motto ‘AUSPICIO REGIS ET SENATUS ANGLIAE,’ on the reinforce ring is the makers name ‘G HUTCHINSON, 1838, COSSIPORE.’ And on the second gun (not shown) the makers name ‘D PRESGRAVE, 1839, COSSIPORE’ appears on the ring. On the chase of both is a collar with star, round the collar runs an Oriental inscription; they also bear inscriptions of the same character on the reinforce, as well as on another part of the chase. The vent of the second gun is enlarged to 0.5in. Calibres, 4.49 in and 4.23 in; length of bore 44.2 in; total length 51.3 in The second gun shown at the rear of the picture is brass 12-pr gun of the late East India Company, with the arms and motto of the Company-‘AUSPICIO REGIS ET SENATUS ANGLIAE G HUTCHINSON, 1839, COSSIPORE CXLIX’ and the letter ‘p’ on the reinforce ‘No 149’ on button. No dolphins. Calibre 4.55in; length, 3ft. 91/2 in; weight, 6cwt. 80lbs

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One of three Indian bronze guns which might date from about 1675 ( late Mughal) but the carriage with its elevating screw dates from 1859. (Brig. Young). No further information available.

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Fine chainmail coat with hood. Would have been worn with armour and helmet in mediaeval style, probably by fanatical Sikh horsemen called Gorchuras who went into battle, drug crazed, during the Punjab Campaigns of the 1840’s and earlier.

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Bronze gun from India, slightly ornamented about the cascable and chase. Calibre 4.86 in; length of bore, 7ft 10.5 in; total length 8ft 9 in; weight 15cwt 19lbs. The gun is supposed to have been carried into Assam by the Musselmans at the time of the invasion of the province by the Mahomedan power, and to have been taken from them by the Assamese at the time of their expulsion, or rather disastrous retreat from the malarias effects of the climate. It is well known they left a number of guns behind them. The guns seem to have been manufactured by a European, as it has an inscription in the roman character, ‘EVERHARDVS. SPLINTER.ME. FECIT ENGHVSAE. ‘The date on the reinforce is 1629. In Persian there is also an inscription which bears the name of the reigning Mahomedan sovereign, with the date of the manufacture. There is a third inscription on the gun in either Assamese or Ahom, stating the name of one Assam King, by whom, and the date when the gun was taken by the Assamese.

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Smaller bronze gun from Lucknow, bearing the Oude emblem of the fish; there is an inscription on the reinforce, and ‘By Major Claud Martin, Lucknow’ on the base ring. Calibre, 3.68in; length of bore, 46.4; total length 55in.

Indian 4 pounder. 3.1 in calibre, circa 1820. There appear to be tiger’s heads on the trunnions.

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A brass gun brought from Scinde. It is richly ornamented. There is a curious representation of the head of an animal on the muzzle. On the chase are two blank scrolls. The dolphins represent fish. Length, 4ft 8 in; calibre, 3.42 in.

Guns at Fort Nelson

These guns are at the Royal Armouries Museum Fort Nelson Fareham