December

After the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh on June 27, 1839, the British decided to annex the Sikh kingdom. The Maharaja’s army fought a series of valiant battles against the British, starting in 1845, called the Anglo-Sikh Wars (I and II).

The Anglo-Sikh war memorials were built by the British in memory of the soldiers of the British Army who laid down their lives in the First Anglo Sikh war, which saw action at Mudki on 18th December 1845, at Ferozeshah on 21st December 1845, and at Sabraon on 10th February 1846. Over 2,000 men and 67 guns were “lost” just in one day in the Battle of Mudki.

The British victory is regarded as the turning point of the First Anglo-Sikh War. Though they lacked sustained leadership, the Sikh army fought gallantly but unsuccessfully to defend their kingdom. The army had several treacherous commanders, who betrayed them to the British by refusing to send manpower, ammunition and supplies at key moments.

These memorials are authentic markers of the site on which the battles were fought. The scope of the project is to conserve the obelisks that mark the battlegrounds, site interpretation, conservation of the weapons and artifacts housed in the museum, upgrading of the visitor amenities, and landscaping all the sites and the museum. Contractors: The Lime Centre.

Title of Project Anglo Sikh Battle Site, Village Mudki, District Faridkot Owner Department of Culture, Government Punjab Funding Agency Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, through the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board, Government of Punjab Caretakers Department of Culture, Government of Punjab Year of Commencement 2008 Year of Completion 2010