1757- East of the Cape of Good Hope by Narendra Mehra

Author:Narendra Mehra [Mehra, Narendra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781478384106
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 2012-08-11T00:00:00+00:00

Punjab Wars

Punjab was the ultimate reward Britain was seeking in India and it took them almost a century before they could venture to attack it. There was no conflict between Britain and Punjab and the British interest in Punjab was purely predatory gains, loot and plunder, they were also seeking hegemony over Punjab because of their expansionary goals in India and for recruitment of its populace for the British Army. The ultimate aim of the British however was reparations, compensation and annexation. They were salivating that they could extract confiscator terms from the Rulers along with territory and annual payments. They were aiming for a very rich prize with a huge potential for revenue. They were looking for a war with Punjab, with a real vengeance and beastly passion. They were itching to loot the treasuries of Punjab, Kashmir and Sind. They were diehard seasoned, cold blooded buccaneers looking for the riches and treasures of India.

The British had recognized long before they undertook the Plassey invasion that India was a rich target for loot so they started setting up a circular firing squad all around India and as the subsequent events unfolded, it became apparent that India had no room for escape. The offensive military resources were therefore systematically built up in India by the British. Punjab was the final phase of that operation. Britain also knew the heavy odds of winning the war in Punjab and they therefor mobilized all that they had. They sent Pontoon bridges from England to cross the rivers in Punjab, Field Batteries, Heavy Batteries, Horse Artillery, Foot Artillery, Siege Guns, European Infantry, and Officers experienced in the Napoleonic wars. They brought in soldiers of the Peninsular and Waterloo wars, who then occupied positions of high command in Punjab wars and many of them lost their lives. They included such illustrious names as Sir Henry Hardinge, Sir Hugh Gough, Sir Henry Smith, Sir Robert Sale, Sir John McCaskill, Sir Robert Dick, Sir Joseph Thackwell, Brigadier Cureton and Brigadier Taylor of H.M’s 29th. All served in the peninsular war. And they brought in native infantry, native cavalry. They mobilized the forces from Bombay Presidency, Madras Presidency and Bengal Presidency. Their commander-in –Chief Lord Gough believed that, no force was to be used unless it was really overwhelming and adequate. He recommended raising the strength of the native Infantry regiments to a thousand each. The British Governor- General in India Lord Harding, made his own calculations for reparations and loot and decided to assemble a force calculated to inflict the fullest punishment and exact ample reparations. That was 1848, when the war in Punjab had already lasted for many years.

Who were the people on the other side? Just the people of Punjab, who were nothing more than a self trained native militia and it would well, serve to describe those people and their land. They fought to defend it with vigor only those could display who were fighting for the soul of their land, their culture and their way of life.

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