The British government had its eyes on Punjab, the only territory of India it had not managed to subjugate, since the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, but it could do nothing about it at that time.
What it could do and managed to execute with a considerable degree of success was to access the situation, appoint spies and agent provocateurs, buy out the more unscrupulous func tionaries of the Sikh empire and wait for an opportune moment.
The time came after the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. A British inspired king-killing spree rocked Punjab till only Ranjit Singh’s infant son, Duleep Singh was left. In time, the British instigated a war against the Sikhs, and thanks to treachery in the Sikh ranks, were eventually successful in defeating detachments of the Maharaja’s army. A treaty of peace was signed between the Governor General and the Khalsa Darbar on March 9, 1846, under which the British effectively gained control of Punjab by installing a Resident at Lahore.
They gradually ate away at the sovereignty of the Lahore Darbar Eventually, Raja Sher Singh, Dewan Mulk Raj and Chatter Singh Attariwala decided to fight against growing British influence. The decisively routed the British army at Ramnagar and Chelianwala, but were defeated in the battle of Gujrat.
Lord Dalhousie proclaimed annexation of Punjab on March 29, 1849, and his Foreign Secretary arrived at Lahore to obtain the signatures of the members of the Council of Regency and of the minor King, Maharaja Duleep Singh the same day. It was in this way that the British government deposed and exiled Maharaja Duleep Singh.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 3, 1995
