In the Battle of Aliwal (January 1846), during the First Anglo-Sikh War, the British forces were led by:

In the Battle of Aliwal, fought on 28 January 1846 during the First Anglo-Sikh War, the British forces were led by Major-General Sir Harry Smith, who defeated the Sikh army led by Ranjodh Singh Majithia.

About the battle:

• Aliwal is a village near Ludhiana, on the Sutlej river, in Punjab.
• The Sikh army had crossed the Sutlej and threatened the British base at Ludhiana.
• Harry Smith attacked the Sikh positions and won a decisive victory, driving the Sikhs back across the river.
• The British captured many guns.
• It is regarded as one of the best-executed battles of the British in India.

The First Anglo-Sikh War (1845-1846):

• After Ranjit Singh's death (1839), the Sikh kingdom was weakened by court intrigues and frequent changes of rulers.
• The Sikh army (the Khalsa) became very powerful.
• The British were suspicious of the Sikhs and moved troops near the border.
• The Sikh army crossed the Sutlej in December 1845, and war broke out.

Battles of the war:

• Mudki (18 December 1845).
• Ferozeshah (21-22 December 1845).
• Aliwal (28 January 1846).
• Sobraon (10 February 1846): the decisive battle, where the Sikhs were defeated.
• Some Sikh commanders, such as Lal Singh and Tej Singh, were accused of betraying their army.

Results:

The war ended with treaties in 1846, under which the Sikhs lost territory and paid an indemnity.

About Sir Harry Smith:

• He was a British army officer who had fought in the Napoleonic Wars.
• He later became the Governor of the Cape Colony (South Africa).
• The towns of Harrismith and Ladysmith in South Africa are named after him and his wife.

Other commanders:

• Sir Hugh Gough: the Commander-in-Chief in India during the Anglo-Sikh Wars.
• Lord Hardinge: the Governor-General during the First Anglo-Sikh War.
• Sir Henry Lawrence: later the British Resident at Lahore.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Gough, Lawrence and Hardinge did not lead the British at Aliwal.