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Question 38 of 73 · Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule
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The Second Anglo-Sikh War, after which Punjab was annexed by the British, was fought during:

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Answer: Option B — 1848-1849

Detailed Solution

The Second Anglo-Sikh War was fought in 1848-1849 between the English East India Company and the Sikh kingdom of Punjab, and ended with the annexation of Punjab.

Causes:

  • After the first war (1845-1846), the Sikh state was placed under the control of a British Resident at Lahore, and the Sikh army was reduced.
  • Many Sikhs resented British control and the removal of the queen mother, Rani Jind Kaur, from Punjab.
  • In April 1848, Diwan Mulraj, the governor of Multan, rebelled after being asked to pay higher revenue and resign; two British officers were killed at Multan.
  • The revolt spread, and Sikh chiefs such as Sher Singh Attariwala and his father Chattar Singh joined it.
  • The Governor-General declared that the Sikh nation had called for war, and would have it "with a vengeance".

Main battles:

  • Ramnagar (November 1848): indecisive.
  • Chillianwala (January 1849): one of the bloodiest battles fought by the British in India; both sides suffered heavy losses, and the result was indecisive.
  • Multan: captured by the British in January 1849, after a long siege.
  • Gujrat (21 February 1849): the decisive battle, known as the "battle of the guns", in which the British under Sir Hugh Gough defeated the Sikhs.

Results:

  • The Sikh army surrendered in March 1849.
  • The British annexed Punjab to British India in March 1849.
  • The young Maharaja was deposed and pensioned off, and later sent to England.
  • The Koh-i-Noor diamond was taken by the British and presented to Queen Victoria.
  • Punjab was placed under a Board of Administration, which included Henry Lawrence and John Lawrence.

Significance:

  • It brought the last major independent kingdom of north India under British rule.
  • Sikh soldiers were later recruited in large numbers into the British Indian army.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗1839-1842 was the period of the First Anglo-Afghan War.
  • ✗1845-1846 was the period of the first war with the Sikhs.
  • ✗1857-1858 was the period of the Revolt of 1857.

Quick tip

Remember: Second Anglo-Sikh War = 1848-1849 (Multan revolt of Mulraj; Chillianwala; decisive Gujrat, February 1849); Punjab annexed (March 1849).

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Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers the arrival of the Portuguese, Dutch, English, Danes and French in India, the growth of the East India Company, and the battles, wars and treaties through which British power expanded, including the Battles of Plassey and Buxar, the Anglo-Mysore, Anglo-Maratha and Anglo-Sikh wars, and policies such as subsidiary alliance and the doctrine of lapse. Typical questions ask which battle was fought in which year and between whom, which treaty ended which war, and which Governor-General introduced a policy. For example, the Battle of Plassey (1757) was fought between Robert Clive and Siraj-ud-Daulah, and the Treaty of Allahabad (1765) gave the Company the diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. Practise the arrival of Europeans and expansion of British rule questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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