First Anglo-Sikh War Memorial

The First Anglo-Sikh War Memorial, located in Aliwal, Taran Taran, Punjab, was built in 1853 by the British in remembrance of the First Anglo-Sikh War to honour the bravery of the Sikh soldiers. In the presence of Manpreet Singh Ayali, the memorial was inaugurated on 6 October, 2015 by Jathedar Avtar Singh Makad, ex-president, Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee.^[1][2]

Building

The memorial which was built by British, was declared a protected monument in 1964 under the Punjab Ancient, Historical Monuments, Archaeological Sites and Remains Act. Considering the condition of the building, renovation at a cost of Rs. 10 lakh was done in 2011 by the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board, that ceased soon due to the lack of funds which led to attract criticism by some for ignoring the project.^[3] With another investment of Rs. 30 lakh, on a half-acre land, with a khanda at the top, the 55-feet memorial constructed with Chhoti Nanakshahi brick, with a library having books on history, literature, and religion, was reconstructed to be ready in October 2015. ^[4]

First Anglo-Sikh War

First Anglo-Sikh War was fought in 1845-46, which resulted in Punjab getting, partially, under control by the British, after the expansion. It is believed that British prepared for the war in 1843 when Lord Ellenborough discussed the possibilities of military occupation of Punjab with the home government. At the time of war, British total number of military troops in Punjab were around 86,023 men with 116 guns, in which, 45,500 men were armed with 98 guns in the hill stations of Subathu and Kasauli, with 60,000 Sikh Soldiers. With more than 10,000 Sikhs killed, British won the battle and effective power went into the hands of Colonel Henry Lawrence which also helped them to occupy Kasur. Maharani Jind Kaur continued as the regent and Raja Lal Singh as servant of Maharaja Duleep Singh.^[5]

References