Home > Indian History > History of India > Battle of Feroz Shah
Battle of Feroz Shah
Battle of Feroz Shah was one of the most difficult battles ever fought in the history of the British forces. Battle of Feroz Shah was fought between British and Sikh army in 1845 in village Feroz Shah of Punjab.

Share this Article:

Feroz ShahBattle of Feroz Shah was fought in the state of Punjab on 21st December and 22nd December, 1845. This battle was fought between the Sikhs and the British forces. In this historic battle, British forces were led by Governor-General Sir Henry Hardinge and Sir Hugh Gough and Sikh army was led by Lal Singh. In this battle, British forces emerged as victorious. Battle of Feroz Shah is considered to be the one of the hardest-fought battle in the history of British army.

Advancements of British and Sikhs before the Battle of Feroz Shah
The main body of the Sikh army took up positions at Feroz Shah ten miles from Mudki and the routed divisions joined them up. Defences had been hastily prepared but were not complete by the time the English advanced and threatened them on the morning of 21st December. Their plan of attack was to affect a junction with General Litter`s column from Firozpur and then attack with the combined force. Their army now numbered 16,000 in all while the Sikhs had 30,000 men and horses (ten to twelve thousand cavalry) with 80 guns. With their heavy guns the Sikh artillery was superior to the English. General Litter managed to escape from Firozpur with his whole column intact and affected a junction with the main army. Deployment took the British forces some more time and the battle did not start until late in the evening. A cavalry brigade each was posted on the flanks.

First and Second Day of Battle of Feroz Shah
SirHenry Hardinge The battle of Feroz Shah began with an artillery duel within an hour of sunset. As per plans General Litter attacked the west side of the Sikh position. In the first day of the battle, with the accurate artillery fire the Sikhs managed to break the English attacks. Litter was forced to withdraw with heavy losses. Meanwhile Wallace was more successful on the left of the centre of the positions and managed to affect a slight break in the Sikh lines. Further on the right Gilbert, though successful in the beginning, was halted in the face of strong musket fire from the Khalsa infantry. At this time, when the first attacks had failed or halted reserves under General Smith were brought forward. This column managed to push right into the centre of the Sikh defensive positions. The approach of darkness coupled with the fine resistance put up by the Sikhs, caused much confusion. The fighting continued in the dark for some time until the English were ordered to retire and take up positions outside the Sikh lines.

The Sikhs had succeeded in so far as they had managed to repulse the English attack with heavy losses and thrown their army in great disorder. The whole English force had been committed to battle and no fresh reserves were left. The Sikhs on the other hand had near about 11,000 fresh troops near Firozpur. Sporadic fighting continued during the night when both Gilbert and Smith, who had gained entry in the Sikh defensive positions, were forced to retire much behind their original positions. There was indecision and confusion in the English camp. On the other side the counsels of the Sikhs were divided. During that crucial period at night unity disappeared. There was no unity in the Sikh camp and commanders at all levels acted with selfish motives. There was no central direction to control and supervise the operations.

The English again renewed the attack on the second day (December 22) and met with very little resistance. Meanwhile General Tej Singh arrived with his army and horses. He waited until Raja Lai Singh`s force was pushed out of Feroz Shah and then skirmished with the enemy half heartedly. They were already tired and had no ammunition for their heavy guns. A part of their force was at that time already retiring towards Firozpur. At the time when his column was committed with the English, General Tej Singh left the battle field with no definite orders or plans for his subordinate commanders. His men, therefore, followed him soon after. The Sikhs crossed the Sutlej River at ease as the English did not pursue. Even though the English had won the battle of Feroz Shah not very decisive though, they had suffered heavy casualties. This victory of the British forces, however, did not add to the prestige of the English. The beaten Sikh army built up its defences on the other side of River Sutlej.


Share this Article:

Subscribe to Newsletter
Learn unknown facts about India from a curated list of informative articles.

Related Articles

More Articles in History of India

History of Indian Drama
History of Indian Drama is rich with Vedas and Indian epics and has gradually changed with time and remains unaffected by any foreign influence.
History of Khajuraho Temple
Located in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is country’s most magnificent groups of temples.
History of Ayurveda
History of Ayurveda dates back to 5,000 years old and is widely considered to be the oldest form of health care in the world.
History of Uttar Pradesh
The state was the heart of Mahabharata war and the history of Uttar Pradesh is very much the history of India. The place finds its mentions in Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.
History of Indian Photography
An overview of the development of photography, through the various stages in India.
History of Delhi
History of Delhi began with the advent of Indian regal dynasties. Delhi witnessed the rise and fall of Hindu dynasties, Muslims and the British as well.
History of Indian Radio
History of Indian Radio dates back to late 1930s with the first establishment of All India Radio in 1936 that improved further after independence.
History of Punjab
History of Punjab dates back to the 16th century; however its formation is traced in the great epic Mahabharata.
History Of Archaeology In India
History of archaeology in India contributes a lot to define the past history and the social life of India.
History of Maharashtra
Maharashtra, the land of charismatic Marathas, unfolds the legend of diverse culture and tradition, keeping in pace with the modernity. The gallant history of Maharashtra is still echoed amidst its historical relics and archeological wonders.
History of Kerala
History of Kerala can be interpreted from the inscriptions of Ashoka, Mauryan Emperor. History of Kerala is as interesting as its wide-ranging geographical features that make the land a place of versatile appeal.
History of Bihar
History of Bihar goes back to the very dawn of the human civilizations. Many eminent personalities and leaders from Bihar contributed for India’s freedom struggle.
History of Assam
In the ancient Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, Assam was known as `Kamarupa` or `Pragjyotish`. In the Mahabharata, the Puranas, the Tantras there are references of Assam as Kamrupa kingdom.
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands dates back to the settlement of the East India Company in the territory of the Islands.
History of West Bengal
History of West Bengal is rooted in richness and is an important episode in the history of India. The history of Bengal played an important role in shaping the history of India.
History of Jharkhand
One of the fairly newer states, Jharkhand was carved out of the southern portion of Bihar in 2000. The history of Jharkhand is seeped with a variety of cultural significances starting from the Vedic era to Mughal period and finally the British administration.
History of Sikkim
History of Sikkim declares the pre historic culture and the colonial era hilly politics and the rules of Sikkim.
History of Nagaland
The history of Nagaland mainly revolves around and deals with the customs and economic activities of the Naga Tribes and how the state has evolved since the Indian Independence.
History of Mizoram
History of Mizoram includes the various historical events and incidents which occurred during the various ages, right from before the age of the Mughals.
History of Jammu & Kashmir
History of Jammu and Kashmir involves a series of political and geographical transformations from every ancient era to the modern times also. Even now, Jammu and Kashmir has its political tension between Pakistan and India.
History of Puducherry
Puducherry was invaded by different invaders in different times. The invaders include Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram, dynasties of the South, Cholas of Thanjavur, Pandyas and Muslim invaders.
History of Chandigarh
In 1947, the British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan. Punjab was also included in this partition. So, there was a need for a new capital for Punjab, as the old capital Lahore became part of Pakistan during the partition. So, in 1948, under the leadership of chief architect Mr. P.L. Verma the construction of Chandigarh city began.
History of Daman and Diu
During the early stage, i.e. from 8th to 13th century, Daman and Diu was part of Goa.
History of Lakshadweep
History of Lakshadweep defines the first settlement on these islands under the Union Territory of India that was ruled by Cheraman Perumal, who was the last king of Kerala.
History of Karnataka
History of Karnataka comprised of the different rulers of different dynasties of various religions like Hindus, Buddhists, and later the Muslims.
History of Goa
History of Goa dates back to the 3rd century BC and reflects the rule of the mighty rulers and gained its independence under Jawaharlal Nehru.
History of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh possesses a rich historical heritage of culture of the ancient tribes. Being a bordering state of India, Arunachal Pradesh also has a history of military unrest since ancient Indian age.
History of Andhra Pradesh
History of Andhra Pradesh traces its origin back to the 5th century BC. According to the inscriptions, Kuberaka, the oldest Kingdom in South India had an empire in the coastal Andhra during that period.
History of Himachal Pradesh
History of Himachal Pradesh narrates about the various settlements and dynasties that emerged in the region over time.
History of Uttarakhand
History of Uttarakhand finds mention in the early Hindu scriptures as Kedarkhand, Manaskhand and Himavat. Uttarakhand is called as the Land of the Gods (Dev Bhoomi) because of its various holy places and shrines.
History of Rajasthan
The history of Rajasthan is dotted with tales of valor, chivalry, camaraderie and romance.
History of Tamil Nadu
History of Tamil Nadu reveals that this ancient place in South India was ruled by various kingdoms like the Pandyas Dynasty, Cholas Dynasty, Nayakas Dynasty and Pallavas Dynasty.
History of Haryana
History of Haryana depicts various events and influences that have cast a profound effect on the culture and people of the district. The place gained statehood on 1st of November 1966
History of Odisha
History of Odisha goes back a rather long way. Most of the history of the state is replete with the dynastic as well as tribal struggle for territorial superiority. Odisha is a place where one can find the religion, culture and history flow in away that lead to cultural amalgamation of early India.
History of Manipur
History of Manipur can be traced back to the prehistoric ages and this was followed by a number of rulers who reigned the land from age to age till it came under British rule and later joined the union of India.
History of Gujarat
History of Gujarat can be dated back to the 14th century that later witnessed the supremacy of many powerful dynasties.
History of Tripura
History of Tripura is dealing with the early mythological history and the history of British rule in North eastern part of India.
History of Meghalaya
The history of Meghalaya predominantly comprises of the three tribes of the state- Garo, Khasi and Jaintia tribes. Later on Meghalaya was formed by carving out two districts from the state of Assam.
History of Chhattisgarh
History of Chhattisgarh dates back to the era of epics and traces through the reign of powerful dynasties in India like Marathas. The area developed a rich cultural heritage during British era.