The First Anglo-Sikh War 1845-46 by David Smith

The First Anglo-Sikh War 1845-46 by David Smith

A highly illustrated account of the First Anglo-Sikh War of 1845–56, a dramatic, hard-fought and colourful conflict during Britain’s rule of India.

The First Anglo-Sikh War broke out due to escalating tensions between the Sikh Empire and the British East India Company in the Punjab region of India in the mid-nineteenth century. Political machinations were at the heart of the conflict, with Sikh rulers fearing the growing power of their own army, while several prominent Sikh generals actively collaborated with the East India Company.

The British faced a disciplined opponent, trained along European lines, which fielded armies numbering in the tens of thousands. The war featured a number of closely contested battles, with both sides taking heavy losses. This fully illustrated study of the First Anglo-Sikh War tells the story of one of the major colonial wars of the nineteenth century, as the East India Company attempted to wrest control of the Punjab region from a Sikh Empire riven by infighting.

David Smith is a visiting lecturer at the University of Chester, UK. He is the author of Whispers Across the Atlantick (2017) for Osprey, as well as Sherman's March to the Sea 1864 (2007) and New York 1776 (2008). He is a graduate of the Military Studies Master's Degree programme at the University of Chester.

Steve Noon was born in Kent, UK, and attended art college in Cornwall. He’s had a life-long passion for illustration, and since 1985 has worked as a professional artist. He has provided award-winning illustrations for the publishers Dorling Kindersley, where his interest in historical illustration began. Steve has illustrated over 30 books for Osprey.