A civilian's view of the First Sikh War
James Coley, the author of this small book, was Chaplain to the Governor General, Sir Henry Hardinge, not a serving soldier, but his account of the harrowing events he witnessed during the First Sikh War is the kind of primary source material relating to the campaign to subjugate the Sikhs of the Punjab that only an eyewitness can provide. The Sikhs were a martial nation and were not only the strongest and best trained native military force on the Sub-Continent, but also the last remaining independent army to stand in the path of the British Empire's total domination of India. Any conflict that involved the Sikhs was sure to be Hard fought and bloody and in the event the Sutlej campaign caused-for a short time-the fate of British India to hang in the balance. The first part of Coley's book, an invaluable source of information for those seriously interested in the subject, concerns the actions that were fought close to the River Sutlej, the boundary of Sikh territory; the second part is about a cold weather tour in the peace that followed.
Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their spines and fabric head and tail bands.

A civilian's view of the First Sikh War
James Coley, the author of this small book, was Chaplain to the Governor General, Sir Henry Hardinge, not a serving soldier, but his account of the harrowing events he witnessed during the First Sikh War is the kind of primary source material relating to the campaign to subjugate the Sikhs of the Punjab that only an eyewitness can provide. The Sikhs were a martial nation and were not only the strongest and best trained native military force on the Sub-Continent, but also the last remaining independent army to stand in the path of the British Empire's total domination of India. Any conflict that involved the Sikhs was sure to be Hard fought and bloody and in the event the Sutlej campaign caused-for a short time-the fate of British India to hang in the balance. The first part of Coley's book, an invaluable source of information for those seriously interested in the subject, concerns the actions that were fought close to the River Sutlej, the boundary of Sikh territory; the second part is about a cold weather tour in the peace that followed.
Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their spines and fabric head and tail bands.

The Sutlej Campaign - also known as the first Anglo-Sikh War of 1845/46 - was the showdown between two expanding and rival Indian powers - Britain's East India Company, and the Sikh kingdom of the Punjab. The great Sikh ruler, Ranjit Singh, had expanded his kingdom and built the Punjab into a formidable military power at the same time as the Company was growing around his borders. After Ranjit's death in 1839, the kingdom fell into disorder, and the Company took advantage of the chaos to move in. Coley was an East India Company chaplain. His journal covers the battles of Moodkee and Ferozeshah, and the aftermath of the campaign. As well as the account of the fighting it contains many unflattering comments about the Punjab and its inhabitants, who were for Coley simply 'heathen', but interesting observations on Indian manners, customs and ancient monuments.