Underline the major considerations of the British imperial power that led to the annexation of Punjab. ©selfstudyhistory.com

Ans:

The annexation of Punjab to British dominions in India on 2 April 1849 after defeating the Sikh army in the Second Anglo-Sikh War by Lord Dalhousie, the British governor general, put an end to the sovereignty of the Sikhs over northwestern India about 10 years after the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Internal dissensions and treachery had caused the defeat of the Sikh army at the hands of the British in the first Anglo Sikh war (1845-46). When on 16 December 1846, the Lahore Darbar was forced to sign the treaty of Bhyrowal (Bharoval), the kingdom of the Punjab was made a virtual British protectorate.

Considerations of the imperial British which led to the annexation of Punjab:

• Immediate pretext:
  • The immediate pretext for aggression was the rebellion of two Sikh governors, Diwan Mul Raj of Multan and Sardar Chattar Singh Atariwala and his son Raja Sher Singh of Haripur. After defeat, Maharaja Dalip Singh Signed the document of annexation; Punjab hereafter became a province of East India Company’s Empire in India.
• Imperialist policy of Lord Dalhousie:
  • Lord Dalhousie was a great imperialist and if there occurred any possibility of annexing an Indian state, he did not miss it. to have an All India Empire were other major considerations.
  • It is said that ‘Punjab’s fate after Ranjit Singh was foredoomed as the impulse of neo-Victorian Imperialism was bound to overwhelm it’.
• Strategic location:
  • The British wanted a scientific and safe frontier in the North-West apart from Punjab being a buffer state between British India and Afghanistan and Persia. But after the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, there was instability in Punjab which would have been dangerous for British India and this was one of the reason of the annexation of Punjab.
• Russophobia:
  • The conquest of Punjab was also as a result of the growing Anglo-Russian rivalry and the consequent British fears that Russia might attack India through north west region as British were apprehensive of the Russian design in Afghanistan and Central Asia.
• Compensating lost prestige:
  • One of the reason of the annexation of Punjab was the debacle of British in the First Anglo-Afghan was (1839-42) which was great humiliation for British and setback to its invincibility. British had felt need for a conquest to compensate the loss of the prestige after debacle in the First Anglo-Afghan war. First they annexed Sindh and next in the sequence was Punjab.
• Commercial consideration:
  • British had commercial interest in Punjab as Indus river linked Punjab to sea route and hence making it important trade route as well as important for military consideration.
  • Punjab also had fertile land which was commercially important for British for revenue purpose as well as for commercial plantation.
• Imperialist policy of Lord Dalhousie:
  • Lord Dalhousie was a great imperialist and if there occurred any possibility of annexing an Indian state, he did not miss it.

It is said that ‘Punjab’s fate after Ranjit Singh was foredoomed as the impulse of neo-Victorian Imperialism was bound to overwhelm it’. Annexation of Punjab was part of a broad north-west frontier policy set in motion after the exit of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and annexation of Punjab (1849) was logical sequence of the annexation of Sindh (1843). ©selfstudyhistory.com