What do you think?
Rate this book
Six Battles for India: Anglo-Sikh Wars, 1845-46 and 1848-49
George Bruce’s remarkable book uncovers the history of the two Anglo-Sikh Wars that erupted in India in the 1840s. Perfect for fans of William Dalrymple, Lawrence James and Richard Holmes.
By the end of the nineteenth century India was described as the jewel in the crown of the British Empire, but how did such a small island come to dominate one of the richest lands in the world?
Without doubt the toughest opponents to British control was led by the Sikhs.
Ranjit Singh, the brilliant “Lion of Punjab”, who ruled the Sikh Empire had revolutionised his army by employing French officers from Napoleon’s Grand Army to train his artillery and infantry on the European model.
He had ruled well and created a cultural and artistic renaissance in his lands, yet his death led to infighting amongst his successors and within a few years tension with the neighbouring British-protected territory broke out into open warfare.
George Bruce explores how the military might of the East India Company clashed with the powerful forces of the Sikh Empire in six hard-fought battles. Using a wide array of contemporary source materials he demonstrates how close the British forces were to being decimated and how they were only saved by treason within the Sikh ranks.
By the end of the nineteenth century India was described as the jewel in the crown of the British Empire, but how did such a small island come to dominate one of the richest lands in the world?
Without doubt the toughest opponents to British control was led by the Sikhs.
Ranjit Singh, the brilliant “Lion of Punjab”, who ruled the Sikh Empire had revolutionised his army by employing French officers from Napoleon’s Grand Army to train his artillery and infantry on the European model.
He had ruled well and created a cultural and artistic renaissance in his lands, yet his death led to infighting amongst his successors and within a few years tension with the neighbouring British-protected territory broke out into open warfare.
George Bruce explores how the military might of the East India Company clashed with the powerful forces of the Sikh Empire in six hard-fought battles. Using a wide array of contemporary source materials he demonstrates how close the British forces were to being decimated and how they were only saved by treason within the Sikh ranks.
277 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 1969
74 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
George Bruce
126 books7 followersA former freelance journalist who worked as a sub-editor for Reuters and as European news editor for UPA, George Bruce was an author of popular military histories and company histories.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 6, 2020
This was an interesting book about some of the early battles between the British and the Sikh armies in India. Meticulously researched, most of the writing focuses on the battles themselves, with a little more technical detail than I wanted about which column was doing what. The overall story was an interesting look into British/Indian politics and warfare. I liked the firsthand accounts through letters and journal entries, and thought it made some of the people and their thoughts much more real. I do wish there had been more from the Indian point of view, this was clearly pro-British all the way. Maybe not a book to introduce people to the British rule of India and the wars there, but very good for people already familiar with the basics.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
January 13, 2025
A gripping account of the Anglo-Sikh wars. The only book I could find on the topic and it did the job well.
Given the title it is not surprising that the focus is on the battles and individual actions. The use of primary sources is effective and often moving. The stories of the Sikh court and the difficulty in governance were very interesting, as was the nature of the government of the East India company and the the way constant financial pressures led to perverse decisions.
The book is of its time, with a Whiggish sense of inevitability. There are little Indian voices in the narrative, even information on the Lahore Court is delivered by British voices. More information on wider society would have also been interesting.
Should you want to know about British India, this book should be high on your list, but not read in isolation.
Given the title it is not surprising that the focus is on the battles and individual actions. The use of primary sources is effective and often moving. The stories of the Sikh court and the difficulty in governance were very interesting, as was the nature of the government of the East India company and the the way constant financial pressures led to perverse decisions.
The book is of its time, with a Whiggish sense of inevitability. There are little Indian voices in the narrative, even information on the Lahore Court is delivered by British voices. More information on wider society would have also been interesting.
Should you want to know about British India, this book should be high on your list, but not read in isolation.
December 23, 2020
This is one of those books that will always be the standard on this subject. Well researched and presented, it was first published in 1969. That is the problem with this book in my eyes. Like so many histories written in the early part of the twentieth century, this book reads like an entry in the dictionary or encyclopedia.
In formation on the units and people who fought in them, and the native troops that fought on both side is presented like a listing, very dry and without much 'color'. Like a lot of people who aren't scholars but enjoy reading history, I've become used to the style of Shelby Foote, Doris Kearns Goodwin and others who have learned to humanize those they write about.
Great as a reference but not as a reading.
In formation on the units and people who fought in them, and the native troops that fought on both side is presented like a listing, very dry and without much 'color'. Like a lot of people who aren't scholars but enjoy reading history, I've become used to the style of Shelby Foote, Doris Kearns Goodwin and others who have learned to humanize those they write about.
Great as a reference but not as a reading.
February 20, 2023
Actually, my review of this book is worthless, please ignore it. The book is a blow-by-blow one-damn-thing-after-another account of what neighbors did unto each other. which is fine if you can't sleep at night, i guess. which is why i dropped out by chapter two.
(to be entirely honest, I expected to, the title had forewarned me).
but, i am here to give it a four. why? for crying outloud, there is this absolutely incredible description of the seasons in the punjab in chapter one. whoa! why is this man writing this kind of history? with his pen, he could be barbara tuchman II. this man has a literary talent, why is he writing boring military history?
(to be entirely honest, I expected to, the title had forewarned me).
but, i am here to give it a four. why? for crying outloud, there is this absolutely incredible description of the seasons in the punjab in chapter one. whoa! why is this man writing this kind of history? with his pen, he could be barbara tuchman II. this man has a literary talent, why is he writing boring military history?
June 27, 2025
As a history buff I liked this book. If I divide the book in three parts - I found the first part really captivating with all the political dealings, second part was interesting but soon felt like a war narrative describing tiny details about the battles, by third part I was tired of repetitive narrative so I skipped it.
July 24, 2024
The narrator was British which made it feel more natural given the subject matter of the British conquest and subjection of the Punjab. It was overall a well written story about the Sikh Kingdom and the British role in its downfall.
December 12, 2024
Hadn't realised how vicious and close run these battles and wars were
May 2, 2025
Excellent stuff.
January 2, 2021
Originally published in 1969, this is a classic narrative of the Nineteenth century Anglo-Sikh wars in India and Pakistan. It combines a macro narrative of the causes and events of the wars, with micro level details about the personalities as they struggled through events.
At the beginning of the nineteenth century Rangit Singh created a mighty Sikh state in the Punjab region. He amassed an enormous number of canons and organised forces numbering more than 70,000 along the latest modern European lines. At his death he left an army to be feared, but he also left political instability which led the Sikh state into immediate turmoil.
Watching events unfold, the neighbouring British were increasingly concerned. Still recovering from a disastrous campaign in Afghanistan, British policy was to avoid a war at all costs. This policy was implemented so literally that when war inevitably occurred, British forces were so unprepared that they struggled to even feed themselves.
The author narrates the chaos and intrigue on all sides. On the one hand we hear about the murderous treachery of Sikh leaders. On the other hand we hear of the incompetent infighting between British civil and military leaders, and the sharp practices of arrogant diplomats. Few leaders emerge with honour from bloody wars which seem to have been completely avoidable.
I enjoyed the extended quotes from eyewitnesses, many of which illustrated events and prejudices. I also enjoyed the anecdotes which often added background colour. Hearing about the luxury and enormous numbers of servants that British officers insisted upon, helped explain the logistical problems which the British army faced
However, some of the anecdotes were irrelevant and, at times distracting from the narrative. Hearing about Rangit Singh’s drunken revels and the nymphomania of his youngest wife added nothing to an understanding of the Anglo-Sikh wars.
Altogether, the book was an engaging and very readable account of an important aspect of Empire making, which continues to resonate into the modern world.
(I thank the publishers for giving me a copy of the book for review purposes).
At the beginning of the nineteenth century Rangit Singh created a mighty Sikh state in the Punjab region. He amassed an enormous number of canons and organised forces numbering more than 70,000 along the latest modern European lines. At his death he left an army to be feared, but he also left political instability which led the Sikh state into immediate turmoil.
Watching events unfold, the neighbouring British were increasingly concerned. Still recovering from a disastrous campaign in Afghanistan, British policy was to avoid a war at all costs. This policy was implemented so literally that when war inevitably occurred, British forces were so unprepared that they struggled to even feed themselves.
The author narrates the chaos and intrigue on all sides. On the one hand we hear about the murderous treachery of Sikh leaders. On the other hand we hear of the incompetent infighting between British civil and military leaders, and the sharp practices of arrogant diplomats. Few leaders emerge with honour from bloody wars which seem to have been completely avoidable.
I enjoyed the extended quotes from eyewitnesses, many of which illustrated events and prejudices. I also enjoyed the anecdotes which often added background colour. Hearing about the luxury and enormous numbers of servants that British officers insisted upon, helped explain the logistical problems which the British army faced
However, some of the anecdotes were irrelevant and, at times distracting from the narrative. Hearing about Rangit Singh’s drunken revels and the nymphomania of his youngest wife added nothing to an understanding of the Anglo-Sikh wars.
Altogether, the book was an engaging and very readable account of an important aspect of Empire making, which continues to resonate into the modern world.
(I thank the publishers for giving me a copy of the book for review purposes).
August 3, 2025
plenty of inaccuracies that kick off from the first chapter. only told through the lens of British diaries without any reference to the Sikh side of battle.
I did enjoy his summary of Punjab in one chapter.
I did enjoy his summary of Punjab in one chapter.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews