The Siege of Multan, Punjab, India (Present day Pakistan), 1848-1849
Illustration from The Life and Times of the late Duke of Wellington by Thomas Gaspey circa 1853. The city & state of Multan (also spelt Mooltan) is in Present day Pakistan following the partition of India after independence. Info from wiki: The Siege of Multan was a prolonged contest between the city and state of Multan and the British East India Company. The siege lasted between 19 April 1848, when a rebellion in the city against a ruler imposed by the East India Company precipitated the Second Anglo-Sikh War, and 22 January 1849, when the last defenders surrendered. Multan had been captured and incorporated into the Sikh Empire of Ranjit Singh in 1818. In 1845, although the population was almost entirely Muslim, it was ruled by a Hindu vassal, Dewan Mulraj. In that year, the First Anglo-Sikh War broke out, and was won by the British East India Company. There was an uneasy peace for three years, during which Mulraj attempted to maintain practical independence while being nominally subject to the East India Company. In 1848, Multan had a population of 80,000. It was the centre of trade for a wide region, and was renowned for its wealth. There were large stores of spices, silks and valuables. Early in 1848, the newly appointed Commissioner in the Punjab, Sir Frederick Currie, demanded that Mulraj pay duties and taxes previously paid to the central Durbar of the Sikh Empire and now in arrears. Mulraj attempted to forestall a complete annexation of Multan by abdicating in favour of his son. Currie nevertheless decided to impose a compliant Sikh ruler, Sardar Khan Singh, who was to be accompanied by a British Political Agent, Patrick Vans Agnew.
Size: 3769px × 2677px
Location: Multan, Punjab, Pakistan
Photo credit: © Historical Images Archive / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1848-1849, 19th, accompanied, agent, agnew, aka, anglo-sikh, british, cannonball, century, colonial, commissioner, company, compliant, currie, day, dewan, east, elephant, empire, engraving, era, frederick, general, history, illustration, image, imposed, india, khan, military, mooltan, mulraj, multan, pakistan, patrick, picture, political, precipitated, present, punjab, rebellion, revolt, rule, ruler, sardar, siege, sikh, singh, sir, state, struck, vans, victorian, victory, war, whish
