The War memorial at Ferozeshah is a testament of the indomitable courage and the supreme sacrifice of the Sikhs in defending their land from the onslaught of the mighty British.
The Anglo-Sikh Wars took place between the period 1845-1849. There were four encounters between the British forces and the Sikh resistance. The first one was at Mudki on 18th December 1845, the second one at Ferozeshah on 21 and 22nd december, 1845, the third one at Sabroan on 10th February, 1846 and the last and final battle was fought at Chellianwala on 13th January, 1849.
It is widely believed that the British won not so much because of their tactical and weapons superiority but largely due to the faint heartedness of S Tej Singh and incompetence of Lal Singh the Sikh Generals, even though the sikh soldiers put up a brave fight and inflicted such heavy casualties among the British that it created a furore in England. The British had 748 killed (out of which 54 were officers) and 1625 wounded at Ferozeshah alone.
Besides the monument in the village at Ferozeshah, a Museum has also been erected on the main Ludhiana -Ferozepur road, on the banks of the Rajasthan Canal. The building was designed by Mr H S Chopra Senior Architect Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana, and houses weapons relating to the period of the Anglo Sikh War as well as paintings depicting the four battles of Mudki, Ferozeshah Sabhraon and Chellianwala. The paintings were prepared by Mr Kirpal Singh.
Filed under: Art @ Culture | Tagged: anglo-sikh war, Ferozeshah
