Ranjit Singh and the English

At a Glance

• What it is The relations of Ranjit Singh with the East India Company from 1807 to 1839
• Key treaty Treaty of Amritsar, 25 April 1809, with the Sutlej as the boundary
• Western conquests Multan (1818), Kashmir (1819), Peshawar (1834)
• Later treaty Tripartite Treaty, June 1838
• Exam link UPSC Prelims, Modern History: Conquest of Sindh and Punjab

Where Does It Fit?

This is the third topic of the category on the conquest of Sindh and Punjab. The previous topic described the rise of the Sikh state. This topic covers its dealings with the English. The next topic covers the crisis after Ranjit Singh’s death and the First Anglo-Sikh War. Previous topic: Ranjit Singh and the Consolidation of the Sikh State.

Why Did the English Approach Ranjit Singh in 1807?

The prospect of a joint Franco-Russian invasion of India by the land route alarmed the English. In 1807 Lord Minto sent Charles Metcalfe to Lahore, part of the missions described in Rise of the Talpur Amirs and the Conquest of Sindh. Ranjit Singh offered to accept Metcalfe’s proposal of an offensive and defensive alliance on the condition that the English would remain neutral in case of a Sikh-Afghan war and would consider him the sovereign of the entire Punjab, including the Malwa (cis-Sutlej) territories. The negotiations failed.

What Did the Treaty of Amritsar Provide?

With the Napoleonic danger receding and the English becoming more assertive, Ranjit Singh agreed to sign the Treaty of Amritsar on 25 April 1809 with the Company.

The Treaty of Amritsar was significant for its immediate and potential effects. It checked one of Ranjit Singh’s most cherished ambitions, to extend his rule over the entire Sikh nation, by making the river Sutlej the boundary line between his dominions and the Company’s. He then turned his energies to the west.

What Was the Tripartite Treaty of 1838?

In June 1838 Ranjit Singh was compelled by political necessity to sign the Tripartite Treaty with the English, though he refused to give passage to the British army through his territories to attack Dost Mohammad, the Afghan Amir. The treaty, with Shah Shuja and the Company, was meant to restore Shah Shuja to the Kabul throne. It also made Ranjit Singh accept British mediation in his disputes with the Amirs of Sindh, as explained in Rise of the Talpur Amirs and the Conquest of Sindh.

How Strong Was Ranjit Singh’s Position?

The relations of Ranjit Singh with the Company from 1809 to 1839 clearly show his weak position. Although he was aware of it, he took no step to organise a coalition of other Indian princes or to maintain a balance of power. Ranjit Singh died in June 1839, and with his death the decline of his empire began.

• A strong ruler He built a large kingdom, took Multan, Kashmir and Peshawar and modernised his army
• A cautious ruler He avoided a direct clash with the English and kept to the Sutlej line
• An isolated ruler He formed no coalition with other Indian princes

As an analytical point, Ranjit Singh’s policy was to avoid war with the English while expanding where they did not object. It protected his state for thirty years, but it left Punjab without allies, and the English were free to wait for the succession crisis that followed his death.

What Did the Treaty Mean in Practice?

The Treaty of Amritsar divided the Sikh world in two. The cis-Sutlej Sikh chiefs came under the Company’s protection, while the Lahore kingdom was left free to grow westwards. The English gained a fixed frontier, and Ranjit Singh gained peace on his eastern side. As an analytical point, the treaty was a bargain between a rising power that wished to avoid war and a stronger one that wished to avoid being pulled into Punjab, and it held for thirty years because both sides gained from it.

Why Is This Topic Important?

• Diplomacy with the Company The 1809 treaty is the standard example of Ranjit Singh’s policy
• Direct facts The Treaty of Amritsar and the three conquests are common Prelims items
• Setting for the wars The weakness shown here explains the later collapse

What Came Next?

The next topic covers the First Anglo-Sikh War of 1845-46. Next topic: First Anglo-Sikh War, 1845-46.

Key People and Terms

• Cis-Sutlej The territories on the near side of the Sutlej, i.e. east of the river
• Malwa Here, the Sikh territories between the Sutlej and the Yamuna
• Treaty of Amritsar The 1809 treaty making the Sutlej a boundary
• Tripartite Treaty The 1838 treaty on Shah Shuja among Ranjit Singh, Shah Shuja and the Company
• Dost Mohammad The Afghan Amir against whom the British acted
• Balance of power A system in which no one power dominates the others

Exam Corner

Mains Angle

Questions ask about Ranjit Singh’s policy towards the English. These points add depth.

• Realism He accepted the Sutlej line when the English became stronger
• Expansion westwards He compensated by conquering Multan, Kashmir and Peshawar
• Lack of allies No coalition left the state alone in a crisis