The Battle of Goojerat, 21 February 1849 (aquatint, coloured)

The Battle of Goojerat on 21 February 1849. Coloured aquatint by J Harris after H Martens, published by Rudolph Ackermann, 29 July 1850. The final action of the 2nd Sikh War was fought at Gujerat, about 120 km. north of Lahore, on 21 February 1849. Sir Hugh Gough assembled an army of some 24,000 with which to attack a Sikh force estimated at 60,000. After an artillery duel lasting some two and a half hours, Gough ordered his infantry forward in a general advance. Although Sikh resistance was fierce, they were eventually forced to give ground, and the retreat soon became a rout. On 14 March, the remains of the Sikh army surrendered at Rawalpindi. The Punjab was annexed to British India, and the Sikh state lost its independence.