After the successful conclusion 
of the 1st Sikh War in 1846, 
the land of the Sikhs, the 
Punjab, became a British 
Protectorate.  The Khalsa 
was disbanded and reorganized 
along British lines.  However, 
peace in the Punjab was short 
lived.  In April, 1848, two 
British officers were murdered 
in the city of Multan.  

This touched off a country wide 
rebellion against the British 
and soon General Gough, hero of 
the 1st Sikh War, was advancing 
into the Punjab at the head 
of a combined Queen's and 
Company army numbering 12,000 
with 60 guns.

On 13 January, 1849, Gough 
blundered into a Sikh force 
of 40,000 with 62 guns commanded
by Shere Singh above the village
of Chilliawalla.  The Sikh 
position was separated from 
the British by a marshy 
depression with jungle in 
front of it which screened 
the Sikh force.  Gough drew 
up his army in two divisions 
with cavalry on the flanks and 
artillery spread along the 
front. Unfortunately for the 
British, the jungle and scrub 
reduced the effect of their 
preliminary bombardment.  Gough 
did not originally intend to 
attack but was provoked into 
his usual frontal assault by 
the Sikhs' opening barrage. 

The British had to advance 
through thick jungle without 
effective artillery support 
in a long line of battle which 
was impossible to maintain 
once the jungle was entered.  
As a result, a series of 
disjointed attacks were made 
by four infantry brigades on 
the Sikh positions.  The 24th 
Foot (later the South Wales 
Borders) were nearly wiped out 
when they outstripped the two 
native regiments which were 
supposed to be supporting them 
and charged a battery of Sikh 
guns without firing a shot.  
The guns were captured, but 
casualties amounted to 515, 
nearly half the regiment.

On the right flank, disaster 
nearly overtook the British 
when the Sikh cavalry charged 
while they were adjusting their 
line.  There was confusion 
and a mistaken order to retire 
which led to an entire British 
cavalry regiment riding 
straight back through their 
own artillery closely pursued 
by Sikh horsemen.  The 
situation was stabilized by 
the fast work of the Bengal 
Horse Artillery which blasted 
the Sikh cavalry back into the 
jungle.

The battle lasted until 8 p.m. 
when the Sikhs withdrew under 
cover of darkness taking most 
of their artillery with them 
as well as three British 
regimental colours.  Sikh 
losses were as high as 8,000, 
but it was the British losses 
of 2,357 killed and wounded 
that caused a political furor 
in England.  Sir Charles Napier 
was sent out from England to 
replace Gough but before he 
arrived, Gough had won the 
war.