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This is a smallish book, consisting of some 170 pages, with a useful
glossary, an informative introduction, Gilling's text, endnotes, a
comprehensive bibliography and an index. The book is well-edited and
researched. No liberties have been taken with the text, and save
correcting a few obvious mistakes and modernising some old spellings,
the text is unabridged. It is not always in chronological order. I find the
print a bit small, and a challenge to these ancient eyes.
The illustrations are a mixed bunch, with the 9th Lancers and battle
scenes excellent - some of the rest are the 'usual suspects'. The maps I
found poor. There is no plan of Gujrat, or Sobraon, which would be
useful in understand Gilling's description of these battles, and the
Northern India map is rather sparse. Not all readers are 'old India
sweats', and it would be pleasurable to follow trooper Gilling's route :Calcutta
- Monghyr - Dinapore - Benares - Chunar - Allahabad -
Cawnpore - Meerut - Sardhana - Kurnaul (Kamal) - Pehoah - Mudki -
Ferozeshah - Arutka - Sobraon and Lahore. I prefer footnotes to
endnotes, but this is a personal preference.
I'm not sure that the provision of servants made the men feel part of the
ruling class, as the editor asserts - perhaps we can say 'privileged '. As
we say in Punjab - 'The man with one-eye is king of the blind.' Gilling
mentions the dexee - the ubiquitous dixie, cooking pot, which comes
from the Persian degchi (a degcha is larger that a degchi). We meet this
word in the Sikh prayer Deg Teg Fateh, literally, Deg (cooking pot)
Teg (sword) Fateh (victory). Incidentally, 'Sikh' can be spelt 22
different ways, including Seek, Sicque, Seick, not to mention Shik in
Bengali newspapers .
The complexity of the Sikh army can be confusing, but simply put, the
Khalsa Anny was divided into two - the State Force, paid for by
Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and the feudatory, or fauj-i-jaghirdari, paid for
by landholders like Guiab Singh and others. Both consisted of artillery,
cavalry and infantry. The State Force was again divided into regular
troops, fauj-i-ain, irregular troops, fauj-i-sawari or ghorchurras, and
the fort and treasury guards, fauj-i-kilajat. The Aieen Corps
(mentioned on page 34, but not in the glossary) are also known as the
fauj-i-ain. Jinsi means mixed, as in a mixed gun battery.
The Sikhs formed only a sixth of the Punjab population, Hindus formed
half, and Muslims a third. Ranjit Singh preferred Muslim gunners,
perhaps for obvious reasons while the fort guards were often hill
Rajputs. Gilling states on page 71 'the lance - a weapon which before
had not been so well tested by British troops - was established as the
finest weapon ever used in British cavalry!' The lance is reliant on
mobility. Personally I would prefer the 1796 cavalry sword, with the
Scinde Horse double-barrelled carbine. Mention is made of Lieutenant
Peter Lambert's grave (page 99). The last time I was there it was intact,
but in very poor condition. I think our friend Gilling would just about
recognise it. Trooper Gilling has an awareness and a curiosity that
enlivens his writing with some diverting asides, as with his mention of those two fascinating ladies, the Rani Jindan and the Begum Sumru.
Maharaja Duleep Singh went to Calcutta to meet his mother Maharani
Jind Kaur, and to return with her to England, this frail old lady taking
up residence in Kensington where she died on l August 1866. The
Maharani found a temporary resting place at Kensal Green cemetery
before being returned to India, for cremation at Nasik, with her ashes
finding a home at the Samadh at Lahore.
In this time of complaining bookshelves (I know mine are), one has to
select with discretion. So what has this book to offer? We have of
course met Trooper Gilling before, in the 9th Lancers Regimental
History by E.W. Sheppard (1939), where he is heavily quoted, which
surely reinforces his significance, and isn't it wonderful to have the full
text? Here we have an honest, first hand and well written account of
the Anglo-Sikh wars. Further, Trooper Gilling's mobility whilst
reconnoitring, presents us with a more extensive overview of the
battles. The rescue of this rare book is a welcome addition to the
understanding of the Sikh wars, which must be applauded.
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