The Conquest of Sind (1843)

British Indian vs Baluchi

Sind (or Scinde) occupied a strategically vital position between British India and  the threat of Russian-inspired hostilities from either Afghanistan or Persia.  Initially concerned with the threat of the Sikhs, its Baluchi rulers accepted British terms in a treaty signed in 1838, and allowed their country to be used by the British as a conduit for troops to Afghanistan during the First Afghan War.

British reverses in Afghanistan and troubles in Baluchistan, however, led relations to deteriorate and when British troops began coming under attack from Baluchi marauders, the British decided to annex Sind.

Thus in 1842 Sir Charles Napier was sent to Hyderabad (not to be confused with the more famous city and state of central India) with a new treaty so stringent that the amirs of Sind could not possibly accept it.  On 15th February 1843, the British Residency was attacked in retaliation, with its defendants escaping onto Indian Marine vessels lying in the Indus.

Napier used this as a cause for war, and, eager to strike a telling blow before the amirs could properly concentrate their forces, attacked an army of some 22,000 Baluchis with the 2,800 men at his disposal (22nd Foot; 1st, 12th and 25th Bombay Native Infantry;  9th Bengal Light Cavalry;  the Scinde Irregular Horse;  and a detail of the Poona Irregular Horse;  and 12 guns).  The armies met on 17th February 1843 at Miani (aka Meeanee), with the Baluchis attempting a series of charges at the British line.

The line held and the Baluchi's flank was turned by a charge from the 9th Bengal and Scinde Horse:  with the Baluchi's losing an estimated 5,000 men to the British's 256.  On the following day, many of the chief amirs surrendered to the British, and Hyderabad was occupied on 20th February 1843.

Napier then led 5,000 men against Amir Shere Mahomed and his 20,000 men at Dubba (although known as the battle of Hyderabad) on 24th March 1843:  carrying the position for a loss of 267 casualties verses the amir's 500 dead and many more wounded.

This was the last major clash of the Annexation and although Baluchi bandits continued to raid for the next few years, constant and harsh police actions by the British (such as the Cutchi Hills expedition of 1847) kept matters under control.

nb  Napier's famous telegram "Peccavi" - the Latin for "I have sinned" - is actually fictional:  it was the caption on a cartoon of Napier in Punch magazine and represents the opinions of many contemporary British commentators vis a vis the dubious justification for/legality of the annexation.

BACK