Muslim regiments: crescent or others
160-622: Hari Singh Nalwa (29 April 1791 – 30 April 1837) was the commander-in-chief of the Sikh Khalsa Fauj , the army of the Sikh Empire . He is known for his role in the conquests of Kasur , Sialkot , Attock , Multan , Kashmir , Peshawar and Jamrud . Hari Singh Nalwa was responsible for expanding the frontier of Sikh Empire to beyond the Indus River right up to the mouth of the Khyber Pass . At
320-467: A General . In 1838-39, the strength of the Sikh artillery was 182 heavy cannons , 20 howitzers , and 60 light cannons. It had at least 5,000 gunners. The Fauj-i-Khas was the elite wing of the army. It was strictly trained under French pattern and had a separate emblem and flag. It consisted of four infantry battalions, two cavalry regiments and one artillery troop. Its weapons and equipment (including clothing)
480-697: A battle. Hari Singh Nalwa took command of a force and routed his army, which offered an unconditional surrender after losing most of its men and war supplies. His brother, Raja Rahimullah Khan, was appointed the Raja of Rajauri in return for assistance in navigating the 'Behram Pass' (the lower end of the Pir Panjal Pass ). Once the Sikh forces reached the Behram Pass, the Durrani-appointed faujdar charged with guarding it, fled to Srinagar . Mir Mohammad Khan,
640-517: A cordon around Mankera with 12 forts—Haidrabad, Maujgarh, Fatehpur, Pipal, Darya Khan, Khanpur, Jhandawala, Kalor, Dulewala, Bhakkar, Dingana and Chaubara. The Sikh army occupied these forts and soon the only place that remained to be conquered was Mankera itself. A few years earlier, the Nawab of Mankera had actively participated in the reduction of Mitha Tiwana. The Tiwanas, now feudatories of Hari Singh Nalwa, were eager participants in returning that favour to
800-576: A few introduced species . As the altitude further declines the Indus basin becomes overall quite slow-flowing as it passes through the Punjab Plain . Major carp become common, and chameleonfish ( Badis ), mullet ( Sicamugil ) and swamp eel ( Monopterus ) appear. In some upland lakes and tributaries of the Punjab region snow trout and mahseer are still common, but once the Indus basin reaches its lower plain
960-403: A few years. Maharaja Ranjit Singh divided his artillery into four categories: The artillery was divided into batteries or deras. Each battery consisted of 10 guns and 250 gunners. Each battery was under a commandant . The batteries were further divided into sections . Each section compromised 2 guns and 8 to 10 gunners. Each section was under a Jamadar. The entire artillery was under
1120-537: A greater volume of water than the Indus itself before that point. An alternative reckoning begins the river around 300 km further upstream, at the confluence of the Sênggê Zangbo and Gar Tsangpo rivers, which drain the Nganglong Kangri and Gangdise Shan (Gang Rinpoche, Mt. Kailash) mountain ranges. The 2011 remeasurement suggested the source was a small lake northeast of Mount Kailash, rather than either of
1280-712: A higher military rank was based on military skill, not hereditary background, so the Sikh Khalsa Army was a classic meritocracy . Enlistment in the army was entirely voluntary, and only strong, physically fit men were recruited. The task of recruiting officers was in the hands of the Generals or the Maharaja himself. Every year, a lot of money was spent on presents and honours for the soldiers who had displayed gallantry. Titles like "Fateh-o Nusrat Nasib", "Zafar Jhang" and "Bright Star of Punjab" were given to many Generals. For disloyalty
1440-559: A major role in earlier cultures of the region, including the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation where depictions of fish were frequent. The Indus script has a commonly used fish sign, which in its various forms may simply have meant "fish", or referred to stars or gods. In the uppermost, highest part of the Indus River basin there are relatively few genera and species: Diptychus , Ptychobarbus , Schizopyge , Schizopygopsis and Schizothorax snowtrout, Triplophysa loaches, and
1600-428: A prominent fighting force of Asia. Ranjit Singh changed and improved the training and organisation of his army. He reorganized responsibility and set performance standards in logistical efficiency in troop deployment, manoeuvre , and marksmanship . He reformed the staffing to emphasize steady fire over cavalry and guerrilla warfare, improved the equipment and methods of war. The military system of Ranjit Singh combined
1760-531: A red stripe, and crimson turbans. Woollen jackets were used during winter. They all instead of the traditional weapons carried only a three foot kirpan and a lance. The regiments were armed with varying combinations of weapons, including swords/sabres, carbines , matchlocks, and lances. One of the most unique regiments of the Sikh Khalsa Army was the Shutersawaar or the cannon mounted war camel used by Hari Singh Nalwa in his conquest of Peshawar . The Shutersawaar
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#17330852535481920-564: A relative of the Durranis, exerted considerable influence in this region. Besides Mankera, he commanded a vast area protected by 12 forts. With the weakening of Afghan rule in Kabul, the governors of Attock, Mankera, Mitha Tiwana and Khushab had declared their independence. Ranjit Singh celebrated the Dussehra of 1821 across the river Ravi, at Shahdera. Hari Singh, Governor of Kashmir, was most familiar with
2080-624: A ruby ring on the middle finger. Sikhs formed the bulk of the Sikh Empire's army. The Sikh Army was mainly Punjabi with a predominantly Sikh cadre, but also had a significant multi-religious component made up from other parts of the Punjabi people . There were soldiers of different religious backgrounds (i.e. Muslims and Hindus) and there were soldiers of different tribal backgrounds: Pashtuns , Dogras , Khatris , Jats , Kashyap Rajputs , Ramgarhias , Nepalis and European mercenaries . A promotion to
2240-476: A soldier could be imprisoned or exiled. Usually, the soldiers were granted two months of leave, either in the winter season or before it. When soldiers were required, leaves were cancelled and they were granted leave at the end of the campaign. The pay of the Sikh Khalsa Army was higher than the pay of the British East India Company and other Asian armies. The Nishan Sahib Sikh flag flew throughout
2400-551: A sudden attack on the village of Jamrud, at the mouth of the Khyber Pass. The Misha Khel Khyberis, the owners of this village, were renowned for their excellent marksmanship and total lack of respect for any authority. Hari Singh Nalwa's first encounter with this tribe had taken place following the Battle of Nowshera when he had pursued the fleeing Azim Khan; and once again, when he chased Dost Mohammed Khan in 1835. The occupation of Jamrud
2560-704: A thorn in the side of Ranjit Singh's power because of its proximity to his capital city of Lahore . It was captured in the fourth attempt. This attack was led by Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Jodh Singh Ramgarhia. During the campaign the Sardar showed remarkable bravery and dexterity. The Sardar was granted a Jagir in recognition of his services. Ranjit Singh attacked Multan 7 times. Hari Singh Nalwa fought in 5 of them. Ranjit Singh did not want to finish his enemies in one stroke as Ranjit did not want much blood and wanted to weaken his enemies into an position where they could be easily conquered. On their march to Multan , they conquered
2720-549: A truce with the Sikhs. He withdrew at night with his troops and Ghazis, believing that he was being surrounded and having faced a bad omen with the stirrup of a horse, the Afghans withdrew and took all their ammunition and guns with them. Once Hari Singh Nalwa was hunting in the area near Michni with 100 horsemen when a Hindu came up with a complaint about how Dela Khan of Michni had stolen his spouse. Later more Hindus came to tell Nalwa about
2880-513: A victorious pursuit for six miles, taking all their guns, swivels and camp equipment. 150,000. The occupation of the great city of Peshawar and its ruinous fort, the Bala Hisar was a reflection of Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa's formidable reputation in the region. Masson arrived in Peshawar just in time to see the Sikhs take control of the city. His eyewitness' account reports that the Afghans withdrew from
3040-478: A week doing nothing, till the news of his death was confirmed. The Afghans withdrew after witnessing Nalwa's body hung outside the fort. Hari Singh Nalwa had not only defended Jamrud and Peshawar, but had prevented the Afghans from ravaging the entire north-west frontier, in turn was not able to invade Afghanistan himself. The loss of Hari Singh Nalwa was irreparable and this Sikh defeat was costly for that precise reason. The victories in battles that were achieved over
3200-557: Is "sindhu". In Sanskrit, its range of meanings includes: stream, river; Indus; flood; sea or ocean; region or country in the vicinity of the Indus, Sindh, people of Sindh." The modern name in Urdu is Sindh ( Urdu : سندھ ) or Daryā-i-Sindh ( Urdu : دریائے سندھ , lit. 'The River Sindh'), contrasting to the Province of Sindh ( Urdu : صوبہِ سندھ , romanized : Sūba-i-sindh ). The Ladakhis and Tibetans call
3360-502: Is a fertile region and often called the "breadbasket" of the country; the damage and toll of the floods on the local agrarian economy was said to be extensive. At least 1.7 million acres (690,000 ha; 2,700 sq mi) of arable land were inundated. The flooding followed the previous year's floods, which devastated a large part of the country. Unprecedented torrential monsoon rains caused severe flooding in 16 districts of Sindh. In Pakistan currently there are six barrages on
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#17330852535483520-454: Is an accepted version of this page The Indus ( / ˈ ɪ n d ə s / IN -dəs ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans- Himalayan river of South and Central Asia . The 3,180 km (1,980 mi) river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in Western Tibet , flows northwest through the disputed region of Kashmir , bends sharply to the left after
3680-401: Is derived from the Indus River. In ancient times, "India" initially referred to those regions immediately along the east bank of the Indus, where are Punjab and Sindh now but by 300 BC, Greek writers including Herodotus and Megasthenes were applying the term to the entire subcontinent that extends much farther eastward. The lower basin of the Indus forms a natural boundary between
3840-652: Is especially critical since rainfall is meagre in the lower Indus valley. Irrigation canals were first built by the people of the Indus Valley civilisation , and later by the engineers of the Kushan Empire and the Mughal Empire . Modern irrigation was introduced by the British East India Company in 1850 – the construction of modern canals accompanied with the restoration of old canals. The British supervised
4000-548: Is no evidence they partook in any actual fighting. They performed martial dances with swords for visiting foreign dignitaries. Whilst dancing, they wore men's clothing. Their dances symbolized the martial glory of the Sikh Empire and its sovereignty. The earliest surviving mention of the amazonian corps is from 12 March 1831: ...A royal order was issued to all the dancing girls in the town of Lahore to put on male garments, hold swords and bows in their hands and be decorated with other arms as well and then to present themselves at
4160-408: Is prone to moderate to severe flooding. In July 2010, following abnormally heavy monsoon rains, the Indus River rose above its banks and started flooding. The rain continued for the next two months, devastating large areas of Pakistan. In Sindh , the Indus burst its banks near Sukkur on 8 August, submerging the village of Mor Khan Jatoi. In early August, the heaviest flooding moved southward along
4320-453: Is protected from river flooding by constructing around 600 km long levees . The right bank side is also leveed from Guddu barrage to Lake Manchar . In response to the levees construction, the river has been aggrading rapidly over the last 20 years leading to breaches upstream of barrages and inundation of large areas. Tarbela Dam in Pakistan is constructed on the Indus River, while
4480-608: Is the Zanskar River , and its left-bank tributary in the plains is the Panjnad River which is formed by the successive confluences of the five Punjab rivers, namely the Chenab , Jhelum , Ravi , Beas , and Sutlej rivers. Its principal right-bank tributaries are the Shyok , Gilgit , Kabul , Kurram , and Gomal rivers. Beginning in a mountain spring and fed with glaciers and rivers in
4640-447: Is the "largest contiguous irrigation system developed over the past 140 years" anywhere in the world. This has reduced the flow of water and by 2018, the average annual flow of water below the Kotri barrage was 33 billion cubic metres (43 × 10 ^ cu yd), and annual amount of silt discharged was estimated at 100 million tonnes (98 × 10 ^ long tons). As a result,
4800-434: Is the greatest", was answered by the Sikhs with Bole so nihal, Sat Sri Akal , or "they who affirm the name of God, the only immortal truth, will find fulfilment". Ironically, the opposing forces first professed the glory of the very same God Almighty, albeit in different languages, before they commenced slaughtering each other. The cannonade lasted about two hours. The Sikhs charged at their opponents, routed them, and continued
4960-530: The 1819 Rann of Kutch earthquake . The Induan Age at the start of the Triassic Period of geological time is named for the Indus region. Accounts of the Indus valley from the times of Alexander's campaign indicate a healthy forest cover in the region. The Mughal Emperor Babur writes of encountering rhinoceroses along its bank in his memoirs (the Baburnama ). Extensive deforestation and human interference in
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5120-433: The 2010 Pakistan floods were considered "good news" for the ecosystem and population of the river delta as they brought much-needed fresh water. Any further utilization of the river basin water is not economically feasible. Vegetation and wildlife of the Indus delta are threatened by the reduced inflow of fresh water, along with extensive deforestation, industrial pollution and global warming . Damming has also isolated
5280-598: The British Indian Army , where they served with distinction in numerous battles and wars under the British Crown . Ranjit Singh encircled himself with an array of generals and soldiers. They were men from different clans, castes and regions. Some of the ranks come from English, like adjudan (adjutant), kalnal (colonel), jarnail (general). Among some of the most important and illustrious names include: Among his European Mercenary Generals were: Indus This
5440-560: The Golden Temple and caused an irregular detachment of Nihang guards to inquire about the disturbances during prayer, before they were challenged by the Muslim soldiers who fired upon them. The Sikh Nihangs shot off many musket and matchlock volleys rather than a sword charge. It resulted in the death of many of Metcalfe's escorts, while others were wounded. Although more of Metcalfe's soldiers died, Ranjit Singh became particularly fascinated by
5600-572: The Himalayan , Karakoram , and Hindu Kush ranges, the river supports the ecosystems of temperate forests , plains, and arid countryside. The northern part of the Indus Valley, with its tributaries, forms the Punjab region of South Asia, while the lower course of the river ends in a large delta in the southern Sindh province of Pakistan. The river has historically been important to many cultures of
5760-730: The Iranian Plateau and the Indian subcontinent ; this region embraces all or parts of the Pakistani provinces Balochistan , Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , Punjab and Sindh and the countries Afghanistan and India. The first West Eurasian empire to annex the Indus Valley was the Persian Empire , during the reign of Darius the Great . During his reign, the Greek explorer Scylax of Caryanda was commissioned to explore
5920-647: The Jhelum River to Ropar on the upper Sutlej. The coastal settlements extended from Sutkagan Dor at the Pakistan- Iran border to Kutch in modern Gujarat , India. There is an Indus site on the Amu Darya at Shortughai in northern Afghanistan, and the Indus site Alamgirpur at the Hindon River is located only 28 km (17 mi) from Delhi. As of now, over 1,052 cities and settlements have been found, mainly in
6080-597: The Nanga Parbat massif , and flows south-by-southwest through Pakistan , before emptying into the Arabian Sea near the port city of Karachi . The river has a total drainage area of circa 1,120,000 km (430,000 sq mi). Its estimated annual flow is around 175 km /a (5,500 m /s), making it one of the 50 largest rivers in the world in terms of average annual flow . Its left-bank tributary in Ladakh
6240-612: The Nanga Parbat massif . It flows swiftly across Hazara and is dammed at the Tarbela Reservoir . The Kabul River joins it near Attock . The remainder of its route to the sea is in the plains of the Punjab and Sindh, where the flow of the river becomes slow and highly braided. It is joined by the Panjnad at Mithankot . Beyond this confluence, the river, at one time, was named the Satnad River ( sat = "seven", nadī = "river"), as
6400-664: The Phulkian sardars from a possible conquest of their lands and to check the growing power of the Sikh sovereign. The Sikhs under Maharaja Ranjit Singh had already defeated the British while they first tried to lay claim to Delhi for the first time, states Rattan Singh Bhangu. A Muslim regiment under Charles Metcalfe, 1st Baron Metcalfe was sent to Amritsar for talks with the Maharaja. The soldiers created noise through their chants as they approached Ranjit Singh's fort in Amritsar and passed near
6560-536: The Taunsa Barrage near Dera Ghazi Khan which also produces 100,000 kilowatts of electricity. The Kotri Barrage near Hyderabad is 915 metres (3,000 ft) long and provides additional water supplies for Karachi. The extensive linking of tributaries with the Indus has helped spread water resources to the valley of Peshawar , in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa . The extensive irrigation and dam projects provide
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6720-509: The kotwal of Poonch , and Mohammad Ali, the kotwal of Shopian , attempted a defense at the Dhaki Deo and Maja passed, but were defeated and surrendered to the Sikhs on 23 June 1819. On 5 July 1819, the Sikh army attempted to march through Shopian to Srinagar but was stopped by a Durrani army headed by Jabbar Khan. The Durrani force had heavily entrenched itself in preparation for the Sikh artillery attack and brought heavy artillery, which
6880-435: The tiger by himself using a dagger while fending off blows with a shield, thus earning the cognomen Baghmar ( Tiger-killer ). Whether he was by that time already serving in the military is unknown but he was commissioned as Sardar , commanding 800 horses and footmen, in that year. Hari Singh's first significant participation in a Sikh conquest was at age 16 in 1807. It took place at the capture of Kasur, which had long been
7040-487: The 1909 The Imperial Gazetteer of India gave it as "just over 1,800 miles". A shorter figure of 2,880 km (1,790 mi) has been widely used in modern sources, as has the one of 3,180 km (1,980 mi). The modern Encyclopedia Britannica was originally published in 1999 with the shorter measurement, but was updated in 2015 to use the longer measurement. Both lengths are commonly found in modern publications; in some cases, both measurements can be found within
7200-954: The Afghan forces and did not agree to the Dogra supremacy. Akali Nihangs were not sustained under the Sikh Khalsa army. They were and are a religious army and follow their Jathedar as their emperor. These jathedars have evolved into the jathedars today. The Akali Nihangs even used to fight with the other armed soldiers of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Other parts of the Irregulars consisted of the Akalis, also known as Nihangs . They were devout Sikhs, heavily armed with many traditional weapons and refused European style training. They only wore blue or yellow robes. Their leaders were Akali Phula Singh and Akali Sadhu Singh. Unlike today's Nihang sects and Jathas earlier all Nihangs were in
7360-426: The Afghan forces, without water in the small fortress. Though the Sikhs were totally outnumbered, presence of Hari Singh Nalwa put the Afghan army into panic. In the melee, Hari Singh Nalwa was grievously wounded. Before he died, he told his lieutenant not to let the news of his death out till the arrival of reinforcements, which is what he did. While the Afghans knew that Hari Singh had been wounded, they waited for over
7520-485: The Afghans in battle and began sending negotiation efforts to Dost Mohammad Khan. However, the true intentions of this were to divide Dost Mohammad Khan's supporters with bribes, prominently, Sultan Mohammad Khan . Josiah Harlan and Faqir Aziz were sent to the camp of Dost Mohammad, who plotted intrigue in the Afghan camp, including making some of his supporters and brothers jealous of the powerful position Dost Mohammad Khan held. This led to Sultan Mohammad's withdrawal from
7680-570: The Afghans, the British and the Gurkhas remained a threat while his empire was in its infancy. Therefore, in 1805, he began recruiting regular forces and employing deserters from the East India Company as officers or soldiers. This latter tactic did not work particularly well because most of the deserters were constantly in touch with the British. The British were alarmed with the rapid conquests of Ranjit Singh and sent many diplomatic missions to help
7840-404: The Afghans, were a favourite topic of conversation for Ranjit Singh. He was to immortalise these by ordering a shawl from Kashmir at the record price of Rs 5000, in which were depicted the scenes of the battles fought with them. Following the death of Hari Singh Nalwa, no further conquests were made in this direction. The Khyber Pass continued as the Sikh frontier till the annexation of the Punjab by
8000-614: The Back of the army as they had the tallest turban and held the Nishan Sahib. They were known as the troops of Baba Fateh Singh which inspired the war-cry Fateh Singh Ke Jathe Singh . The Dumala-Wala Nihangs wore a shorter turban with three to four chakrams and a small pharla from it. In the turban lied three to four short Khandas. On the Nihangs back has to be a Dhal with a Vadda Chakram below and on
8160-635: The British, which allowed them to win several crucial battles. This led to the defeat of the Khalsa and the British signed the Treaty of Lahore , ending the war in a Sikh defeat. The treaty stipulated that the Sikh Empire was to pay a significant amount of reparations to the East India Company, and Jind Kaur , the Sikh regent, was imprisoned and later exiled. The Sikh Army was reduced to 20,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry. The disbanded soldiers were also furious with
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#17330852535488320-600: The British. Hari Singh's administrative rule covered one-third of the Sikh Empire. He served as the governor of Kashmir (1820–21), Greater Hazara (1822–1837) and was twice appointed the Governor of Peshawar (1834-5 & 1836-7). Mahan Singh , a Sikh Brahmin, was his 2nd in command on many affairs related to administration. Sikh Khalsa Army Sikh regiments: Khanda or plain banners The Sikh Khalsa Army ( Punjabi : ਸਿੱਖ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ ਫੌਜ , romanized: Sikha khālasā phauja ), also known as Khalsaji or simply Sikh Army ,
8480-462: The Budha Dal and ate meat. The Nihangs who hunted boars and deer kept the trophies as 'Soor Das' (Boar's Tooth) and 'Barha Singha' (Deer Horns). The Nihang Bana started with a navy or surmayee blue four foot tall Dastar Bunga with many chakrams in ascending order and a Gajgah. On the top of the turban lied a metre and a half long pharla to show that the spirit of the Khalsa would never be broken. Under
8640-624: The Deorhi of the Maharaja on elephants and horses, in perfect smartness and with great grace... Another contemporary observation of the corps was made by the Scottish traveler and explorer, Alexander Burne, in his travelogue: On our arrival, we found... a party of thirty or forty dancing girls, dressed uniformly in boys’ clothes. They were mostly natives of Cashmere or the adjacent mountains... (and) their figures and features were small, and their Don Giovanni costume of flowing silk most becoming, improved as it
8800-769: The Gandhgarh Range, which made its secure location a haven for the rebellious chiefs in the entire region. Hari Singh Nalwa went towards Sirikot before the rains of 1824. It was another six months before the attempt produced conclusive results. The Sardar almost lost his life in the course of this expedition. Ranjit Singh's military campaign for the winter of 1824 was scheduled towards Peshawar and Kabul. While stationed at Wazirabad, he received an arzi (written petition) from Sardar Hari Singh informing him that he and his men were overwhelmingly outnumbered – one Sikh to ten Afghans. Ranjit Singh marched to [Rohtas], from there to [Rawalpindi] and via [Sarai Kala] reached Sirikot. With news of
8960-541: The Himalayas and entrenched itself while they were rising. The Indus River feeds the Indus submarine fan , which is the second largest sediment body on Earth. It consists of around 5 million cubic kilometres of material eroded from the mountains. Studies of the sediment in the modern river indicate that the Karakoram Mountains in northern Pakistan and India are the single most important source of material, with
9120-523: The Himalayas providing the next largest contribution, mostly via the large rivers of the Punjab (Jhelum, Ravi, Chenab, Beas and Sutlej). Analysis of sediments from the Arabian Sea has demonstrated that before five million years ago the Indus was not connected to these Punjab rivers which instead flowed east into the Ganga and were captured after that time. Earlier work showed that sand and silt from western Tibet
9280-413: The Indus River "could very well precipitate World War III." Over the years factories on the banks of the Indus River have increased levels of water pollution in the river and the atmosphere around it. High levels of pollutants in the river have led to the deaths of endangered Indus river dolphin. The Sindh Environmental Protection Agency has ordered polluting factories around the river to shut down under
9440-408: The Indus River and its two tributaries the Jhelum River and the Chenab River independently of upstream control by India. The Indus Basin Project consisted primarily of the construction of two main dams, the Mangla Dam built on the Jhelum River and the Tarbela Dam constructed on the Indus River, together with their subsidiary dams. The Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority undertook
9600-445: The Indus River basin: the Eurasian otter in the northeastern highland sections and the smooth-coated otter elsewhere in the river basin. The smooth-coated otters in the Indus River represent a subspecies found nowhere else, the Sindh otter ( Lutrogale perspicillata sindica ). The Indus River basin has high diversity, being the home of more than 180 freshwater fish species, including 22 which are found nowhere else. Fish also played
9760-643: The Indus River from severely affected northern regions toward western Punjab , where at least 1,400,000 acres (570,000 ha) of cropland was destroyed, and the southern province of Sindh. As of September 2010 , over two thousand people had died and over a million homes had been destroyed since the flooding began. The 2011 Sindh floods began during the Pakistani monsoon season in mid-August 2011, resulting from heavy monsoon rains in Sindh, eastern Balochistan, and southern Punjab. The floods caused considerable damage; an estimated 434 civilians were killed, with 5.3 million people and 1,524,773 homes affected. Sindh
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#17330852535489920-458: The Indus River. It is a subspecies of the South Asian river dolphin . The Indus river dolphin formerly also occurred in the tributaries of the Indus river. According to the World Wildlife Fund it is one of the most threatened cetaceans with only about 1,816 still existing. It is threatened by habitat degradation from the construction of dams and canals, entanglement in fishing gear, and industrial water pollution. There are two otter species in
10080-426: The Indus river. Most scholars believe that settlements of Gandhara grave culture of the early Indo-Aryans flourished in Gandhara from 1700 BC to 600 BC, when Mohenjo-daro and Harappa had already been abandoned. The Rigveda describes several rivers , including one named "Sindhu". The Rigvedic "Sindhu" is thought to be the present-day Indus River. It is attested 176 times in its text, 94 times in
10240-509: The Indus: Guddu Barrage , Sukkur Barrage , Kotri Barrage (also called Ghulam Muhammad barrage), Taunsa Barrage , Chashma Barrage and Jinnah Barrage . Another new barrage called " Sindh Barrage " is planned as a terminal barrage on the Indus River. There are some bridges on River Indus, such as Dadu Moro Bridge, Larkana Khairpur Indus River Bridge, Thatta-Sujawal bridge, Jhirk-Mula Katiar bridge and recently planned Kandhkot-Ghotki bridge. The entire left bank of Indus river in Sind province
10400-458: The Maharaja's ancestors, and demonstrated his skills as a horseman and musketeer . Ranjit Singh appointed him as a personal attendant at the court. Hari Singh Nalwa had two wives, as was customary at the time: Raj Kaur from Rawalpindi and Desan Kaur. He had four sons and two daughters. During a hunt in 1804, a tiger attacked him and also killed his horse. His fellow hunters attempted to protect him but he refused their offers and allegedly killed
10560-404: The Maharaja. He achieved significant success and was given the jagir of Mitha Tiwana. In 1819 Maharaja Ranjit Singh was asked to annex Kashmir from the Durrani Empire as the Afghan rule was very unpopular among the people of Kashmir. Thus Ranjit Singh sent an expeditionary force. The Sikh expeditionary force established two armories for the expedition at Gujrat and Wazirabad . The expedition
10720-406: The Maharaja. The Afghan Barakzais witnessed the battle from across the river. They were not able to cross the Landai river. Eventually, the inheritors of Ahmed Shah Abdali 's legacy withdrew from the area, toward the direction of Jalalabad . Sirikot lay less than ten miles to the north-west of Haripur . This Mashwani village was strategically placed in a basin at the top of the north-east end of
10880-457: The Muslim guards. This impressed Ranjit Singh and left a deep impact on him, as the Nihangs had quickly adopted the line formations of Metcalfe's escorts, dominating the entire Muslim battalion. The Maharaja then accepted the Treaty of Amritsar (1809), and saw the British as allies for the moment as he took the British refusal to engage after the assault on Metcalfe's convoy as well as the Sikh army's frequent unanswered incursions and attacks south of
11040-422: The Nawab. The force was divided into three parts—one column being under Hari Singh—and each column entered the Mankera territory by a different route; capturing various places en route all three columns rejoined near Mankera town. Mankera was besieged, with Nalwa's force being on the west of the fort. The Nawab was allowed to proceed towards Dera Ismail Khan, which was granted to him as jagir . His descendants held
11200-459: The Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997. Death of the Indus river dolphin has also been attributed to fishermen using poison to kill fish and scooping them up. As a result, the government banned fishing from Guddu Barrage to Sukkur . The Indus is second among a group of ten rivers responsible for about 90% of all the plastic that reaches the oceans. The Yangtze is the only river contributing more plastic. Frequently, Indus River
11360-405: The Rann of Kutch during its floods breaching flood banks . The major cities of the Indus Valley Civilisation , such as Harappa and Mohenjo-daro , date back to around 3300 BC, and represent some of the largest human habitations of the ancient world. The Indus Valley Civilisation extended from across northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwest India , with an upward reach from east of
11520-658: The River Indus" from Achaemenian Old Persian "hindu," denoting an eastern province of the Achaemenid empire ( Persian language hind India), and Avestan hiṇdu , həṇdu "river," (natural) frontier; with same Proto Indo-Iranian language -root as Sanskrit sindhu (river), specifically the River Indus; hence also the region of the Indus, the province Sindh (which also developed into Hellenistic Greek Σίνθος ("the River Indus"). This river's traditional name in Sanskrit and Tibetan
11680-613: The Ror dynasty of Sauvīra . The Indus River came into the knowledge of the Western world early in the classical period , when King Darius of Persia sent his Greek subject Scylax of Caryanda to explore the river, c. 515 BC . Etymologically, English language word "Indus" comes from Late Latin Indus (1598), specifically a use of classical Latin Indus (inhabitant of India, Indian) from ancient Greek Ἰνδός "inhabitant of India, Indian,
11840-552: The Sayyid after he had crossed the Indus and encamped near the fort of Khairabad. Ranjit Singh was still on the sickbed when the news of the Sayyid's arrival, at the head of a large force of the Yusafzai peasantry, reached him. The gallantry of the Yusafzai defence in the Battle of Nowshera was still vivid in his mind. On receiving this news, he immediately put into motion all the forces that he could muster and immediately dispatched them towards
12000-730: The Sikh flags had the inscription of the motto of the Khalsa: " Deg Tegh Fateh ", in Persian Nastaʿlīq script . After the death of Ranjit Singh, the Sikh Empire witnessed the murders of Ranjit Singh's sons, one after another, organised by the Dogras. Then the Dogras urged the army to make the Lahore Durbar declare war on the East India Company. They did so, and the Dogra-led Sikh Army was betrayed by its commanders who revealed battle plans to
12160-454: The Sikh left flank, Jabbar Khan saw an opening and led the Durrani right flank which stormed Misr Diwan Chand's artillery battery , captured two guns, and threw the Sikh left flank in "disarray". However the Durrani force attacking the Sikh left flank was exposed from their left and Akali Phoola Singh , the commander of the Sikh right flank, rallied his troops and led his command in a charge across
12320-487: The Sikhs took advantage of the resulting confusion and their army formally forded the Indus and entered Peshawar, the summer capital of the Kingdom of Kabul (modern-day Afghanistan ), for the first time. Thereafter, Hari Singh Nalwa was deputed towards Peshawar in order to keep the Sikh dabdaba kayam — maintain the pressure. Hari Singh Nalwa was left at the suburbs of Mitha Tiwana by Dewan Mokham Chand as an order from
12480-409: The Sikhs were unprepared for because they had brought only light guns. Once his artillery was in range, Misr Diwan Chand opened the battle with an artillery barrage and multiple infantry and cavalry charges. The Durrani army was able to hold back the Sikh attempts to storm their lines until the Sikhs began moving their guns forward. However, when Misr Diwan Chand was overseeing the movement of guns on
12640-473: The Sikhs with the rest of the army, who also died. The other one says that the Khan apologized and offered to return the bride, only to be punished. The bride was returned to her husband and they both converted into the religion of Sikhism. The bride was Bibi Harsharan Kaur, a Sikh who was later important during Hari Singh Nalwa's martyr. In October 1836 following the Dussehra celebrations in Amritsar, Hari Singh made
12800-448: The Sikhs, but more as a show of strength and try and wrest the forts of Shabqadar , Jamrud and Peshawar. Hari Singh had also been instructed not to engage with the Afghans till reinforcements arrived from Lahore. Hari Singh's lieutenant, Mahan Singh, was in the fortress of Jamrud with 600 men and limited supplies. Hari Singh was in the strong fort of Peshawar. He was forced to go to the rescue of his men who were surrounded from every side by
12960-489: The Sikhs, many being killed and the remaining taking refuge in the hills. After burning and levelling Panjtar to the ground, Hari Singh returned to Peshawar realising all the arrears of revenue. Fateh Khan was obliged to sign an agreement to pay tribute on which condition Panjtar was released. When news of the conquest of Panjtar reached the Court of Lahore, a display of fireworks was proposed. The Maharaja's grandson, Nau Nihal Singh
13120-530: The Sikhs. Muzaffar Khan challenged the Sikhs with a sword valiantly but was shot down with five of his sons. Hari Singh Nalwa was "chiefly instrumental" in the capture of the citadel. The famous Zamzama was badly damaged in the siege. The Sikhs finally captured the city after six attempts. In the siege 1,900 Sikhs were killed and 4,000 wounded. The Afghans had 12,000 men killed. When Shah Mahmud's son, Shah Kamran, killed their Wazir Fateh Khan Barakzai in August 1818
13280-623: The Sikhs. Ranjit Singh directed his generals to amuse the Afghans with negotiations and to win over Sultan Mohammed Khan. He directed them that on no account, even if attacked, were they to enter into a general engagement until his arrival. Early skirmishes began in December 1834, which saw Akbar Khan , the son of Dost Mohammad Khan, fight engagements with different Sikh outposts, in one such engagement, defeating Hari Singh Nalwa, leaving around 150 Sikhs dead and wounded, and forcing him to withdraw to Peshawar. Ranjit Singh chose intrigue rather than facing
13440-525: The Sutlej on British army officers in Ludhiana as signs of weakness on the part of the British. The regular military force was backed up and supported by a further 52,000 well-trained and equipped professional-grade irregulars, known as Fauj-i-Be Qawaid. In addition, a large reservoir of feudal and militia forces was available. Military jagirs were given to the ex-rulers of Misls . They in turn had to give tax to
13600-686: The Yusafzai stronghold to the north of the Landai at Jehangira , and the Khattak territory to its south at Akora Khattak . Jehangira was a masonry fort with very strong towers and the Afghan Yusafzais offered tough resistance. Hari Singh entered the fort and established his thana there. The remaining troops re-crossed the Landai River and returned to their base camp at Akora. Mohammed Azim Khan had encamped roughly ten miles north-west of Hari Singh's position, on
13760-417: The amazonians of the Sikh court were described as follows: Their uniform was as follows: a lemon yellow Banarsi turban with a bejewelled crest; a dark green jumper over a blue satin gown, fastened with a gold belt; deep crimson skin tight pyjamas of Gulbadan; silk and a pair of golden shoes. As for jewellery, they wore a pair of gold earrings set with stones, a diamond nose stud, a pair of golden bracelets and
13920-531: The approach of the Sikh army, the Afghans withdrew. The redeemer of the Yusafzais came in the form of one Sayyid Ahmad [1] , who despite being a 'Hindki' was accepted as a leader by them. Budh Singh Sandhanwalia, accompanied by 4,000 horsemen, was deputed towards Attock to assist in suppressing the Yusafzai rebellion. The Maharaja's brief required him to thereafter to proceed towards Peshawar and collect tribute from Yar Mohammed Khan Barakzai. Budh Singh first heard of
14080-436: The area until 1836. The Sikhs forayed into Peshawar for the first time in 1818, but did not occupy the territory. They were content with collecting tribute from Yar Mohammed, its Barakzai governor. Azim Khan, Yar Mohammed's half-brother in Kabul, totally disapproved of the latter's deference to the Sikhs and decided to march down at the head of a large force to vindicate the honour of the Afghans. Azim Khan wanted to avenge both,
14240-464: The atrocities of the Khan. Learning about all of this Hari Singh Nalwa agreed to help the Hindus. He along with his 100 horsemen attacked the Khan's residence in night. Dela Khan outnumbered him having an army of 5,000 but for the first half of the battle, he only fought with 500. There are 2 accounts of what happened next. The first one refers that Dela Khan was slain in the battle and later his son attacked
14400-561: The basis for Pakistan's large production of crops such as cotton, sugarcane and wheat. The dams also generate electricity for heavy industries and urban centres. The Indus River is sacred to Hindus. The Sindhu Darshan Festival is held on every Guru Purnima on the banks of the Indus. The ethnicities of the Indus Valley (Pakistan and Northwest India) have a greater amount of ANI (or West Eurasian) admixture than other South Asians, including inputs from Western Steppe Herders , with evidence of more sustained and multi-layered migrations from
14560-430: The battlefield to the artillery battery. After a close quarters fight which resulted in both sides resorting to using swords and daggers, the Durrani soldiers proved to be ineffective against the much superior martial skills of the Sikh soldiers and sections of the Durrani force began to retreat and Jabbar Khan was wounded while escaping the battlefield. On 15 July 1819, the Sikh army made their way into Srinagar. Following
14720-491: The best of both old and new ideas. He strengthened the infantry and the artillery. He paid the members of the standing army from treasury, instead of the Mughal method of paying an army with local feudal levies. Before the reign of Ranjit Singh , the armies in Punjab consisted purely of cavalry. After Ranjit Singh became the Sardar of Sukerchakia Misl he gradually unified most of the Punjab through conquests and diplomacy. However
14880-672: The camp at night with over 10,000 men, as this force defected to the Sikh camp. This sent the Afghan camp into disarray. The French division under Jean-François Allard , Paolo Avitabile , Claude Auguste Court and Jean-Baptiste Ventura commanded 20 to 22,000 men who marched very slowly and suitably towards the left flank of Dost Mohammad Khan's army. The main Sikh army led by Hari Singh Nalwa, Gulab Singh , Misr Sukh Raj, Tej Singh , Attar Singh Sandhanwalia, Khushal Singh, Dhian Singh , Jawala Singh, Lehna Singh Majithia and Maharaja Ranjit Singh numbered 60–80,000 and approached Dost Mohammad Khan's center and right side. Dost Mohammad Khan rejected
15040-401: The capture of Kashmir, tribute was due from Pakhli , Damtaur and Darband . Hari Singh Nalwa along with his companions marched through Pakhli in order to collect tribute. The request for tribute resulted in fighting and the Sikhs got the tribute after a well fought battle. The Maharaja summoned Nalwa to pay his tax. He marched by Pakhli and Muzaffarabad with a force of 7,000 foot. When he
15200-1450: The catfish Glyptosternon reticulatum . Going downstream these are soon joined by the golden mahseer Tor putitora (alternatively T. macrolepis , although it often is regarded as a synonym of T. putitora ) and Schistura loaches. Downriver from around Thakot , Tarbela , the Kabul –Indus river confluence, Attock Khurd and Peshawar the diversity rises strongly, including many cyprinids ( Amblypharyngodon , Aspidoparia , Barilius , Chela , Cirrhinus , Crossocheilus , Cyprinion , Danio , Devario , Esomus , Garra , Labeo , Naziritor , Osteobrama , Pethia , Puntius , Rasbora , Salmophasia , Securicula and Systomus ), true loaches ( Botia and Lepidocephalus ), stone loaches ( Acanthocobitis and Nemacheilus ), ailiid catfish ( Clupisoma ), bagridae catfish ( Batasio , Mystus , Rita and Sperata ), airsac catfish ( Heteropneustes ), schilbid catfish ( Eutropiichthys ), silurid catfish ( Ompok and Wallago ), sisorid catfish ( Bagarius , Gagata , Glyptothorax and Sisor ), gouramis ( Trichogaster ), nandid leaffish ( Nandus ), snakeheads ( Channa ), spiny eel ( Macrognathus and Mastacembelus ), knifefish ( Notopterus ), glassfish ( Chanda and Parambassis ), clupeids ( Gudusia ), needlefish ( Xenentodon ) and gobies ( Glossogobius ), as well as
15360-543: The conquest of Attock, the adjoining regions of Hazara-i-Karlugh and Gandhgarh became tributary to the Sikhs. In 1815, Sherbaz Khan of Gandhgarh challenged Hari Singh Nalwa's authority and was defeated. The Sikhs made an attempt to take Kashmir soon after the Battle of Attock . The army was under the general command of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who camped at Rajauri . The troops were led towards Srinagar by Ram Dayal, grandson of Dewan Mokham Chand, while Jamadar Khushal Singh commanded
15520-505: The conquest of the strongly fortified Mankera , Maharaja Ranjit Singh decided to approach it from its southern extremity. After the Baisakhi of 1816, Misr Diwan Chand , Illahi Bakhsh, Fateh Singh Ahluwalia, Nihal Singh Attariwala and Hari Singh Nalwa accompanied by seven paltans and the topkhana went towards Mahmudkot. When news of its conquest arrived, it left the Maharaja so elated at the success of Sikh arms that he celebrated this victory with
15680-422: The construction of one of the most complex irrigation networks in the world. The Guddu Barrage is 1,350 m (4,430 ft) long – irrigating Sukkur , Jacobabad , Larkana and Kalat . The Sukkur Barrage serves over 20,000 km (7,700 sq mi). After Pakistan came into existence, a water control treaty signed between India and Pakistan in 1960 guaranteed that Pakistan would receive water from
15840-624: The construction of the Chashma-Jhelum link canal – linking the waters of the Indus and Jhelum rivers – extending water supplies to the regions of Bahawalpur and Multan . Pakistan constructed the Tarbela Dam near Rawalpindi – standing 2,743 metres (9,000 ft) long and 143 metres (470 ft) high, with an 80-kilometre (50 mi) long reservoir. It supports the Chashma Barrage near Dera Ismail Khan for irrigation use and flood control and
16000-611: The course of the Indus. It was crossed by the invading armies of Alexander . Still, after his Macedonians conquered the west bank—joining it to the Hellenic world, they elected to retreat along the southern course of the river, ending Alexander's Asian campaign. Alexander's admiral Nearchus set out from the Indus Delta to explore the Persian Gulf , until reaching the Tigris . The Indus Valley
16160-522: The dastar Bunga was a Surmayee or navy chola with a yellow hazooria and kamar kasa. Under the Kamar Kasa (a cotton belt) should be two Kirpans, a khanda and other daggers. One Kirpan should be Nagini and one straight. All Nihangs had horses on which there would be a Nishan Sahib, long Musket, a Karpa Barcha and a Nagni Barcha. The Nishan Sahib should be pointed up resembling victory and should have an Ashtabhuja Dhuja on top. This class of Nihangs always came at
16320-528: The day. Nalwa lead the army to victory and planted the Sikh Flag on top of the fort. The Sikhs invaded Jammu in 1808 right after Sialkot. After Hari Singh Nalwa conquered Sialkot, Ranjit Singh had ordered him to take the surrounding areas of Jammu as well. He was aided by a Sikh named Hukam Singh Chimni and they successfully managed to conquer the city. Nalwa once more besieged Multan in 1810. Ranjit Singh had given out an order to Muzaffar Khan to pay tribute, but
16480-459: The delta population of Indus River dolphins from those further upstream. Large-scale diversion of the river's water for irrigation has raised far-reaching issues. Sediment clogging from poor maintenance of canals has affected agricultural production and vegetation on numerous occasions. Irrigation itself is increasing soil salinization, reducing crop yields and in some cases rendering farmland useless for cultivation. The Tibetan Plateau contains
16640-455: The ecology of the Shivalik Hills has led to a marked deterioration in vegetation and growing conditions. The Indus valley regions are arid with poor vegetation. Agriculture is sustained largely due to irrigation works. The Indus river and its watershed have a rich biodiversity. It is home to around 25 amphibian species. The Indus river dolphin ( Platanista indicus minor ) is found only in
16800-499: The empire. The Nihangs had the Blue Flag, while different regiments of the army from different religions were allowed to have banners of their own. The regular regiments of different Sikh sardars had mostly blue-coloured flags and banners. The infantry regiments had flags with depictions of plants and cavalry regiments had depictions of horses on their flags. The Fauj-i-Khas had its own French tricolore flag with Waheguru on it. Most of
16960-444: The firing of cannons. Two years later, on their way to Multan, the Sikhs captured the forts of Khangarh and Muzzaffargarh. By 1818, Muzaffar Khan's resources had been looted by Ranjit Singh in his previous expeditions of Multan. He again ordered the Sikhs to march towards Multan. As soon as the order was received, a force of 15,000 Sikhs clashed between a force of 40,000 Afghans. Another force of 10,000 Sikhs under Dhena Singh reinforced
17120-477: The five rivers are Jhelum , Chenab , Ravi , Beas and Sutlej , all of which finally flow into the Indus. The Indus also supports many heavy industries and provides the main supply of potable water in Pakistan. The total length of the river varies in different sources. The length used in this article is 3,180 km (1,980 mi), taken from the Himalayan Climate and Water Atlas (2015). Historically,
17280-517: The flows of the Indus could be severely, severely affected by glacier melt as a consequence of climate change ," and reduced by perhaps as much as 50 per cent. "Now what does that mean to a population that lives in a desert [where], without the river, there would be no life? I don't know the answer to that question," he says. "But we need to be concerned about that. Deeply, deeply concerned." U.S. diplomat Richard Holbrooke said, shortly before he died in 2010, that he believed that falling water levels in
17440-501: The former group is absent and the latter are rare. Many of the species of the middle sections of the Indus basin are also present in the lower. Notable examples of genera that are present in the lower plain but generally not elsewhere in the Indus River basin are the Aphanius pupfish, Aplocheilus killifish, palla fish ( Tenualosa ilisha ), catla ( Labeo catla ), rohu ( Labeo rohita ) and Cirrhinus mrigala . The lowermost part of
17600-418: The fort of Attock with the intention of keeping the Sayyid and his men from crossing the river until reinforcements arrived from Lahore. News had reached the Sikhs that the jihadis accompanying the Sayyid numbered several thousand. The battle between the Sayyid and the Sikhs was fought on 14 Phagun (23 February) 1827. The action commenced at about ten in the morning. The Muslim war cry of Allah hu Akbar , or "God
17760-431: The frontier. The Barakzais in Peshawar, though outwardly professing allegiance to the Sikhs, were in reality in league with the other Afghans. The Sayyid marched from Peshawar in the direction of Nowshera. Sardar Budh Singh wrote to the Sayyid seeking for a clarification of his intention. The Sayyid replied that he wished to first take the fort of Attock and then engage Budh Singh in battle. Hari Singh Nalwa stood guard at
17920-482: The general region of the Ghaggar-Hakra River and its tributaries. Among the settlements were the major urban centres of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, as well as Lothal , Dholavira , Ganeriwala , and Rakhigarhi . Only 40 Indus Valley sites have been discovered on the Indus and its tributaries. However, it is notable that majority of the Indus script seals and inscribed objects discovered were found at sites along
18080-621: The infantry in large numbers. In 1822 Ranjit Singh employed a veteran of the Napoleonic Wars, General Jean-Baptiste Ventura to train the infantry in European style. In a few years, under his command, the infantry was modernized in French pattern. Similarly, in 1822, Ranjit Singh employed another French Napoleonic War veteran, General Jean-François Allard to modernize the Sikh cavalry. In 1827 Claude Auguste Court , and in 1832 Colonel Alexander Gardner
18240-400: The infantry in western pattern. Under his guidance, within a few years, the infantry became the most disciplined unit of the Sikh army. By 1838-1839 the strength of the infantry had risen to 45,000. It was divided into battalions , companies and sections . Each battalion consisted of 800 soldiers. It was put under a Commandant . Each battalion was divided into eight companies. Each company
18400-451: The irregular cavalry had no uniform laid down for them; yet they turned out sharply, as testified by Baron Hugel, a Prussian noble, who visited Maharajah Ranjit Singh in 1836 and inspected a cavalry parade. "I never beheld," he wrote of a troop of Ghorcharhas, "a finer nor a more remarkably striking body of men. Each one was dressed differently, and yet so much in the same fashion that they all looked in perfect keeping."< The Fauj-i-Kilajat
18560-427: The latter refused. Because of this, the Sikhs besieged Multan once more. In this battle, Hari Singh Nalwa got seriously wounded while climbing the fort because of a fire-pot that was thrown at him. Muzaffar Khan unsuccessfully sought for support from the British but after 2 months of siege, Nawab Muzaffar Khan surrendered. Muzaffar Khan had to pay a tribute of 180,000 rupees and 20 horses to the Sikhs. The fort of Attock
18720-501: The plural, and most often used in the generic sense of "river". In the Rigveda, notably in the later hymns, the meaning of the word is narrowed to refer to the Indus river in particular; for example, in the list of rivers mentioned in the hymn of Nadistuti sukta . The Rigvedic hymns apply a feminine gender to all the rivers mentioned therein, except for the Brahmaputra . The word "India"
18880-406: The region and Hari Singh Nalwa occupied Peshawar without conflict. Hari Singh Nalwa was the governor of Peshawar when Dost Mohammed personally came at the head of a large force to challenge the Sikhs. Following his victory against Shah Shuja at Kandahar , in the first quarter of 1834, Dost Mohammed declared himself padshah (king), gave a call for jihad and set off from Kabul to wrest Peshawar from
19040-550: The region. The 3rd millennium BC saw the rise of Indus Valley Civilisation , a major urban civilization of the Bronze Age. During the 2nd millennium BC, the Punjab region was mentioned in the Rigveda hymns as Sapta Sindhu and in the Avesta religious texts as Hapta Həndu (both terms meaning " seven rivers "). Early historical kingdoms that arose in the Indus Valley include Gandhāra , and
19200-543: The right bank of the Landai, facing the town of Nowshera, awaiting Ranjit Singh's approach. The Sikhs had scheduled two battles – one along either bank of the Landai. After Hari Singh had successfully reduced the Afghan tribal strongholds on either side of the river, Ranjit Singh departed from the fort of Attock. He crossed the Landai River at a ford below Akora, and set up his camp near the fort of Jehangira. The famous army commander Akali Phula Singh and Gurkha commander Bal Bahadur, with their respective troops, accompanied
19360-461: The river Senge Tsangpo (སེང་གེ་གཙང་པོ།), Baltis call it Gemtsuh and Tsuh-Fo , Pashtuns call it Nilab , Sher Darya and Abbasin , while Sindhis call it Sindhu , Mehran , Purali and Samundar . The Indus River provides key water resources for Pakistan's economy – especially the breadbasket of Punjab province , which accounts for most of the nation's agricultural production, and Sindh. The word Punjab means "land of five rivers" and
19520-412: The river and its delta are home to freshwater fish, but also several brackish and marine species. This includes pomfret and prawns . The large delta has been recognized by conservationists as an important ecological region. Here, the river turns into many marshes, streams and creeks and meets the sea at shallow levels. Palla fish ( Tenualosa ilisha ) of the river is a delicacy for people living along
19680-453: The river is also determined by the seasons – it diminishes greatly in the winter while flooding its banks in the monsoon months from July to September. There is also evidence of a steady shift in the course of the river since prehistoric times – it deviated westwards from flowing into the Rann of Kutch and adjoining Banni grasslands after the 1816 earthquake. As of 2011 , Indus water flows in to
19840-510: The river is the Sênggê Kanbab ( Sênggê Zangbo ) or "Lion's Mouth", a perennial spring not far from the sacred Mount Kailash , marked by a long low line of Tibetan chortens . There are several other tributaries nearby, which may form a longer stream than Sênggê Kanbab, but unlike the Sênggê Kanbab, are all dependent on snowmelt . The Zanskar River , which flows into the Indus in Ladakh, has
20000-663: The river now carried the waters of the Kabul River, the Indus River and the five Punjab rivers. Passing by Jamshoro , it ends in a large delta to the South of Thatta in the Sindh province of Pakistan. The Indus is one of the few rivers in the world to exhibit a tidal bore . The Indus system is largely fed by the snow and glaciers of the Himalayas , Karakoram and the Hindu Kush ranges. The flow of
20160-436: The river. The population of fish in the river is moderately high, with Sukkur , Thatta , and Kotri being the major fishing centres – all in the lower Sindh course. As a result, damming and irrigation have made fish farming an important economic activity. The Indus is the most important supplier of water resources to the Punjab and Sindh plains – it forms the backbone of agriculture and food production in Pakistan. The river
20320-475: The same work. An extended figure of circa 3,600 km (2,200 mi) was announced by a Chinese research group in 2011, based on a comprehensive remeasurement from satellite imagery, and a ground expedition to identify an alternative source point, but detailed analysis has not yet been published. The ultimate source of the Indus is in Tibet , but there is some debate about the exact source. The traditional source of
20480-412: The shoulders was a yellow hazooria. They also carried a Katar tucked in their Kamar-Kasa with two Kirpans , a Khanda , a Jamdhardh and a Toradar Matchlock. They held a Nagni Barcha on their back in a holder. Most of them were cavalry while some were archers and infantry Throughout 1805, Ranjit Singh recruited many East India Company deserters in his army. The early results were unimpressive. During
20640-557: The state or a significant number of soldiers, known as Jagirdari Fauj. It consisted mostly of cavalry and infantry. It was the weakest part of the army. Another part of the Irregular force were the Ghorcharas. Ghorcharas were the relatives of the nobles of the Sikh Empire and the police of the forts. They also refused any type of training and usually taunted the Europeans. The Ghorcharas or
20800-402: The supplication of his Peshawar brethren and the loss of Kashmir. Hari Singh Nalwa was the first to cross the Indus at Attock to the Sikh post of Khairabad ; he was accompanied by Diwan Kirpa Ram and Khalsa Sher Singh, the Maharaja's teenaged son, beside 8,000 men. The Afghan army was expected near Nowshera , on the banks of the river Kabul (Landai). Hari Singh's immediate plan was to capture
20960-549: The surface. In November 2011, satellite images showed that the Indus river had re-entered India and was feeding the Great Rann of Kutch , Little Rann of Kutch and a lake near Ahmedabad known as Nal Sarovar . Heavy rains had left the river basin along with the Lake Manchar , Lake Hemal and Kalri Lake (all in modern-day Pakistan) inundated. This happened two centuries after the Indus river shifted its course westwards following
21120-659: The terms of the treaty. This led to the Second Anglo-Sikh War , in which the Sikhs won many battles, but finally lost the Battle of Gujrat . On 10 March 1848 Sikh leaders Chattar Singh Attariwalla and Sher Singh Attariwalla eventually surrendered near Rawalpindi . On 14 March 1849, the Sikh Army surrendered to the East India Company. Many soldiers, while laying their weapons down, started crying and saying "Aj Ranjit Singh mar Gaya" (literally "Today Ranjit Singh has died"). However, many Sikh Army soldiers entered into service
21280-480: The territories of Dilalpur and Jhang. The Sikhs besieged the Multan Fort . Peace was made through the help of Fateh Singh Kaliawalia. The Maharaja lifted the siege with a lot of money. Ranjit Singh nominated Hari Singh Nalwa to take Sialkot from its ruler Jiwan Singh. This was his first battle under an independent command. The two armies were engaged for a couple of days, eventually seventeen year old Hari Singh carried
21440-522: The territory that the Maharaja had now set his eyes on. Nalwa was summoned post-haste to join the Lahore Army already on its way towards the river Indus. The Maharaja and his army had crossed the Jehlum when Hari Singh Nalwa, accompanied by his Kashmir platoons, joined them at Mitha Tiwana. The Sikhs commenced offensive operations in early November. Nawab Hafiz Ahmed's predecessor, Nawab Mohammed Khan, had formed
21600-680: The time of his death, Jamrud constituted the western boundary of the Empire. He served as governor of Kashmir, Peshawar and Hazara . He established a mint on behalf of the Sikh Empire to facilitate revenue collection in Kashmir and Peshawar . Hari Singh was born in Gujranwala , in the Majha region of Punjab to Dharam Kaur and Gurdial Singh of the Uppal Khatri community. After his father died in 1798, he
21760-428: The tip, they clad themselves in yellow kurtas and grey pajamas . Ranjit Singh was fully aware of the importance of artillery in the modern warfare. Therefore, he paid a special attention to the development of artillery in 1810. In 1812 he employed General Claude Auguste Court and Colonel Alexander Gardner in 1832 and organized Topkhana-i-Khas. Under their able guidance the artillery made matchless progress in
21920-525: The two points previously used. The Indus then flows northwest through Ladakh (Indian-administered Kashmir) and Baltistan and Gilgit (Pakistan-administered Kashmir), just south of the Karakoram range. The Shyok , Shigar and Gilgit rivers carry glacial waters into the main river. It gradually bends to the south and descends into the Punjab plains at Kalabagh , Pakistan. The Indus passes gigantic gorges 4,500–5,200 metres (15,000–17,000 ft) deep near
22080-487: The van, Hari Singh Nalwa and Nihal Singh Attariwala brought up the rear. Lack of provisions, delay in the arrival of reinforcements, bad weather and treachery of the allies lead to the Sikhs to retreat. The next few years were spent in subduing Muslim chiefs within the Kashmir territory, en route Srinagar Valley. In 1815–16, Hari Singh Nalwa attacked and destroyed the stronghold of the traitorous Rajauri chief. In preparation of
22240-595: The very mouth of the Khyber, the frontier of the Sikh Empire now bordered the foothills of the Hindu Kush Mountains. Hari Singh Nalwa accompanied by Kanwar Sher Singh, now proceeded towards the Yusafzai strongholds, north-east of Peshawar, which had withheld tribute for three years. The Sikhs defeated the Yusafzais , with their chief, Fateh Khan of Panjtar, losing his territory. It was reported that 15,000 mulkia fled before
22400-469: The visit of Charles Metcalfe, he was shown a band of soldiers, most of them wearing traditional kurtas and colourful turbans , while others wore European infantry ornaments. They had either traditional matchlock or European muskets. Previously, as the Sikhs refused to join infantry service, Pashtuns , Pakhtuns and Gurkhas served in this sector of the army. However, with the passage of time and owing to Ranjit Singh 's efforts, Sikhs too began to join
22560-472: The west. Originally, the delta used to receive almost all of the water from the Indus River, which has an annual flow of approximately 180 billion cubic metres (240 × 10 ^ cu yd), and is accompanied by 400 million tonnes (390 × 10 ^ long tons) of silt. Since the 1940s, dams, barrages and irrigation works have been constructed on the river. The Indus Basin Irrigation System
22720-635: The world's third-largest store of ice. Qin Dahe, the former head of the China Meteorological Administration, said the recent fast pace of melting and warmer temperatures will be good for agriculture and tourism in the short term, but issued a strong warning: Temperatures are rising four times faster than elsewhere in China, and the Tibetan glaciers are retreating at a higher speed than in any other part of
22880-513: The world... In the short term, this will cause lakes to expand and bring floods and mudflows... In the long run, the glaciers are vital lifelines of the Indus River. Once they vanish, water supplies in Pakistan will be in peril. "There is insufficient data to say what will happen to the Indus," says David Grey, the World Bank's senior water advisor in South Asia. "But we all have very nasty fears that
23040-452: Was 10,000. The cavalry was divided into regiments . Each regiment consisted of 250 to 600 cavaliers. The regiments were further divided into risalas (corps). Each Risala consisted of 150 to 250 cavaliers . The officers and other non-combatants of cavalry were similar to those of infantry. The pay of the cavalry was, however, higher than that of the infantry. The men in this division had a sort of helmet-turban with igret feathers coming out from
23200-622: Was a major replenishment point for all armies crossing the Indus . In the early 19th century, Afghan appointees of the Kingdom of Kabul held this fort, as they did most of the territory along this frontier. This battle was fought and won by the Sikhs on the banks of the Indus under the leadership of Dewan Mokham Chand , Maharaja Ranjit Singh's general, against Wazir Fatteh Khan and his brother Dost Mohammad Khan , on behalf of Shah Mahmud of Kabul . Besides Hari Singh Nalwa, Hukam Singh Attariwala, Shyamu Singh, Khalsa Fateh Singh Ahluwalia and Behmam Singh Malliawala actively participated in this battle. With
23360-408: Was by a small bow and quiver in the hand of each. ‘This,’ said Runjeet Sing, ‘is one of my regiments (pultuns), but they tell me it is one I cannot discipline’—a remark which amused us, and mightily pleased the fair. The amazons may have served as a mock bodyguard troupe for the Sikh ruler. They were feared and respected. The commander of the amazonian corps was a singer named Billo. The uniform of
23520-418: Was employed to modernise the artillery. Ranjit Singh wanted to westernise his army. The military system that he had inherited from his forefathers also served him well. The military system of the Sikh Empire under Ranjit Singh finally evolved as a compromise between the old and the new. Thus, the military system of the Sikh Empire is termed as a Franco-British system in the Indian subcontinent . Ranjit Singh
23680-583: Was fully aware of the importance of infantry. The task of recruitment in this section of the army had started after 1805, and continued throughout his reign. In the beginning, the number of Sikhs enrolled in the infantry was nominal. The reason being that the Sikhs looked down upon infantry. Therefore, in the beginning, Ranjit Singh recruited Pathans and Dogras in this section of his army. Afterwards, owing to Ranjit Singh's efforts, Sikhs too began to join it. In 1822, he employed General Jean-Baptiste Ventura to train
23840-612: Was getting married in March 1837. Troops had been withdrawn from all over the Punjab to put up a show of strength for the British Commander-in-chief who was invited to the wedding. Dost Mohammed Khan had been invited to the great celebration. Hari Singh Nalwa too was supposed to be at Amritsar, but in reality was in Peshawar (some accounts say he was ill) Dost Mohammed had ordered his army to march towards Jamrud together with five sons and his chief advisors with orders not to engage with
24000-469: Was in the Sher-Dil-Rajman Regiment. Gunners wore white trousers and black waistcoats with crossbelts. Officers were not bound by rules of uniform. They used distinctive dress of bright coloured silks each picking his own as he saw fit. There existed an amazonian corps composed of women, named after the ancient Greek legend of a nation of fighting women by visiting European officials. There
24160-503: Was later dominated by the Mauryan and Kushan Empires , Indo-Greek Kingdoms , Indo-Scythians and Hepthalites . Over several centuries Muslim armies of Muhammad ibn al-Qasim , Mahmud of Ghazni , Muhammad of Ghor , Timur and Babur crossed the river to invade Sindh and Punjab , providing a gateway to the Indian subcontinent. Indus is an antecedent river , meaning that it existed before
24320-700: Was of the best kind. The Fauj-i-Khas was supplied with the best available ammunition and they were very loyal to Ranjit Singh , whom they usually escorted. The banner was of a French style and usually had its tricolor with 'Waheguru' inscribed on it. Infantry was clad in scarlet jacket/coat, white trousers with black belts and pouches. Different regiments were distinguished by the colour of their headdress white, red, green or yellow. The Gurkhas had green jackets and black caps. Postins (furcoats), or padded jackets were used during winter. Pathans and Mazhabis were directly sent to this force. Cavalrymen were dressed in red jackets (French grey for lancers ), long blue trousers with
24480-544: Was passing through Mangal in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province , he found a large tribal force of 25,000 to 30,000 troops under Bostan Khan and Mohammad Khan Tarain. The Sikh Review Volume 23 gives a number of 70,000 troops, which is unlikely and probably exaggerated. Despite being heavily outnumbered, Nalwa with his Sikhs defeated the Afghans who lost 2,000 soldiers. The Sindh Sagar Doab was chiefly controlled from Mankera and Mitha Tiwana. Nawab Hafiz Ahmed Khan,
24640-399: Was put under a Subedar . Each company was divided into 4 sections. Each section consisted of 25 soldiers. It was put under a Jamadar . The second most important division of the army was cavalry. In order to organize it on western lines, Ranjit Singh appointed General Jean-Francois Allard . Under his command, the cavalry became very strong. In 1838–39, the overall strength of the cavalry
24800-489: Was raised by his mother. In 1801, at the age of ten, he took Amrit Sanchar and was initiated as a Khalsa . At the age of twelve, he began to manage his father's estate and took up horse riding. In 1804, his mother sent him to the court of Ranjit Singh to resolve a property dispute. Ranjit Singh decided the arbitration in his favor because of his background and aptitude. Hari Singh had explained that his father and grandfather had served under Maha Singh and Charat Singh ,
24960-418: Was rather strongly contested but it appeared that the place was taken by surprise. On its capture, Hari Singh Nalwa gave instructions to fortify the position without delay. A small existing fort was immediately put into repair. News of this event was immediately transmitted to Kabul. Masson informed Wade of the passage of events along this frontier in a letter dated 31 October 1836. With the conquest of Jamrud, at
25120-550: Was reaching the Arabian Sea by 45 million years ago, implying the existence of an ancient Indus River by that time. The delta of this proto-Indus river has subsequently been found in the Katawaz Basin , on the Afghan-Pakistan border . In the Nanga Parbat region, the massive amounts of erosion due to the Indus river following the capture and rerouting through that area are thought to bring middle and lower crustal rocks to
25280-484: Was split into three columns: Misr Diwan Chand commanded the advance force of about 12,000 with heavy artillery where Kharak Singh and Hari Singh Nalwa marched behind him, and Ranjit Singh commanded the rear guard, protecting the supply train . The expeditionary force marched to Bhimber and resupplied, capturing the fort of a local Hakim without resistance. On 1 May, both columns of the Sikh Army reached Rajouri and its ruler, Raja Agarullah Khan, rebelled and forced
25440-408: Was the army defending the forts and also acting as police. Each fort had 50 to 250 of these men and their officer was called Killedar or Thanedar. They were mainly Muslims and wore a traditional white turban with a sky blue overcoat and a yellow kurta. Some small Misldars still kept their lands but under the Empire of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. One famous Misldar is Fateh Singh Ahluwalia who fought against
25600-513: Was the military force of the Sikh Empire . With its roots in the Khalsa founded by Guru Gobind Singh , the army was later modernised on Franco-British principles by Maharaja Ranjit Singh . It was divided in three wings: the Fauj-i-Khas (elites), Fauj-i-Ain (regular force) and Fauj-i-Be Qawaid (irregulars). Due to the lifelong efforts of the Maharaja and his European officers, it gradually became
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