Battle of Aliwal War Memorial

The Battle of Aliwal was fought on 28 December 1846 at this site, on the Sutlej about fifteen miles west of Ludhiana. The monument was reportedly erected by the British in 1853. It was declared a protected monument in 1964 but had fallen into ruin by 2014. After Mudki and Ferozeshah, a Sikh force under Sardar Ranjodh Singh Majithia crossed the river to cut the British line of communication and stop the siege train from reaching Sir Hugh Gough's army. Reinforced by Jodha Ram's regular brigade, he took position on a ridge between the villages of Aliwal and Bhundri, with the Sutlej directly behind him and no room to manoeuvre. Major-General Sir Harry Smith attacked at about 10 a.m. with roughly 12,000 men, using his heavier cavalry and artillery to good effect. The village of Aliwal on the Sikh left, held by Dogra irregulars, fell almost without a fight, and Ranjodh Singh is said to have left the field early. The Sikh regulars and gunners fought on, but the charges of the 16th Lancers broke their squares and the Sikh army was driven back against the river. The battle ended at about 5:30 p.m. The Sikhs lost 67 guns and British casualties were 589, including 151 killed. Sikh losses are commonly given as about 3,000, though this is probably exaggerated. The victory removed the threat to the British rear and opened the way to Sobraon on 10 February 1846.