Henry Lawrence's young men
Encyclopedia
The Young Men were a group of East India Company
Officers, sent as 'advisers' to the Sikhs after the First Sikh War in 1846. In the words of George Lawrence, his duties were 'to act as a friendly adviser to the native officials.' They were known as Henry Lawrence's 'Young Men' as they worked under the command of Sir Henry Lawrence
, initially the Agent to the Governor General and later also the Resident at Lahore.
Collectively these men played a large role in bringing India's Northwest Frontier
under the control of the British. Some were to later play an important part in the Indian Mutiny (1857)
. The murders in Multan
of Patrick Vans Agnew and Lt. Anderson, sparked the Second Anglo-Sikh War
(1848 - 1849) and led to the annexation of the Punjab
.
to assist in the reconstitution of a satisfactory administration.
In December 1846 by the Treaty of Bhairowal, the Sikhs agreed to allowed more direct supervision during the reign of Maharaja Duleep Singh
in return for the continued service of the British garrison.
Assistants
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
Officers, sent as 'advisers' to the Sikhs after the First Sikh War in 1846. In the words of George Lawrence, his duties were 'to act as a friendly adviser to the native officials.' They were known as Henry Lawrence's 'Young Men' as they worked under the command of Sir Henry Lawrence
Henry Montgomery Lawrence
Sir Henry Montgomery Lawrence was a British soldier and statesman in India, who died defending Lucknow during the Indian Mutiny.-Career:Lawrence was the brother of John Lawrence, 1st Baron Lawrence and was born at Matara, Ceylon...
, initially the Agent to the Governor General and later also the Resident at Lahore.
Collectively these men played a large role in bringing India's Northwest Frontier
Northwest Frontier
North West Frontier is a 1959 British adventure film starring Kenneth More and Lauren Bacall. The film was directed by J. Lee Thompson from a screenplay by Robin Estridge and also features Wilfrid Hyde-White, Herbert Lom and I. S...
under the control of the British. Some were to later play an important part in the Indian Mutiny (1857)
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
. The murders in Multan
Siege of Multan
The Siege of Multan was a prolonged contest between the city and state of Multan and the British East India Company. The siege lasted between 19 April 1848, when a rebellion in the city against a ruler imposed by the East India Company precipitated the Second Anglo-Sikh War, and 22 January 1849,...
of Patrick Vans Agnew and Lt. Anderson, sparked the Second Anglo-Sikh War
Second Anglo-Sikh War
The Second Anglo-Sikh War took place in 1848 and 1849, between the Sikh Empire and the British East India Company. It resulted in the subjugation of the Sikh Empire, and the annexation of the Punjab and what subsequently became the North-West Frontier Province by the East India Company.-Background...
(1848 - 1849) and led to the annexation of the Punjab
Punjab (British India)
Punjab was a province of British India, it was one of the last areas of the Indian subcontinent to fall under British rule. With the end of British rule in 1947 the province was split between West Punjab, which went to Pakistan, and East Punjab, which went to India...
.
Background
After the defeat of the Sikhs in 1846, the Treaty executed provided for the stationing of a British garrison at LahoreLahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
to assist in the reconstitution of a satisfactory administration.
In December 1846 by the Treaty of Bhairowal, the Sikhs agreed to allowed more direct supervision during the reign of Maharaja Duleep Singh
Duleep Singh
This article is about Maharaja Dalip Singh. For other uses, see Dalip SinghMaharaja Dalip Singh, GCSI , commonly called Duleep Singh and later in life nicknamed the Black Prince of Perthshire, was the last Maharaja of the Sikh Empire...
in return for the continued service of the British garrison.
'Young Men'
Personal Assistants- Capt. James Abbott
- Capt. A. Broome
- Lt. John NicholsonJohn Nicholson (general)Brigadier-General John Nicholson was a Victorian era military officer known for his role in British India. A charismatic and authoritarian figure, Nicholson created a legend for himself as a political officer under Henry Lawrence in the frontier provinces of the British Empire in India...
Assistants
- Patrick Alexander Vans AgnewPatrick Alexander Vans AgnewPatrick Alexander Vans Agnew was an Indian civil servant, whose murder during the Siege of Multan by the retainers of Mulráj led to the Second Sikh War and to the annexation of the Punjab as a British province.-Biography:...
- Assistant - Lt. William Anderson - Assistant
- Neville Bowles ChamberlainNeville Bowles ChamberlainField Marshal Sir Neville Bowles Chamberlain GCB GCSI was a British soldier who served in India.-Military career:...
- A. H. Cocks - Chief Assistant, based in LahoreLahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
(1847 - ?) - John CokeJohn Coke (EICo)Pronounced "Cook"Major-General John Coke, C.B., 10th Regiment Bengal Native Infantry was a soldier of the British Indian Army, who raised in 1849 the 1st Regiment of Punjab Infantry, renamed in 1903 55th Coke's Rifles . Major-General Coke received the Delhi medal and clasp, and was made Companion...
- Henry Daly
- Herbert Edwardes
- William HodsonWilliam Stephen Raikes HodsonBrevet Major William Stephen Raikes Hodson was a British leader of irregular light cavalry during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 . He was known as "Hodson of Hodson's Horse."His most notable action was to apprehend the Emperor of India...
- George Lawrence - Political Assistant, based in PeshawarPeshawarPeshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
(1846 - ? ) - Harry 'Joe' LumsdenHarry Burnett LumsdenLieutenant-General Sir Harry Burnett "Joe" Lumsden was a British military officer active in India.Lumsden was born aboard the East India Company’s ship Rose in the Bay of Bengal, the son of a British Army Colonel Thomas Lumsden, C.B...
- Frederick Mackeson
- Reynell Taylor
Further reading
- Political Diaries of the Agent to the Governor General, North West Frontier and Resident at Lahore from 1 January 1847 to 4 March 1848, Sang-e-Meel Publications, Lahore, Pakistan 2005 (Reprint version) ISBN 969-35-1766-0
- Political Diaries of Lieut. H. B. Edwardes, Assistant to the Resident at Lahore 1847 - 1849, Sang-e-Meel Publications, Lahore, Pakistan 2006 (Reprint version) ISBN 969-35-1770-9
- Political Diaries of Lieutenant Reynell G. Taylor, Mr. P. Sandys Melvill, Pandit Kunahya Lal, Mr. P. A. Vans Agnew, Lieutenant J. Nicholson, Mr. L. Bowring and Mr. A. H. Cocks, 1847 - 1849, Sang-e-Meel Publications, Lahore, Pakistan 2006 (Reprint version) ISBN 969-35-1771-7
- Soldier Sahibs: The men who made the North-West Frontier. Charles Allen, Abacus Books ISBN 978-0-349-11456-9