John Holmes (mercenary)
Encyclopedia
John Holmes was an Anglo-Indian
mercenary in Punjab
. He served in the Sikh army during the final years of Punjab's independence, and rose to the rank of Colonel. He served with the Khalsa
, the Sikh Army, during the First Anglo-Sikh War
.
John Holmes was an Anglo-Indian who had risen from a trumpeter to colonel. He joined Bengal Horse Artillery and in September 1829 resigned his post and moved to Punjab in search of a better future. He joined Maharaja Ranjit Singh
's army. It is suspected that he simultaneously worked for Ranjit Singh and spied for the British. He took part in the battle of Peshawar (1834) and the Battle of Jamrud (1837)
. He was also appointed Revenue Officer of Gujrat for two years (1835–36). While most of the European Officers were discharged from the Sikh Army after the first Anglo-Sikh war, John Holmes was retained in service as a reward for supplying secret information to the Ludhiana Political Agency. He was posted at Bannu where, in October 1848, the Sikh troops under his command mutinied and killed him for his treasonable conduct.
Anglo-Indian
Anglo-Indians are people who have mixed Indian and British ancestry, or people of British descent born or living in India, now mainly historical in the latter sense. British residents in India used the term "Eurasians" for people of mixed European and Indian descent...
mercenary in Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
. He served in the Sikh army during the final years of Punjab's independence, and rose to the rank of Colonel. He served with the Khalsa
Khalsa
+YouWebImagesVideosMapsNewsMailMoreTranslateFrom: ArabicTo: EnglishEnglishHindiEnglishAllow phonetic typingHindiEnglishArabicAssumptionGoogle Translate for Business:Translator ToolkitWebsite TranslatorGlobal Market Finder...
, the Sikh Army, during the First Anglo-Sikh War
First Anglo-Sikh War
The First Anglo-Sikh War was fought between the Sikh Empire and the British East India Company between 1845 and 1846. It resulted in partial subjugation of the Sikh kingdom.-Background and causes of the war:...
.
John Holmes was an Anglo-Indian who had risen from a trumpeter to colonel. He joined Bengal Horse Artillery and in September 1829 resigned his post and moved to Punjab in search of a better future. He joined Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Maharaja Ranjit Singh (Punjab)
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Early life:...
's army. It is suspected that he simultaneously worked for Ranjit Singh and spied for the British. He took part in the battle of Peshawar (1834) and the Battle of Jamrud (1837)
Battle of Jamrud (1837)
The Battle of Jamrud was fought between the Kingdom of Kabul and the Sikh Empire. The Sikhs were building up towards crossing the Khyber pass and capturing Jelalabad and then Kabul itself...
. He was also appointed Revenue Officer of Gujrat for two years (1835–36). While most of the European Officers were discharged from the Sikh Army after the first Anglo-Sikh war, John Holmes was retained in service as a reward for supplying secret information to the Ludhiana Political Agency. He was posted at Bannu where, in October 1848, the Sikh troops under his command mutinied and killed him for his treasonable conduct.