KHALSA! WARGAMING THE ANGLO-SIKH WARS

◗ Andrew Copestake and James Main ◗ Helion & Company (2023) ◗ £29.95 ◗ 182 pages (large format softback) ◗ ISBN:9781804514900 ◗ helion.co.uk

Number 12 in Helion’s

Wargames series offers information on, and ideas for wargaming, the two short Anglo-Sikh Wars, when British and East India Company troops engaged Sikh forces which were composed of regular cavalry, infantry and artillery, trained by European mercenary officers and uniformed in a style that was a mixture of European and Indian, accompanied by irregular Akali warriors on foot and Ghorcharra cavalry. The Sikh army proved to be a doughty opponent and the battles were hard-fought affairs, ideal for recreation as tabletop wargames with the colourful troops and combination of Napoleonic and Indian tactics.

A short Introduction contains some general remarks about historical wargaming with figures and then extols the Sikh Wars as an interesting alternative to the more commonly wargamed later nineteenth century Colonial campaigns. A three-page Timeline lists significant events from 1699 to the British annexation of the Punjab in March 1849.

Chapter 1, The Rise of The Khalsa, explains how the Sikhs became aware of troops drilled and trained in the European manner when they encountered the ‘Trained Brigade’ of Farzana, the Begum Somru, widow of the mercenary Walter Rheinhardt. He had raised a brigade of four infantry battalions, five hundred cavalry and thirty guns, with which the Begum, assisted by European mercenary officers, defended the western frontier of the Mughal territories against Sikh raiders. Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who became de facto ruler of the Punjab, realised he needed a better army than the existing undisciplined hordes of irregular cavalry and hired European officers to train similar regular forces. Brief biographies of eight of them are provided, followed by a description of the organisation of the new army.

Chapter 2, John Company’s Army, describes the organisation of their British opponents.

Collision on the Sutlej gives a narrative of the First Sikh War, accompanied by full page maps for the principal battles, British and Sikh orders of battle, and ideas for wargaming them.

Rebellion covers the operations of Herbert Edwardes and General William Whish against the rebels led by Mulraj, Dewan of the city and province of Multan, and the siege of the city.

War of Independence covers the battles fought by Sir Hugh Gough in the Second Sikh War, again with maps of the main battles, orders of battle and suggestions for wargaming them.

Chapter 6 gives information on the Uniforms and Colours of the BritishIndian Army and the Khalsa, by means of written descriptions, photographs of appropriate wargame figures for some – but not all – troop types, and tables of uniform and facing colours.

Chapter 7 by James Main, explaining how to paint the model soldiers, using photographs of three examples – the reproduction of which, over twice the size of the actual figures, does them no favours – and numbered stages listing the various paints he used, contains advice that will already be familiar to most readers, and is not appropriate for smaller models. It concludes with two paragraphs on creating terrain.

Chapter 8 discusses Tactical Methods on the Wargames Table; offers ideas about wargame rules and some rule amendments that should “add a little more ‘Indian flavour’ to a generic ‘horse and musket’ game” and considers ratings of generals. It also provides three fictional scenarios: Akali, an attack by such irregulars on a British camp; Rumble in the Jungle, in which the British risk confusion and disorganisation when they have to advance through scrub jungle which masks the Sikh positions; and the Battle of Miniwal, a fictionalised version of Aliwal with smaller forces.

Three appendices provide three pages of Notes on Sources and Further Reading; one page on Model Availability; and seven Army Lists: Early Sikh Army c.1750-1820; Mughal Empire c. 1720-1780; Jehazi Sahib and the Begum Somru c.1780-1800; Afghan or Pathan Army 1780-1842; Regular Khalsa Army, 1830s-1849; British-Indian Army 1840-1850; Herbert Edwardes’ Improbable Army.

The book is profusely illustrated by sixty-five colour photographs of 25/28 mm figures which include examples of the different kinds of British, Company and Sikh troops; the stages involved in the painting of a British infantryman, a Sikh artilleryman and cuirassier; and scenes of wargames in progress. Other illustrations include colour pictures of a Sikh Akali and the 1st Bengal Light Infantry colours; black and white reproductions of portraits of Sir Henry Hardinge, Sir Hugh Gough, and Sir Joseph Thackwell, prints of a Sikh irregular, the 16th Lancers at Aliwal, Carnage at Sobraon, Light Dragoons at Sobraon, the Siege of Multan, and the Bengal Oakleaf wreath.

Modern maps show the Punjab and surrounding territories, the battles of Mudki, Ferozeshah, Aliwal, and Sobraon, the Sieges of Multan, and the battles of Ramnuggar, Chillianwala, and Gujerat. with a brief Glossary of abbreviations used in the text, wargame terms and words of Indian origin.

There is little consideration of wargames other than face to face tactical battlegames, with two or more players, on six foot by four foot tables, using 25/28mm figures. Personally, I would like to have seen at least some photographs of smaller sized figures and ideas for using conversions or proxy figures in sizes where there are no specific ranges for the Sikh Wars. But, if you prefer that type of wargame, you will find this book’s colour photographs inspiring and – whatever size figures you use – its text is a perfect one volume introduction to the armies and engagements of this unfamiliar period, hence an Excellence Award.