The Cis-Sutlej states were a group of states in the contemporary Punjab and Haryana states of northern India during the 19th century, lying between the Sutlej River on the north, the Himalayas on the east, the Yamuna River and Delhi District on the south, and Sirsa District on the west. The small Punjabi kingdoms of the Cis-Sutlej states were under influence of Marathas, until the Second Anglo-Maratha War of 1803–1805, after which the Marathas lost this territory to the British. During the British period, some of the Cis-Sutlej were annexed by the British due to the doctrine of lapse.
The Cis-Sutlej states included Kalsia State, Kaithal State, Patiala State, Nabha State, Jind State, Thanesar, Malerkotla State, Ludhiana, Kapurthala State, Ladwa State, Ambala, Ferozpur District (without Fazilka) and Faridkot State, among others.See point 81(c) or Pdf reader page no. - 44 - Land Administration Punjab A large amount of the Cis-Sutlej states were Phulkian states ruled by a dynasty of the same name.
History
Mughal and Afghan period The Cis-Sutlej region was ruled by many chiefs though the region was under the Mughal Empire. Due to the decline of the Mughal and Afghan empires in the Punjab, the Cis-Sutlej chiefs were de facto ruling independently, yet were often engaged in localized conflicts. The founder of the chiefdom of Patiala, Ala Singh, had been conquering territory from circa 1730 onwards.
Sirhind had been attacked by the Sikhs four times in the 18th century. After the last attack known as the Battle of Sirhind in 13–14 January 1764, the Cis-Sutlej tract became dominated by Sikhs after its Afghan governor, Zain Khan Sirhindi, was killed by a coalition of Sikh forces of both the Buddha Dal and Taruna Dal divisions of the Dal Khalsa military of the Sikh Confederacy. The victory of the Sikhs ended foreign Afghan-rule over the region. Lepel Henry Griffin stated:
Artillery, supplies, and treasures fell into the possession of the Sikh forces after the victory at Sirhind, which helped them further, especially Ala Singh of Patiala. The victory helped consolidate the political entity of Patiala. The settlement of Sirhind was mostly completely destroyed after the battle, which meant its former residents shifted to other locations, especially Patiala in Ala Singh's state. Ala Singh would strike coins in the aftermath of the victory, with the coins bearing similarities to coins that had earlier been struck by Ahmad Shah Abdali at the Sirhind mint. The triump of the Sikhs attracted the hostilities of the Malerkotla ruler Bhikhan Khan, whom was anxious about a similar fate for Malerkotla, as Malerkotla had assisted Zain Khan in the Vadda Ghallughara massacre. Amar Singh of Patiala and Bhikhan Khan later would fight at Kakra, with Patiala prevailing and capturing the settlements of Sherpur and Bhasaur, and the Malerkotla ruler being killed. Also, Amar Singh obtained an Afghan sword of the Malerkotla ruler as war-booty.
Maratha period 1785-1806
Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II's viceregent Afrasiyab was killed by Zain-ul-Abidin Khan on 2 November 1784, thus leaving no one to appoint as the next viceregent. Thus Mughal Emperor appointed Mahadji Sindhia as viceregent (Vakil-i-Mutlaq) of the Mughal empire as Shah Alam II knew that Sindhia is the only one who would remain acquiescent to him and would be able to maintain peace and order in his kingdom. The Maratha-Sikh treaty on 10 May 1785 made the small Cis-Sutlej states, autonomous protectorate of the Scindia Dynasty of the Maratha Empire, as Mahadji Sindhia was deputed the Vakil-i-Mutlaq (Regent of the Mughal empire) of Mughal affairs in 1784. With the Maratha-Sikh treaty in 1785 the small Cis-Sutlej states came under the Influence of the Scindia Dynasty of the Maratha Empire. Therefore, Mahadji as newly appointed viceregent of the Mughal Emperor, tried to come to an agreement with the Cis-Sutlej chiefs and concluded a treaty on 10 May 1785.
According to the treaty, Mahadji would recognize the political supremacy of the Sikhs in the Punjab whereas the Sikhs would forbear from attacking the adjoining territories of Delhi. Additionally, the chiefs would join Sindhia's army with at least 5,000 horses and in return would receive a land grant of 10 Lakhs and the chiefs would not muddle in the affairs outside of their territory. Additionally, it was agreed that any territories conquered through the joint alliance of Sikhs and the Marathas, the Sikhs would keep one-third of the territories and the enemies of both the parties would be considered mutual. However the treaty fell apart as the chiefs did not observe the terms of the treaty. In 1789, again a peaceful agreement was set in place where Sindhia legitamized the chiefs to collect tributes from the villages as the purpose behind Mahadji's policy was to win over the chiefs by friendship, but this policy too failed.
After Mahadji's death in 1794, Daulat Rao was made his replacement, under whom the unstable conditions continued against the chiefs till the Second Anglo-Maratha War from 1803-1805, losing any influence over Cis-Sutlej states and parts of Uttar Pradesh, which he administered on behalf of the Mughal Emperor. The Cis-Sutlej chiefs fought against the British at the Battle of Delhi (1803). In the aftermath, the Maratha leader Yashwantrao Holkar sought refuge in Amritsar but Ranjit Singh of the Sikh Empire refused to offer him assistance against the British commanded under Gerard Lake.
On 20 December 1803, British East India Company transmitted and settled a treaty of peace and friendship with Daulat Rao Sindhia, his successors, heirs and children, followed with a treaty of Alliance settled on 27 February 1804, which caused Sindhia not just a considerable loss of territories from the treaty but also had to give away the right to handle their foreign affairs to British East India Company. Due to doubts and mistunderstanding of the treaty signed in 1804, another improvised treaty was transmitted and settled on 22 November 1805 between the two states, called Treaty of Amity and Alliance, where according to article 5, Chambul river would be the extent of the Sindhia dynasty, thus relinquishing any claims, rights, rule, tribute, revenues and possessions in the north bank.
Following the Second Anglo-Maratha War, in 1806, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington drafted a treaty granting independence to the Sikh clans east of the Sutlej River in exchange for their allegiance to the British General Gerard Lake acting on his dispatch. The subsequent Treaty of Lahore of 1 January 1806 agreed that the Marathas would not remain in Punjab, secured a Sikh-British alliance, and guaranteed Sikh autonomy from the British north of the Sutlej river. At the conclusion of the war, the frontier of British India was extended to the Yamuna.
British protection
Cis-Sutlej expeditions of the Sikh Empire
The Sikh Empire of Ranjit Singh led three expeditions into Cis-Sutlej states in 1806, 1807 and 1808, seizing many territories, particularly 45 district subdivisions or administrative units (parganas) and then distributed them among different chiefs who would pay annual tributes of certain amount as recognition of Ranjit Singh's supremacy.
The casus belli for Ranjit Singh to expand into the Cis-Sutlej region was an internal conflict between the states of Nabha and Patiala, with the Sikh Empire using it as a cause for its military crossing over the Sutlej river on 26 July 1806. On 26 July 1806, the Sikh Empire would capture Ludhiana in their Cis-Sutlej expedition, with control over the captured Ludhiana being given-over to Raja Bhag Singh of Jind State, whom was the uncle of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. These events alarmed the British, who were concerned about the Sikh Empire possibly expanding into the restive Sirhind region. In 1807, the military of the Sikh Empire crossed the Sutlej river a second time, this time the local chieftains of the Sirhind region requested British protection against the Lahore State. In September 1808, fearing a possible French invasion of the Indian subcontinent, the British dispatched Charles Metcalfe to the Sikh Empire to formulate a treaty between the British and Ranjit Singh, whilst the Cis-Sutlej chiefs were also ensured their protection by the British against Ranjit Singh's ambitions. Then, Ranjit Singh's army crossed the Sutlej river a third time, where they took-control of Ambala and Faridkot, yet stopping short of capturing Patiala due to concerns of British retribution. However, due to a various of factors the Sikh Empire agreed upon signing a treaty with the British, signing one on 25 April 1809, with the transaction being finalized by a proclamation on 3 May 1809. The factors that led to the Sikh Empire signing the treaty were as follows:
After Ranjit Singh's third Cis-Sutlej expedition, a detachment of the British forces advanced under the leadership of David Ochterlony, with the general stating on 9 February 1809 that further incursions by the Sikh Empire south of the Sutlej would be met with British aggression going forward. The Sikh Empire worried that further aggressions would intimidate the Cis-Sutlej chiefs to move further toward developing a firmer alliance with the British. Metcalfe assured Ranjit Singh's court that the British would not interfere with Sikh conquests in the opposite direction toward Afghanistan. Ranjit Singh had assumed that there would be less anxiety over the western frontier due to improved relations between the British and Ottomans after the ascension of Mahmud II, allowing for a cessation of hostilities.
Following the Second Anglo-Maratha War in 1806, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington drafted a treaty in 1809, granting independence to the Sikh clans east of the Sutlej River in exchange for their allegiance to the British General Gerard Lake, acting on his dispatch. At the conclusion of the war, the frontier of British India was extended to the Yamuna river.
The 1809 treaty between the Sikh Empire and British had the following terms:
The British will not interfere in the affairs of Lahore State north of the Sutlej. The second article of the treaty stipulated that the Lahore State will not post more troops than necessary on the left bank of the Sutlej river. It shall only station enough troops necessary to administer the area. The forces of the Sikh Empire shall never dispossess the local Cis-Sutlej chiefs of their territory or interfere in their affairs.