The Punjaub, (Punj, five; aub, water,) deriving its name from the five rivers which intersect it, is an extensive country to the northwest of India. The chief of these rivers are the Indus and the Sutlej, by which and by the lofty Himalayas, the whole of this fine territory is bounded. At the period of the invasion of India by Alexander the Great, the Punjaub is stated to have been a wealthy and populous country, governed by numerous princes, whose subjects were characterised as brave and warlike. The Sikhs, originally a religious sect, were founded by Nanac, or Nanaïc, Shah, about four centuries ago; but, in after years, in order probably to defend their doctrines, they were induced by Govind, one of their high priests, to unite the warrior with the priestly character, thus forming a military as well as religious association, not dissimilar to the Templar Knights of the times of the Crusades. They, however, for a time almost disappeared; but profiting by the calamities of the Mogul empire during the last century, the Sikhs threw off the yoke of Mussulman despotism, their Sirdars or Chieftains spreading themselves over the country, ruling by might rather than right, and each acting independently of the other, until the death of Maha Singh in 1792. His son and successor Runjeet Singh contrived, however, to make several of the Sirdars acknowledge him as their leader, and by skilful management, in the course of a short period, obtained possession of Lahore, the principal city of the Punjaub, and eventually of Cashmere, Mooltan, and Peshawur. In the end all the chiefs submitted to him; thus bringing the whole country, from the Indus to the Sutlej, under his rule. He was greatly aided in his views of aggrandisement by the assistance of a few Italian and French officers, who trained his army upon the European model, and by their instructions it attained a high degree of discipline, proving one of the strongest enemies the British had ever contended with in India. Since the death of Runjeet in 1839, anarchy and confusion have prevailed; hatred of the English, which his influence checked, manifested itself, finally inducing the Sikh forces to invade the British territories, by crossing the Sutlej in great numbers in December, 1845, actuated as much by the hope of plunder, as by the desire of conquest.
[50] Lieutenant Francis, of the ninth lancers, acted as aide-de-camp to Major-General Sir Joseph Thackwell, commanding the cavalry division, in succession to Lieutenant Roche, of the Third light dragoons, who was appointed to act as Assistant Quarter-Master-General: Lieutenants Francis and Roche had their horses wounded at the battle of Sobraon.
[51] In the active movements performed in these severely contested battles, it was found that the men of the Third Light Dragoons afforded an additional proof of their usefulness and bravery, by bringing up, and assisting in working, the Field-Artillery, in positions where the guns could be effectively used against the enemy; thus evincing, that the instruction they had previously received under the system introduced at the Cavalry Depôt at Maidstone, by Major-General Brotherton, in 1832, may be successfully applied on field service.
[52] The brigade consisted of the Fifth Dragoon Guards, the Third, and Fourth Dragoons.
SUCCESSION OF COLONELS
OF THE
THIRD, OR THE KING'S OWN REGIMENT
OF
LIGHT DRAGOONS.
Charles, Duke of Somerset, K.G.
Appointed 2nd August, 1685.
This nobleman succeeded to the title of Duke of Somerset on the decease of his brother, who was murdered at Lerice, in Italy, on the 20th of April, 1678. He was elected a Knight of the Garter in April, 1684, and was one of the privy councillors who signed the proclamation of the accession of King James II., on the 6th of February following. Being Lord-Lieutenant of Somersetshire at the time of the rebellion of the Duke of Monmouth, he called out the militia of the county, and was rewarded for his fidelity to the Crown with the colonelcy of the Queen Consort's Regiment of Dragoons, and the appointment of lord of the bed-chamber to His Majesty; but was removed from his regiment and court appointment for refusing to attend a nuncio from Pope Innocent XI. into the King's presence. At the Revolution in 1688, his grace joined the Prince of Orange, afterwards William III., during part of whose reign he presided at the council, and was one of the lords of the regency when His Majesty made his last visit to the Continent. The Duke of Somerset was also a privy councillor, and master of the horse during part of the reign of Queen Anne; and, after Her Majesty's demise, he was one of the guardians of the realm until the arrival of George I. from Hanover. He died on the 2nd of Dec., 1748, and was buried in Salisbury Cathedral: a fine marble monument of his grace was afterwards placed in the senate-house of the University of Cambridge.