Sher Singh Attariwalla

General Sher Singh Attariwalla, was a famous royal military commander and a member of the Sikh nobility during the period of the Sikh Empire in the mid-19th century in Punjab. He commanded the Sikh Khalsa army in the Second Anglo-Sikh War against the British. His father was General Chattar Singh Attariwalla. General Sher Singh and the army, under his command, gave a devastating blow to the British Army at Chillianwalah. Under his command the Sikh Khalsa Army fought the British Army at the Battle of Chillianwala to a stand still (result draw)[1]. It was one of the hardest fought battles in the British Army's history. The loss of British prestige at Chillianwalah was one of the factors, which contributed to the Indian First War of independence Sepoy Mutiny some nine years later. Within the British Army, such was the consternation over the events at Chillianwalah that, after the disastrous Charge of the Light Brigade, when Lord Lucan remarked "This is a most serious matter", General Airey replied, "It is nothing to Chillianwalah." However, with supplies running out for his army and the British Army resupplied with fresh military supplies and more troops, the success in the battle, did not mean success in the second Anglo-Sikh war. After defeat in the second Anglo-Sikh war, the British forced him into exile, out of Punjab, fearing such powerful leader could reignite a full scale war with them. He died in exile, Benares in 1858, away from his homeland of Punjab.