Did sikhs ever take prisoners?

[VanHelsingh]

Plenty of British and Indian prisoners were taken during the Anglo-Sikh Wars. Some Chinese prisoners were taken during the Sino-Sikh War too.

What did you think Sikhs did with surrendering soldiers?

Sit them down, give them a good telling-off by informing the enemy where they went wrong, and send them on their way with a clip around the ear-hole and some choice words of wisdom ringing in their ears.

[Premi5]

On 1/31/2013 at 1:16 AM, dalsingh101 said:

I recall reading that Singh's used captive Afghans to clean the sarowar at Harmandir Sahib, after an invading army had defiled it by placing rubbish and the carcasses of dead animals in it during the 18th century.

I think the original source of this information might have been Rattan Singh Bhangu's Panth Prakash incase anyone wants to look into it.

Bump , interesting topic, thanks for the info @dallysingh101

[BhForce]

On 1/29/2013 at 7:48 PM, Singh559 said:

If Sikhs didn't I would imagine it would be because the circumstances of the battles didn't allow it, but this is just me speculating without much basis.

I agree with this. If you're a rebel army without a prison system, how can you keep a prisoner without a prison?

[dallysingh101]

Here's an interesting account by Honigbereger, who was placed in charge of Lahore prison during and after Sikh raj: 

 

 

Provisions for ill prisoners in Lahore jail.

......................................I received an order from the Durbar to establish an hospital in the jail of Lahore also, which was on the same spot whereon, a short time before, I had erected the powder-mill. During the last two years of my office (1848 and 1850) out of 800 prisoners, only twenty-one patients died in the space of twelve months and they, of severe wounds, marasmus, or, dysentery.

The jail, with its hospital, is situated outside the city, in one of the filthiest quarters, where all the wells of the neighbourhood fountain contain briny or bitter water; and notwithstanding all my endeavours and remonstrances, I could not obtain from the government any better nourishment for my patients, than the usual jail diet, so that I was obliged, in several cases, to have recourse to a part of the unemployed funds of the public hospital of the Durbar, in order to provide such comforts as were necessary. Taking these circumstances into consideration, my management was peculiarly fortunate; for, during a period of two years from the foundation of that hospital, not a single patient died of an acute disease — such as inflammation, fever, cholera, serpent bites, &c. of which I had many cases ; some of them so dangerous, that I had to visit the patients three or four times a-day. My successor was less fortunate ; for, during the first six months after the annexation (from May till October 1849) while I was still in the country, he lost upwards of sixty patients out of 1 ,000, not to mention those who were dismissed as incurable. I may state, with regard to the latter, that the experiments I made on similar diseases had often been crowned with success. It was thought that the great mortality during  these six months was caused by the small and unhealthy situation of the hospital, in consequence of which a larger was built, on the opposite side of the jail. The prisoners received better nourishment, were not so oppressed by hard labor, and were permitted to use tobacco, opium, poppy-heads, hemp, churrus, &c. which had been prohibited. I afterwards learned, that these changes had not been of much use ; and I believe the mortality is still greater than that of the first two years.

 

 

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