The British Empire officially annexed the Punjab region, marking the end of the Second Anglo-Sikh War. The annexation followed the decisive defeat of the Sikh Empire by British forces, effectively bringing the region under direct British control.
The Punjab, a strategically significant and fertile region in the Indian subcontinent, had been the center of the powerful Sikh Empire under Maharaja Ranjit Singh. However, after his death in 1839, internal strife weakened the empire, leaving it vulnerable to British expansion.
The Second Anglo-Sikh War, which began in 1848, culminated in the defeat of the Sikh forces at the Battle of Gujrat in February 1849. The Governor-General of India, Lord Dalhousie, subsequently proclaimed the annexation of Punjab into the British Indian Empire.
As part of the annexation, the young Maharaja Duleep Singh, the last ruler of the Sikh Empire, was deposed and sent to England. The famed Koh-i-Noor diamond, a symbol of Punjab's wealth and power, was also taken and later became part of the British Crown Jewels.