The Battle of Chillianwala and a Tale of Two Obelisks

Ian McLeod tells the story of one of the fiercest battles of the Second Sikh War, assessing its significance and revealing a unique link with the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

About the event

In January 1849, in the Punjab (in modern-day Pakistan), forces of the British East India Company clashed with the army of the Sikh Empire in a fierce and bloody battle. The British public were shocked by the severe casualties inflicted on British soldiers, particularly those of the 24th Regiment of Foot, which lost half of its strength in dead and wounded. Both sides claimed victory, but British prestige was damaged.

At the time, the battle fired Victorian imaginations. One distinguished poet immortalised it in verse and, when two British generals were remarking on the disaster of the ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ in Crimea in 1854, one remarked: ‘These sorts of things will happen in war. It is nothing to Chillianwala.’

Additional information

This event is eligible for our 20% ticket bundle discount.

Book tickets to three or more different events across the festival and you can save 20%. Tickets must be purchased in the same transaction and the discount will automatically be applied within the basket.

Entry to this event is via London Gate.

About the speaker

Ian McLeod is a Friend of and Volunteer at the Royal Hospital, and a former career officer in the British Army. After 35 years, he retired in the rank of brigadier and subsequently worked in various conflict areas in stabilisation and humanitarian roles. His last post in the Army was the Defence Adviser to the British High Commission in Islamabad, Pakistan, which gave him the opportunity to visit many of the battlefields of the British era, Chillianwala being his ‘first choice’.