The Gorchurra of the Anglo-Sikh Wars

 

We have been on a literary and historical journey together. We began with the cavalry fighting at Mudki.

We then looked at the Bengal Native Cavalry and the British Cavalry.  Both regulars as we define such things. 

We saw the effectiveness of the Indian Irregular Cavalry in British employ. 

 

Today, we arrive at our destination.  We can now establish the tactical methods of the Sikh Gorchurra. Before we do so let us say why this is an important matter. Without understanding what the Gorchurra did on the battlfield we cannot make sense of the battles of the Anglo-Sikh Wars.

My own account of the Battle of Mudki relied on the latest and most complete research from Amarpal Singh-Sidhu.  I was at the time confident when I wrote: 

"On both flanks the British cavalry prevailed."

As we have seen this was incorrect.  True, the British cavalry charged through the Gorchurra. That is indisputable. What I missed was the terrible price that the Gorchurra extracted for that passage. Nor did that event render the Gorchurra defeated.

Were I to write about Mudki today I could not say "the British cavalry prevailed."  That alone changes our understanding of Mudki. Now, to Gorchurra tactics:

The Gorchurra were not arrayed in the formal lines of Regular cavalry.  They were excellent horsemen and well armed.  As we would expect with irregular troops armament was a matter of purse and preference. Lances, swords, and muskets, other weapons too.  They shot from the saddle, mostly. 

 

Nolan says sometimes they adopted a mixed formation of horse and foot.  The horseman protecting a shooting foot man on occassion.  He thought the British cavalry might do the same should the need arise.

Back in the days of Guru Gobind the Gorchurra had adopted a tactic the Sikhs called Dhai Phat.  Here we have an early European description.

"The men are accustomed to charge on full gallop, on a sudden they stop, discharge their pieces with deliberate aim, when suddenly wheeling about, after 3 or 4 turns, they renew the attack."

Dhai Phat had been devised to combat the Moghuls and the Afghans.  Against the British we can see it had evolved.  It still had 3, the Sikhs liked to say 2 and a half, parts to it. Fire, evade, attack.

When confronted by British cavalry some of the Gorchurra attempted to shoot down the opposing officers.  Like so, my emphasis:

"The Sikhs commenced a desultory matchlock fire. Unett steadily advanced, but the 5th, put into confusion by this reception, went about and fled in the greatest precipitation, in spite of the most earnest entreaties of their officers, of whom several received wounds."

This then, was individual aimed fire and not without effect.  It was not a volley.

Should the British charge the Gorchurra opened out to let them through. This was not simply a matter of getting out of the way.  It seems to have been finely calculated as we see below.  My emphasis.

"A squadron of the 3rd dragoons, under Major Tinett, charged a goel of Sikh horsemen, and the Major himself told me that they opened out, giving just sufficient room for our squadron to enter." 

Note that the British squadron is not given free passage on mass.

"The 3rd, forcing their way through the hostile ranks," 

Some individual combat might take place at this stage.  The real danger though was for the British trooper who had passed his foe.

 “Picture to yourself a British or Anglo-Indian trooper dashing onwards with a most uncontrollable horse, and a Goorchurra or Sikh horseman, after allowing his enemy to pass, turning quickly round to deal him an ugly wound on the back of the head."

That being a demonstration of the last stage of the Dhai Phat. 

As we have previously seen such a British force might end its charge diminished and dispersed and well clear of their opponents.  The latter turning to face and very ready to repeat the process.

 

Regular cavalry, British or Native, achieved very little against Gorchurra.  This is obscurred in post battle accounts of gallant cavalry charges.  They did take place but mostly cannot be said to have defeated the Gorchurra.

When a protracted melee took place the regulars had less control of their horses, less effective weapons and less freedom of movement than the Gorchurra.  Mostly they got the worse of it.

As Nolan observed, my emphasis again:

"Had our men worn arms like these in the last Sikh war, the enemy's horsemen would not have met them with such confidence in single combat."

None of this means the Gorchurra were some type of super warriors.  As we have seen when they met Indian Irregular Cavalry the outcomes were very different.  Both sets of combatants enjoyed the same advantages.

They disliked facing artillery.

Against steady regular infantry the Gorchurra needed to find a flank or the rear of the foe.  The threat of a Gorchurra charge could force British regulars to form square, and it did. 

Against steady regular infantry fire power the Gorchurra could expect severe casualties. It was not their style of fighting. Against retreating disordered infantry they wreaked havoc.

All of the foregoing articles drawing on Nolan further our understanding of how cavalry actions in the Anglo-Sikh Wars were fought.  

My initial motivation, alongside historical interest, was how to represent this on the table top. 

I hope to have something soon.  I believe it might be accomplished within the parameters of Barry Hilton's Republic to Empire.  An Anglo-Sikh War Appendix if you like.

You can see some of my Gorchurra on this page.  The basing is intended to indicate that they were not regular cavalry.