Sitaram Pande served with the Bengal Army from 1812 to 1860, taking part in many important campaigns. His memoirs provide a rare and precious glimpse into life in the Indian Army during the 19th century.
Following a series of fractious disputes, the British invaded Upper Burma in late 1885 and overthrew its king. While the country was quickly annexed to British India, a guerrilla war ensued that rumbled on for the best part of a decade.
This brief conflict in 1852-53 was largely provoked by the East India Company, which was hungry for new territory and resources like teak and rubber. It ended in a British victory and saw Lower Burma become a province of British India.
Frontier clashes between British India and the Burmese Empire escalated into a full-blown war that lasted from 1824 to 1826. This conflict resulted in parts of Burma coming under the control of the East India Company.
Originally formed to trade in Asia, the East India Company came to rule large areas of the Indian subcontinent, exercising military power through its formidable armed forces.
In 1845-46, the British fought a war against the Sikh Empire in the Punjab. After several bitterly fought battles, the conflict ended with the British taking partial control of the Sikh territories.
In 1848-49, British-Indian forces were once again at war with the Sikh Empire. The campaign that raged across the Punjab eventually led to the region's full annexation by the British and the removal of one of the last Indian powers able to challenge British control of the subcontinent.
Between 1849 and 1947, British and Indian soldiers undertook a series of punitive expeditions against the fiercely independent tribesmen of this wild and mountainous region.
In 1896, bubonic plague broke out in Bombay. The fightback against this deadly epidemic was fully documented by a British military officer in a remarkable series of photographs.
A rare helmet belonging to one of India's greatest warrior princes sheds light on the relatively unknown Mysore Wars, a series of conflicts in the late 18th century that helped decide the political future of southern India.
Between 1878 and 1880, British-Indian forces fought a war to ensure that Afghanistan remained free from Russian interference. Although eventually successful, the British suffered several setbacks in their struggle to control the volatile country.
Between 1839 and 1842, British imperial forces fought a bitter war in Afghanistan. Initially successful, the British eventually withdrew having suffered one of the worst military disasters of the 19th century.
Explore the history of the British Army in India and the British Empire's Indian armies through this interactive timeline packed with over 200 sources.
Discover more about the Partition of India and the events leading up to it through this poetry film, featuring archival images and original epic poetry.
