The Treaty of Bhyrowal (1846)

The Treaty of Bhyrowal was between the Lahore Durbar and the British East India Company on 16 December 1846. Duleep Singh was still Maharaja, and Maharani Jind Kaur was the regent. The treaty formalised British control over Punjab.

Context

After the Treaty of Lahore, Punjab was significantly weakened. Despite this, political instability continued - court factions, mistrust, and suspicion of Maharani Jind Kaur’s influence. The British East India Company used this instability to restructure Punjabi governance entirely.

terms of The Treaty

The Treaty of Bhyrowal:

• Maharani Jind Kaur was removed from power, and later separated from Duleep Singh.

• Placed a council of Sikh Chiefs in her place, who would operate under the supervision of a British Resident.

• Henry Lawrence was appointed Resident at Lahore, and had control over state affairs.

• British troops would remain in Punjab until Duleep Singh reached adulthood.

Effect

This treaty did not annex Punjab, but it did change Punjab in the following ways:

• Sovereignty was conditional

• The Lahore Durbar was no longer independent, and could not make autonomous decisions.

• The British East India Company gained administrative authority within the Sikh empire.

Overall, Punjab no longer had autonomous governance.