Treaty of Amritsar

16 March 1846 · Amritsar

Pakistan & South Asia

Background

After the First Anglo-Sikh War, the British took Kashmir from the defeated Sikh kingdom by the Treaty of Lahore and, a week later, sold it to Gulab Singh, who had helped them. He accepted British supremacy and paid an annual token tribute. Allama Iqbal later condemned the sale of a whole people in his poetry.

Signed by

British East India Company and Gulab Singh (Dogra ruler of Jammu)

Why it matters

The British sold Kashmir to Gulab Singh for 7.5 million Nanakshahi rupees, creating the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir under Dogra rule.