Henry Lawrence's "Young Men"

Henry Lawrence's "Young Men", also known as "the Paladins of the Punjaub", were a group of East India Company officers sent to act as "advisers" to the Sikhs after the First Sikh War in 1846. In the words of George Lawrence, his duties were "to act as a friendly adviser to the native officials".^[1] They served under the command of Sir Henry Lawrence, initially the Agent to the Governor General and later also the Resident at Lahore.

Collectively these men played a large role in bringing India's Northwest Frontier under the control of the British. Some were to later play an important part in the Indian Mutiny (1857). The murders in Multan of Patrick Vans Agnew and Lt. Anderson, sparked the Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848-1849) and led to the annexation of the Punjab.^[2]

Background

After the defeat of the Sikhs in 1846, the Treaty executed provided for the stationing of a British garrison at Lahore to assist in the reconstitution of a satisfactory administration.^[3]

In December 1846 by the Treaty of Bhairowal, the Sikhs agreed to allowed more direct supervision during the reign of Maharaja Duleep Singh in return for the continued service of the British garrison.^[3]

"Young Men"

Personal Assistants

• Capt. James Abbott
• Capt. A. Broome
• Lt. John Nicholson

Assistants

• Patrick Alexander Vans Agnew – Assistant
• Lt. William Anderson – Assistant
• Neville Bowles Chamberlain
• A. H. Cocks – Chief Assistant, based in Lahore (1847– ?)
• John Coke
• Henry Daly
• Herbert Edwardes
• William Hodson
• George Lawrence - Political Assistant, based in Peshawar (1846– ? )
• Harry "Joe" Lumsden
• Frederick Mackeson
• Reynell Taylor

Further reading

• Political Diaries of the Agent to the Governor General, North West Frontier and Resident at Lahore from 1 January 1847 to 4 March 1848 (reprint ed.). Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications. 2005. ISBN 969-35-1766-0.
• Political Diaries of Lieut. H. B. Edwardes, Assistant to the Resident at Lahore 1847-1849 (reprint ed.). Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications. 2006. ISBN 969-35-1770-9.
• Political Diaries of Lieutenant Reynell G. Taylor, Mr. P. Sandys Melvill, Pandit Kunahya Lal, Mr. P. A. Vans Agnew, Lieutenant J. Nicholson, Mr. L. Bowring and Mr. A. H. Cocks, 1847-1849 (reprint ed.). Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications. 2006. ISBN 969-35-1771-7.
• Allen, Charles (2000). Soldier Sahibs: the men who made the North-West Frontier. London: John Murray. ISBN 978-0-349-11456-9.

References

1. Gazetteer of the Peshawar District 1897–98 (reprint ed.). Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications. 1989. p. 78.
2. Gazetteer of the Multan District 1923–24 (reprint ed.). Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications. 2001. p. 283.
3. Political Diaries of the Agent to the Governor General, North West Frontier and Resident at Lahore from 1 January 1847 to 4 March 1848 (reprint ed.). Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications. 2005. p. i.