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Originally Posted by Rick
Too true; if they really were the weapon of an Artilleryman then there would be relatively few examples of the form .
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Indeed. According to Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Smith, baronet of Aliwal on the Sutlej, G.C.B.. in 1839 it was estimated by the British Army that the Sikhs had.
120,000 Regular Infantry,40,000 Cavalry, regular and irregular & 400 pieces of cannon ready to take the field, So not that many artillary men in comparison indeed.
Although of course after the first Sikh war there numbers were seriously reduced & over 50% of thier cannon captured.
Large numbers of sword trophys were also brought back by individule & indeed regiments to England at that time.
I have a sikh lilly leaf kukri with tulwar grip captured in the first Sikh war, sadley most such bring back items have lost thier provinance over the years.
Spiral