The article tries to argue that in 1845–46 and again in 1848–49 Punjab manifested the same kind of patriotic feeling and nationalist ardour irrespective of all considerations of race or religion in trying to resist the progress of British imperialism which had been expressed by the fauj-i-Hindustani in northern and central India twelve years later in 1857–58. The Khalsa may thus be said to have played a pioneering role in India’s war for independence against foreign domination. If the purbias had not helped the British put down the resistance of the Khalsa during these earlier occasions, they could have called in an independent Khalsa to their aid in 1857–58.
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