| George Thomas fights with Sikhs | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Maratha–Patiala Clashes | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Patiala |
 Maratha Confederacy | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Gurdit Singh †Son of Gurdit Singh †Unknown (at Karnal) |
 Thomas Bapuji Rao ScindiaVaman Rao | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| At Karnal, Thomas lost 500 men and Sikhs nearly twice | |||||||
Background
editDuring the period when the Sikhs frequently invaded the Doab region, the Begam, in order to protect her territories, appointed Thomas to oversee civil and military administration of a large area, with his base at Tappal in the Aligarh district. Thomas performed his duties effectively, reducing Sikh incursions into his region.
However, in 1792, Thomas fell out of favor with the Begam due to the machinations of Le Vaisseau, the Begam's artillery commander, who married her. In response, Thomas rebelled. The Begam quickly moved against him, besieging Tappal and forcing him to surrender. Despite his rebellion, the Begam spared his life in recognition of his past services and allowed him to leave unharmed.
Departing Tappal with only fifty pounds, Thomas's remarkable physical strength, boundless energy, and audacious nature soon drew a band of desperadoes to him. He began engaging in plunder, expanding his group to 250 mounted men. In 1793, he allied himself with Appa Khande Rao Hari, a feudatory of Sindhia, and moved to Anupshahar.
James Skinner, who knew Thomas personally, described him as follows: “His manners were grave and gentle, and he was courteous to all. He was frank, generous, and humane, though occasionally prone to sudden outbursts of temper, for which he would quickly atone. His generosity towards the families of those who fell or were injured in his service, and the devoted loyalty of his followers, were clear indications of his admirable character.”
Eventually,Thomas was called upon to fight the Sikhs after their return from Hardwar. The conflict with him spanned several years, and despite their internal divisions, the Sikhs faced challenges and humiliation in the ongoing struggle.