BRITISH RULE: 1849-1947

The Sikhs’ power was finally broken in 1849 with the surrender of Chattar Singh and the entire Sikh army to the British at Rawalpindi at the end of Second Sikh War, which was followed by the annexation of the Punjab. Major James Abbot became the first Deputy Commissioner of Hazara in 1849 and remained there till 1853. He was succeeded by Herbert Edward, who selected the southern end of the Rash plain for new cantonment and named it afrter his predecessor Major James Abbot as Abbottabad.