Jean Francois Allard ( 1785-1839 AD) was a French General who joined the Napoleon’s army in 1803 AD, but after the Waterloo Battle had to leave the army. Later, Allard served the army of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh when he was invited by the Mahahraja to train and administer the Sikh army on European pattern, and he made it invincible. General Allard died in Peshawar, and is buried, along with his daughter, in Lahore.
Jean Allard was one of the European adventurers employed by Ranjit Singh to train the Sikh troops against the growing threat of the British East India Company. He had arrived at the court of Ranjit Singh in 1822 along with Ventura, and received a command in the cavalry with an annual fixed salary of Rs. 50,000. Allard, together with Ventura, Court and Avitabile, is credited with instilling a high level of discipline in Ranjit Singh’s troops—the brigades commanded by them were considered the elite force of the Khalsa (Sikh) army.
Always a favorite of Ranjit Singh, on his death Allard’s body, was brought with full ceremonial from Peshawar, with salutes being fired at every principal station through which the cortege passed on its route. On arrival at Lahore, the three mile stretch from Shahdara to Anarkali was lined with troops who fired minute guns during the progress of the body to its last destination.