Maharaja Ranjit Singh

Maharaja Ranjit Singh, also known as the "Lion of Punjab" or "Sher-e-Punjab," was the
first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, which governed the northwest Indian subcontinent in the
early part of the nineteenth century. At the age of ten, he fought his first fight with his father.
After his father died, he fought multiple wars to eject the Afghans during his adolescence and
was crowned "Maharaja of Punjab" at the age of 21. Under his guidance, his kingdom
expanded throughout the Punjab area till 1839. This article will explain to you about Ranjit
Singh(1792-1839) which will be helpful in Modern Indian History preparation for the UPSC
Civil service exam.
Ranjit Singh - Early Life
 Maharaja Ranjit Singh was born on November 13, 1780, in Gujranwala, Punjab, to
Maha Singh and Raj Kaur.
 Raj Kaur, his mother, was the daughter of Jind's Sikh Raja Gajpat Singh. Buddh Singh
was his given name at birth, after his ancestor who was the first in line to receive Amrit
Sanchaar.
 To commemorate his army's victory over Chatha chieftain Pir Muhammad, the child's
name was changed to Ranjit (literally, "victory in battle") Singh ("lion").
 His father died when he was 12 years old. He inherited his father's Sukerchakia Misl
estates and was raised by his mother Raj Kaur, who co-managed the estates with
Lakhpat Rai.
 Hashmat Khan made the first attempt on his life when he was 13, but Ranjit Singh
prevailed and killed the assailant instead.
 When his mother died when he was 18, and Lakhpat Rai was assassinated, he was aided
by his mother-in-law from his first marriage.
 He was the only child of Maha Singh, and after his father's death in 1792, he became the
Shukerchakias' chief.
 Gujranwala town and the surrounding villages, now in Pakistan, were part of his
inheritance.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh - Reign
 By overthrowing Misls, he established the Sikh Empire.
 Punjab was ruled at the time by powerful chieftains who had divided the land into Misls.
 Misls refers to the sovereign states of the Sikh Confederacy, which arose in the Punjab
region of the Indian subcontinent after the Mughal Empire fell apart in the 18th century.
 In the early half of the nineteenth century, he ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent.
 For his success in liberating Lahore (his capital) from Afghan invaders, he was given the
title Lion of Punjab (Sher-e-Punjab).
 He combined the best features of the traditional Khalsa army with modern warfare
advances to create Asia's most powerful indigenous army at the time.
 He also used a large number of European officers to train his troops, particularly French
officers.
  To modernize his army, he appointed a French General.
 The former Mughal provinces of Lahore and Multan, as well as a portion of Kabul and
all of Peshawar, were all part of Ranjit Singh's trans-regional empire (which spanned
several states).
 His state's boundaries extended from Ladakh in the northeast to the Khyber Pass (the
route used by foreign rulers to invade India) in the northwest, and from Panjnad in the
south to the Indus at Panjnad.
 Ranjit Singh's rule was marked by reforms, modernization, infrastructure investment,
and overall prosperity. Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims, and Europeans served in his Khalsa
army and government.
 His legacy encompasses a time of Sikh cultural and artistic rebirth, including the
reconstruction of the Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar as well as other significant
gurudwaras, including Takht Sri Patna Sahib in Bihar and Hazur Sahib Nanded in
Maharashtra.
 In his army, he had troops of many ethnicities and beliefs.
 His army was very efficient in terms of fighting, logistics, and infrastructure.
 There was a fight for succession among his numerous relatives after his death in 1839.
This signified the beginning of the Empire's demise.
 Ranjit Singh died in June 1839, and the process of his empire's downfall began with his
death.
 Kharak Singh, his eldest legitimate son, succeeded him.
 In June 1839, he died in Lahore, almost exactly 40 years after he conquered the city.
 Due to rival chiefs' internecine strife, the Sikh state he had established collapsed just over
six years after his death.
Religious Policies
 He built a number of gurdwaras, Hindu temples, and even mosques, including Mai
Moran Masjid, which he built at the request of his Muslim wife, Moran Sarkar.
 The Sikhs led by Singh never burned enemy-owned places of worship to the ground.
 He did, however, convert Muslim mosques for other purposes.
 Ranjit Singh's army, for example, desecrated the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore and
turned it into an ammunition store and horse stables.
 Ranjit Singh also gave the Udasi and Nirmala sects a lot of support, which helped them
gain prominence and control over Sikh religious affairs.
Khalsa Army
Khalsa Army
 Under Ranjit Singh's command, the army was not just for Sikhs. Sikhs were among the
soldiers and troop officers, but there were also Hindus, Muslims, and Europeans.
 His army was composed of Hindu Brahmins and people of all creeds and castes, and his
government was also religiously diverse.
 Polish, Russian, Spanish, Prussian, and French officers served in his army.
  He hired a British officer named Foulkes in 1835 as his relationship with the British
improved.
 Ranjit Singh's Khalsa army, on the other hand, reflected regional population, and as his
army grew, he dramatically increased the number of Rajput and Jat Sikhs, who became
the majority of his army's members.
 His army was made up of Jat Sikhs in the Doaba region, Hindu Rajputs in Jammu and
the northern Indian hills, and Muslims in the Jhelum river area, which was closer to
Afghanistan than the other major Panjab rivers.
First Anglo-Sikh War
First Anglo-Sikh War (1845–46)
 The action of the Sikh army crossing the Sutlej River on December 11, 1845, has been
ascribed to the start of the first Anglo-Sikh war.
 This was viewed as an aggressive manoeuvre that gave the English cause to declare war.
 The turmoil that erupted in the Lahore kingdom upon the death of Maharaja Ranjit
Singh, culminating in a power struggle for dominance between the Lahore court and the
ever-powerful and more local army
 Treaty of Lahore - On March 8, 1846, the Sikhs were compelled to accept a humiliating
peace at the conclusion of the First Anglo-Sikh War.
 The English were to be given a war indemnity of more than one crore rupee.
 The Jalandhar Doab (between the Beas and the Sutlej) was to be annexed to the
Company's dominions.
 Bhairowal Treaty - the Sikhs were dissatisfied with the Treaty of Lahore on the
question of Kashmir, they revolted.
 The Treaty of Bhairowal was signed in December 1846. According to the terms of the
treaty, Rani Jindan was deposed as regent, and a council of regency for Punjab was
established.
Second Anglo-Sikh War
Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848–49)
 The Sikhs were severely humiliated by their defeat in the First Anglo-Sikh War and the
conditions of the treaties of Lahore and Bhairowal.
 The inhuman treatment meted out to Rani Jindan, who was transported to Benares as a
pensioner, fueled Sikh fury.
 The surrender of the Sikh army and Sher Singh in 1849
 Annexation of Punjab; and for his services, the Earl of Dalhousie has given the thanks
of the British Parliament and promotion in the peerage, as Marquess
 And the establishment of a three-member board to govern Punjab, consisting of the
Lawrence brothers (Henry and John) and Charles Mansel.
 The board was abolished in 1853, and Punjab was given to a chief commissioner.
 John Lawrence was appointed as the first Chief Commissioner.
Conclusion
Singh is known for bringing Sikhs together and establishing the prosperous Sikh Empire. The
Maharaja was known for governing in a just and secular manner. In his darbar, both Hindus and
Muslims were given powerful positions. By covering Harimandir Sahib in Amritsar in gold, he
transformed it into the Golden Temple. He is also credited with establishing the Hazoor Sahib
gurudwara in Nanded, Maharashtra, where Guru Gobind Singh is buried.