Ranjit Singh

For other uses, see Ranjit Singh (disambiguation). Ranjit Singh was born on 13 November 1780, to Mahan
Singh Sukerchakia and Raj Kaur the daughter of Raja
Gajpat Singh of Jind, in Gujranwala, in the Majha region
Maharaja Ranjit Singh (Punjabi: ,
, ) Novem- of Punjab (now in Pakistan).[5] His birth name was Buddh
Singh, after his ancestor who was a disciple of Guru Gob-
ber 13, 1780 27 June 1839),[5][6] was the founder of
the Sikh Empire, which came to power in the northwest ind Singh, a Khalsa, and whose descendants created the
of the Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th Sukerchakia misl before the birth of Ranjit Singh, which
century. He survived smallpox in infancy but lost sight in became the most powerful of many small Sikh king-
his left eye. He fought his rst battle alongside his father doms in northwestern Southern Asia in the wake of the
at age 10. After his father died, he fought several wars disintegrating Mughal Empire.[16] The childs name was
to expel the Afghans in his teenage years, and was pro- changed to Ranjit (literally, victor in battle) by his fa-
claimed as the Maharaja of Punjab at age 21.[5][7] His ther to commemorate his armys victory over the Muslim
empire grew in the Punjab region under his leadership Chatha chieftain Pir Muhammad.[5][17]
through 1839.[8][9] Ranjit Singh contracted smallpox as an infant, which re-
Prior to his rise, the Punjab region had numerous war- sulted[5]in the loss of sight in his left eye and a pockmarked
ring misls (confederacies), twelve of which were under face. He was short in stature, never schooled, and did
Sikh rulers and one Muslim.[7] Ranjit Singh successfully not learn [18]to read or write anything beyond the Gurmukhi
absorbed and united the Sikh misls and took over other alphabet, however, he was trained at home in horse
local kingdoms to create the Sikh Empire. He repeatedly riding, musketry and other martial arts.[5]
defeated invasions by Muslim armies, particularly those At age 12, his father died.[16] He then inherited his fa-
arriving from Afghanistan, and established friendly rela- thers Sukkarchakkia misl estates and was raised by his
tions with the British.[10] mother Raj Kaur, who, along with Lakhpat Rai, also man-
[5]
Ranjit Singhs reign introduced reforms, modern- aged the estates. The rst attempt on his life was made
ization, investment into infrastructure, and general when he was age 13, by Hashmat Khan, but Ranjit Singh
[19]
prosperity.[11][12]
His Khalsa army and government in- prevailed and killed the assailant instead. At age 18,
cluded Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims and Europeans. [13]
His his mother died and Lakhpat Rai was assassinated, and
legacy includes a period of Sikh cultural and artistic re- thereon he was helped by his mother-in-law from his rst
[20]
naissance, including the rebuilding of the Harimandir marriage.
Sahib in Amritsar as well as other major gurudwaras, in-
In his teens, Ranjit Singh took to alcohol, a habit that
cluding Takht Sri Patna Sahib, Bihar and Hazur Sahib
intensied in the later decades of his life, according to
Nanded, Maharashtra under his sponsorship.[14][15] He
the chronicles of his court historians and the Europeans
who visited him.[21][22] However, he neither smoked nor
was popularly known as Sher-i-Punjab, or Lion of Pun-
jab. ate beef, and required all ocials in his court, regardless
Maharaja Ranjit Singh was succeeded by his son, of their religion, to adhere to these restrictions as part of
[22]
Maharaja Kharak Singh. their employment contract.

1.2 Marriages
1 Biography
Ranjit Singh married many times, in various ceremonies,
1.1 Early life and had twenty wives.[23][24] Some scholars note that the
information on Ranjit Singhs marriages is unclear, and
there is evidence that he had many mistresses. Accord-
ing to Khushwant Singh in an 1889 interview with the
French journal Le Voltaire, his son Dalip (Duleep) Singh
remarked, I am the son of one of my fathers forty-six
wives.[25]
At age 15, Ranjit Singh married his rst wife Mahitab
Birthplace of Ranjit Singh Kaur,[16] the daughter of Sada Kaur, the ruler of Kanhaiya

1
2 1 BIOGRAPHY
Maharaja Ranjit Singhs family genealogy
Misl.[5] This marriage was pre-arranged in an attempt to
reconcile warring Sikh misls, wherein Mahitab Kaur was
betrothed to Ranjit Singh. However, the marriage failed,
with Mahitab Kaur never forgiving the fact that her father
had been killed by Ranjit Singhs father and she mainly
lived with her mother after marriage. The separation be-
came complete when Ranjit Singh married his second
wife Raj Kaur of Nakai Misl in 1798.[26] Mahitab Kaur
died in 1813.[25]
Raj Kaur (renamed Datar Kaur), the daughter of Sardar
Ran Singh Nakai, the third ruler of Nakai Misl, was Ran-
jit Singhs second wife and the mother of his heir, Kharak
Singh.[20] She changed her name from Raj Kaur to avoid
confusion with Ranjit Singhs mother. Throughout her
life she remained the favourite of Ranjit Singh, who
called her Mai Nakain.[27] Like his rst marriage, the sec-
ond marriage brought him a strategic military alliance.[20]
His second wife died in 1818.[25]
Maharaja Ranjit Singh with some of his wives.
Ratan Kaur and Daya Kaur were wives of Sahib Singh
Bhangi of Gujrat (a misl north of Lahore, not to be con-
fused the state of Gujarat).[28] After Sahib Singhs death,
Ranjit Singh took them under his protection in 1811 by
marrying them via the rite of chdar andz, in which a
cloth sheet was unfurled over each of their heads. Ratan
Kaur gave birth to Multana Singh in 1819, and Daya Kaur
gave birth to Kashmira Singh in 1819 and to Pashaura
Singh in 1821.[29]
His other wives include Moran Sarkar in 1802, Chand
Kaur in 1815, Lachmi in 1820, Mehatab Kaur in 1822,
Saman Kaur in 1832, as well as Guddan, Banso, Gulba-
har, Gulab, Ram Devi, Rani, Bannat, Har and Danno be-
fore his last marriage.[25]
Jind Kaur was the nal spouse of Ranjit Singh. Her fa-
ther, Manna Singh Aulakh, extolled her virtues to Ranjit
Singh, who was concerned about the frail health of his
only heir, Kharak Singh. The Maharaja married her in
1835 by 'sending his arrow and sword to her village'. On
6 September 1838 she gave birth to Duleep Singh, who
became the last Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.[30]
1.3 Punishment by the Akal Takht
In 1802, Ranjit Singh married Moran Sarkar, a Mus-
lim nautch girl.[25] This action, and other non-Sikh ac-
tivities of the Maharaja, upset orthodox Sikhs, includ-
ing the Nihangs, whose leader Akali Phula Singh was the
Jathedar of the Akal Takht.[31] When Ranjit Singh visited
Amritsar, he was called outside the Akal Takht, where
he was made to apologise for his mistakes. Akali Phula
Singh took Ranjit Singh to a tamarind tree in front of the
Akal Takht and prepared to punish him by ogging.[31]
Then Akali Phula Singh asked the nearby Sikh pilgrims
whether they approved of Ranjit Singhs apology. The
pilgrims responded with Sat Sri Akal and Ranjit Singh
was released and forgiven.
1.4 Sons
Ranjit Singh had eight sons. Kharak Singh was the eldest
from his second wife. His rst wife gave birth to Ishar
Singh, who died at the age of two, and, after her sep-
aration from Ranjit Singh, to the twins Tara Singh and
Sher Singh. The two widows he took under his protection
and married gave birth to Multana Singh, Kashmira Singh
and Pashaura Singh. Duleep Singh was from his last
wife.[32] Ranjit Singh acknowledged only Kharak Singh
and Duleep Singh as his biological sons[33][34]
1.5 Death
In the 1830s, Ranjit Singh suered from numerous health
complications as well as a stroke, which some historical
records attribute to alcoholism and a failing liver.[28][35]
On June 27, 1839, Ranjit Singh died in his sleep.[23] Four
of his wives, and seven concubines with royal titles given
by Ranjit Singh, committed sati by burning themselves
on the pyre of Ranjit Singh during his ocial cremation
ceremony.[23][36][37]
2.2 Rise to fame, early conquests 3

2 Sikh Empire with each other over revenue collection, disagreements,

and local priorities; however, in the event of external in-
vasion such as from the Muslim armies of Ahmed Shah
Abdali from Afghanistan, they would usually unite.[7]
Towards the end of 18th century, the ve most powerful
misls were those of Sukkarchakkia, Kanhayas, Nakkais,
Ahluwalias and Bhangi Sikhs.[7][16] Ranjit Singh be-
longed to the rst, and through marriage had a reliable al-
liance with Kanhayas and Nakkais.[7] Among the smaller
misls, some such as the Phulkias misl had switched loy-
alties in the late 18th century and supported the Afghan
army invasion against their Khalsa brethren.[7] The Ka-
sur region, ruled by a Pathan-Muslim, always supported
the Afghan invasion forces and joined them in plundering
Sikh misls during the war.[7]

2.2 Rise to fame, early conquests

Maharaja Ranjit Singh

circa 1816-29

2.1 Historical context

After the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, the Mughal Em-
pire fell apart and declined in its ability to tax or gov-
ern most of South Asia. In the northwestern region,
particularly the Punjab, the creation of the Khalsa com-
munity of Sikh warriors by Guru Gobind Singh acceler-
ated the decay and fragmentation of the Mughal power in
the region.[38] Raiding Afghans attacked the Indus river
valleys but met resistance from both organized armies
of the Khalsa Sikhs as well as irregular Khalsa militias Randjiit Sing Baadour by Alfred de Dreux
based in villages. The Sikhs had appointed their own
zamindars, replacing the previous Muslim revenue col- Ranjit Singhs fame grew in 1797, at age 17, when the
lectors, which provided resources to feed and strengthen Afghan Muslim ruler Shah Zaman, of the Ahmad Shah
the warriors aligned with Sikh interests.[38] Meanwhile, Abdali dynasty, attempted to annex Panjab region into his
colonial traders and the East India Company had begun control through his general Shahanchi Khan and 12,000
operations in India on its eastern and western coasts.[38] soldiers.[5][7] The battle was fought in the territory that fell
By the second half of the 18th century, the northwestern in Ranjit Singh controlled misl, whose regional knowl-
parts of South Asia (now Pakistan and parts of north In- edge and warrior expertise helped kill the Afghan general
dia) were a collection of fourteen small warring regions.[7] and rout his army. This victory gained him recognition.[5]
Of the fourteen, twelve were Sikh-controlled misls (con- In 1798, the Afghan ruler sent in another army, which
federacies), one named Kasur (near Lahore) was Muslim Ranjit Singh did not resist. He let them enter Lahore,
controlled, and one in the southeast was led by an En- then encircled them with his army, blocked o all food
glishman named George Thomas.[7] This region consti- and supplies, burnt all crops and food sources that could
tuted the fertile and productive valleys of the ve rivers have supported the Afghan army. Much of the Afghan
Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Bias and Sutlej.[28] The Sikh misls army retreated back to Afghanistan.[5]
were all under the control of the Khalsa fraternity of Sikh In 1799, Raja Ranjit Singhs army of 25,000 Khalsa, sup-
warriors, but they were not united and constantly warred ported by another 25,000 Khalsa led by his mother-in-law
4 2 SIKH EMPIRE

Rani Sada Kaur of Kanhaiya misl, in a joint operation fully defeated the Afghan Sunni Muslim rulers and an-
attacked the region controlled by Bhangi Sikhs centered nexed Srinagar and Kashmir, stretching his rule into the
around Lahore. The rulers escaped, marking Lahore as north and the Jhelum valley, beyond the foothills of the
the rst major conquest of Ranjit Singh.[7][39] The Su Himalayas.[5][45]
Muslim and Hindu population of Lahore welcomed the The most signicant encounters between the Sikhs in the
rule of Ranjit Singh.[5] In 1800, the ruler of Jammu re- command of the Maharaja and the Afghans were in 1813,
gion ceded control of his region to Ranjit Singh.[40] 1823, 1834 and in 1837.[9] In 1813, Ranjit Singhs gen-
On April 12, 1801 the new year in Hindu calendar, in eral Dewan Mokham Chand led the Sikh forces against
a formal ceremony, Ranjit Singh was invested by Sahib the Afghan forces of Shah Mahmud led by Dost Moham-
Singh Bedi a direct descendent of Guru Nanak, as the mad Khan.[46] The Afghans lost their stronghold at Attock
Maharaja of Punjab by applying a saron mark on his in that battle.
forehead.[5][41][42] He called his rule as Sarkar Khalsa, In 1813-14, Ranjit Singhs rst attempt to expand into
and his court as Darbar Khalsa. Kashmir was foiled by Afghan forces led by General
Azim Khan, due to a heavy downpour, the spread of
cholera, and poor food supply to his troops.
2.3 Expansion
In 1818, Darbars forces led by Misr Dewan Chand oc-
In 1802 Ranjit Singh, aged 22, took Amritsar from the cupied Multan, killing Muzaar Khan and defeating his
Bhangi Sikh misl, paid homage at the Harmandir Sahib forces, leading to the end of Afghan inuence in the
temple, which had previously been attacked and dese- Punjab.[47]
crated by the invading Afghan army, and announced that In July 1818, an army from the Punjab defeated Jabbar
he would renovate and rebuild it with marble and gold.[43] Khan, a younger brother of governor of Kashmir Azim
Khan, and acquired Kashmir, along with a yearly revenue
of Rs seventy lacs. Dewan Moti Ram was appointed gov-
ernor of Kashmir.
In November 1819, Dost Mohammed accepted the
sovereignty of the Maharaja over Peshawar, along with
a revenue payment of Rs one lac a year. This was the
rst instance in 800 years that Peshawar fell to an Indian
conquerer. The Maharaja specically ordered his forces
not to harass or molest any civilian. In 1820 and 1821,
Dera Ghazi Khan, Hazara and Mankera, with huge tracts
of land between Jhelum and Indus, Singh Sagar Daob,
were also annexed. The victories of Kashmir, Peshwar
and Multan were celebrated by naming three newborns
after them. Prince Kashmira Singh, Peshaura Singh and
Prince Multana Singh were born to Daya Kaur and Ratan
Kaur, wives of Ranjit Singh.
In 1823, Ranjit Singh defeated a large army of Yusufzai
north of the Kabul River.[48]
In 1834, Mohammed Azim Khan once again marched
Maharaja Ranjit Singhs throne, c. 18201830, Haz Muham- towards Peshawar with an army of 25,000 Khattak and
mad Multani, now at V & A Museum Yasufzai tribesmen in the name of jihad, to ght against
indels. The Maharaja defeated the forces. Yar Moham-
On 1 January 1806, Ranjit Singh signed a treaty with the mad was pardoned and was reinvested as governor of Pe-
British ocials of the East India Company, in which he shawar with an annual revenue of Rs one lac ten thousand
[49]
agreed that his Sikh forces would not attempt to expand to Lahore Darbar.
south of the Sutlej river, and the Company agreed that it In 1837, the Battle of Jamrud and his march through
would not attempt to militarily cross the Sutlej river into Kabul in 1838, in cooperation with the colonial British
the Sikh territory.[44] army stationed in Sindh, became the last confrontation
In 1807, Ranjit Singhs forces attacked the Muslim ruled between the Sikhs led by him and the Afghans, which
misl of Kasur and, after a month of erce ghting, de- helped extend and establish the western boundaries of the
[50][51]
feated the Afghan chief Qutb-ud-Din, thus expanding Sikh Empire.
his empire northwest towards Afghanistan.[5] He took In 1838, Ranjit Singh with his troops marched into Kabul
Multan in 1818, and the whole Bari Doab came un- to take part in the victory parade along with the British af-
der his rule with that conquest. In 1819, he success-
2.5 Religious policies 5

ter restoring Shah Shoja to the Afghan throne at Kabul.[6] 2.5 Religious policies
Ranjit Singh banned cow slaughter in his empire.[59][60]
He objected to cow slaughter inside the British camp
2.3.1 Geography of the Sikh Empire during joint operations in northwestern region of South
Asia.[59] In employment contracts he gave to foreigners
such as the Europeans, he insisted that they do not eat
beef, not smoke, not cut their hair, marry and settle down
with Indian women.[22]
The Sikhs led by Ranjit Singh never razed places of
worship to the ground belonging to the enemy.[61] How-
ever, he did convert Muslim mosques into other uses.
For example, Ranjit Singhs army desecrated Lahores
Badshahi Mosque and converted it into an ammuni-
tion store,[62] and horse stables.[63] Lahores Moti Masjid
(Pearl Mosque) was converted into Moti Mandir (Pearl
Temple) by the Sikh army,[63][64] and Sonehri Mosque
were converted into a Sikh Gurdwara, but upon the re-
quest of Su Fakirs, Ranjit Singh restored the latter back
to a mosque.[65] Lahores Begum Shahi Mosque was also
used as a gunpowder factory, earning it the nickname
Barudkhana Wali Masjid, or Gunpowder Mosque.[66]
Ranjit Singhs Sikh Empire at its peak
Ranjit Singh restored and built historic Sikh Gurdwaras
most famously the Golden Temple of Amritsar, but he
The Sikh Empire, also known as Punjab, the Sikh Raj also joined the Hindus in their temples as Vedic hymns
and Sarkar-i-Khalsa,[52] was a region called by histo- were chanted, visited Su mosques and holy places, and
rians as Punjab or Panjab, comprises two words ordered his soldiers to neither loot nor molest civilians.[67]
Punj/Panj/Panch and "Ap", translating to ve and He received support from Afghan Muslims who accepted
water respectively in ancient Indian languages as well his sovereignty , Punjabi Mussalmans who fought under
as Persian.[53] When put together this gives a name mean- his banner against Afghan forces of Nadir Shah and later
ing the land of the ve rivers, coined due to the ve of Azim Khan. His court reected a secular pattern,
rivers that run through the Punjab. Those Five Rivers his prime Minister Dhian Singh was a Dogra, his for-
are Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Chenab and Jhelum, all tributaries eign Minister Fakir Azizuddin was a Mulsim, his nance
of the river Indus.[28][54] Minister Dina Nath was a Brahmin, artillery comman-
The geographical reach of the Sikh Empire under Ran- ders such as Mian Ghausa, Sararaz Khan were Muslims.
jit Singh included all lands north of Sutlej river, and There were no forced conversions in his time. His wives
south of high valleys in the northwestern Himalayas. The Bibi Mohran , Gilbahar Begum retained their faith and so
major towns in the Empire included Srinagar, Attock, did his Hindu wives.[68]
Peshawar, Bannu, Rawalpindi, Jammu, Gujrat, Sialkot,
Kangra, Amritsar, Lahore and Multan.[28][55][56]
2.6 The Sikh Khalsa Army under Ranjit
Singh

2.4 Governance For the army commanders, see List of generals of Ranjit
Singh.
Ranjit Singh allowed men from dierent religions and Main articles: Sikh Khalsa Army, Fauj-i-Ain, and
races to serve in his army and his government in various Fauj-i-Khas
positions of authority.[57] His army included a few Euro-
peans like Jean-Franois Allard, however he did not em- The army under Ranjit Singh was not limited to the
ploy the British which were attempting to create a British Sikh community. The soldiers and troop ocers
colony in South Asia.[58] However, he kept an open dia- included Sikhs, but also included Hindus, Muslims
logue and diplomatic channel with the British; in 1828, and Europeans.[69] Hindu Brahmins and people of all
Ranjit Singh sent gifts to the King of England and in creeds and castes served his army,[70][71] while the com-
1831, he sent a mission to Simla to confer with the British position in his government also reected a religious
Governor General, Lord William Bentinck;[59] while in diversity.[69][72] His army included Polish, Russian, Span-
1838, he cooperated with them in removing the Islamic ish, Prussian and French ocers.[12] In 1835, as his rela-
Sultan in Afghanistan.[51] tionship with the British warmed up, he hired a British
6 2 SIKH EMPIRE

ocer named Foulkes.[12] with the colonial ocials oering the Jagirs better terms
[79][80][81]
However, the Khalsa army of Ranjit Singh reected re- and the right to keep the system intact.
gional population, and as he grew his army, he dramati-
cally increased the Rajput and Jat Sikhs who became the
predominant members of his army.[11] In the Doab re-
gion his army was composed of the Jat Sikhs, in Jammu 2.6.2 Infrastructure investments
and northern Indian hills it was Hindu Rajputs, while
relatively more Muslims served his army in the Jhelum Ranjit Singh ensured that Panjab manufactured and was
river area closer to Afghanistan than other major Panjab self-sucient in all weapons, equipment and munitions
rivers.[73] his army needed.[12] His government invested in infras-
tructure in the 1800s and thereafter, established raw
materials mines, cannon foundries, gunpowder and arm
2.6.1 Reforms factories.[12] Some of these operations were owned by the
state, others operated by private Sikh operatives.[12]
Ranjit Singh changed and improved the training and or- However, Ranjit Singh did not make major investments
ganisation of his army. He reorganized responsibility and in other infrastructure such as irrigation canals to improve
set performance standards in logistical eciency in troop the productivity of land and roads. The prosperity in his
deployment, manoeuvre, and marksmanship.[72] He re- Empire, in contrast to the Mughal-Sikh wars era, largely
formed the stang to emphasize steady re over cavalry came from the improvement in the security situation, re-
and guerrilla warfare, improved the equipment and meth- duction in violence, reopened trade routes and greater
ods of war. The military system of Ranjit Singh com- freedom to conduct commerce.[82]
bined the best of both old and new ideas. He strengthened
the infantry and the artillery.[11] He paid the members of
the standing army from treasury, instead of the Mughal
method of paying an army with local feudal levies.[11]
2.7 Muslim accounts
While Ranjit Singh introduced reforms in terms of train-
ing and equipment of his military, he failed to reform
the old Jagirs (Ijra) system of Mughal middlemen.[74][75] The mid 19th-century Muslim historians, such as Sha-
The Jagirs system of state revenue collection involved hamat Ali who experienced the Sikh Empire rst hand,
certain individuals with political connections or inher- presented a dierent view on Ranjit Singhs Empire and
itance promising a tribute (nazarana) to the ruler and governance.[83][84] According to Ali, Ranjit Singhs gov-
thereby gaining administrative control over certain vil- ernment was despotic, and he was a mean monarch in
lages, with the right to force collect customs, excise and contrast to the Mughals.[83] The initial momentum for the
land tax at inconsistent and subjective rates from the Empire building in these accounts is stated to be Ranjit
peasants and merchants; they would keep a part of col- Singh led Khalsa armys insatiable appetite for plunder,
lected revenue and deliver the promised tribute value to their desire for fresh cities to pillage, and entirely elim-
inating the Mughal era revenue intercepting intermedi-
the state.[74][76][77] These Jagirs maintained independent
armed militia to extort taxes from the peasants and mer- aries between the peasant-cultivator and the treasury.[78]
chants, and the militia prone to violence.[74] This system According to Ishtiaq Ahmed, Ranjit Singhs rule led
of inconsistent taxation with arbitrary extortion by mili- to further persecution of Muslims in Kashmir, expand-
tia, continued the Mughal tradition of ill treatment of ing the previously selective persecution of Shia Mus-
peasants and merchants throughout the Sikh Empire, and lims and Hindus by Afghan Sunni Muslim rulers between
is evidenced by the complaints led to Ranjit Singh by 1752 and 1819 before Kashmir became part of his Sikh
East India Company ocials attempting to trade within Empire.[45] Bikramjit Hasrat describes Ranjit Singh as a
dierent parts of the Sikh Empire.[74][75] benevolent despot.[85]
According to historical records, states Sunit Singh, Ran- The Muslim accounts of Ranjit Singhs rule were ques-
jit Singhs reforms focused on military that would allow tioned by Sikh historians of the same era. For exam-
new conquests, but not towards taxation system to end ple, Ratan Singh Bhangu in 1841 wrote that these ac-
abuse, nor about introducing uniform laws in his state counts were not accurate, and according to Anne Mur-
or improving internal trade and empowering the peas- phy, he remarked, when would a Musalman praise the
ants and merchants.[74][75][76] This failure to reform the Sikhs?"[86] In contrast, the colonial era British military
Jagirs-based taxation system and economy, in part led to ocer Hugh Pearse in 1898 criticized Ranjit Singhs rule,
a succession power struggle and a series of threats, in- as one founded on violence, treachery and blood.[87]
ternal divisions among Sikhs, major assassinations and Sohan Seetal disagrees with this account and states that
coups in the Sikh Empire in the years immediately after Ranjit Singh had encouraged his army to respond with
the death of Ranjit Singh;[78] an easy annexation of the a "tit for tat" against the enemy, violence for violence,
remains of the Sikh Empire into British India followed, blood for blood, plunder for plunder.[88]
3.1 Gurdwaras built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh 7

2.8 Decline
Scholars state that Ranjit Singh made his Empire and the
Sikhs a strong political force, achievements for which he
is deeply admired and revered in Sikhism.[89] However,
his era also marked the general decline in religious and
moral fervor from alcoholism and licentious life, along
with demoralization of the Sikh court and nobility.[89]
Ranjit Singh failed to establish a lasting structure for Sikh
government or stable succession, and the Sikh Empire
rapidly declined after his death. The British easily de-
feated the confused and demoralized Khalsa forces, then
disbanded them into destitution.[89]
Other scholars, such as Harjot Oberoi state that while the
decline from licentiousness is evidenced, yet this is not
linked to Sikhism nor does it imply that Sikhism declined.
This phenomena, states Oberoi, is observed in many Em-
pires and cultures.[90]
Another explanation, according to Clive Dewey, was the
Jagirs-based taxation system and economy that Ranjit
Singh inherited and retained from the Mughal times. Af-
ter his death, a ght to control the tax spoils emerged,
leading to a power struggle within the nobles and his fam-
ily from dierent wives, ending in a rapid series of assas-
sinations of his descendants and palace coups, and the A lithograph by Emily Eden showing one of the favourite horses
annexation of the Sikh Empire into the colonial British of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his collection of jewels, including
Empire.[78] the Koh-i-Noor.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh deeply loved and admired the

3 Legacy teachings of the Tenth Guru of Sikhism Guru Gobind
Singh, in whose memory he built two of the most sacred
Maharaja Ranjit Singh is remembered for uniting Sikhs, temples in Sikhism. These are Takht Sri Patna Sahib, the
and founding the Sikh Empire. He amassed considerable birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh, and Takht Sri Hazur
wealth, including gaining the possession of the Koh-i- Sahib, the place where Guru Gobind Singh was assassi-
Noor diamond from Shuja Shah Durrani of Afghanistan. nated, in Nanded, Maharashtra in 1708.
Ranjit Singh willed the Koh-i-Noor to Jagannath Temple
in Puri, Odisha in 1839.[91] He is also remembered for
his conquests and building a well-trained, self-sucient
Khalsa army to protect a prosperous Sikh Empire.
His most lasting legacy was the restoration and expan-
sion of the Harmandir Sahib, most revered Gurudwara of
the Sikhs, with marble and gold, from which the popular
name of the Golden Temple is derived.

3.1 Gurdwaras built by Maharaja Ranjit

Singh
At the Harmandir Sahib, much of the present decorative
gilding and marblework date back from the early 19th
century. The gold and intricate marble work were con-
ducted under the patronage of Maharaja Ranjit Singh,
Maharaja of the Punjab. He was a generous patron of
the shrine and is remembered with much aection by the
Sikhs. Ranjit Singh also sponsored protective walls and
water supply system to strengthen security and operations Harmandir Sahib (also known as the Golden Temple)
related to the temple.[14] was completely renovated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
8 5 REFERENCES

4 See also
Baradari of Ranjit Singh
3.2 Memorials and museums
History of Punjab

Sikh Kingdom

Sikhism

Jind Kaur

List of generals of Ranjit Singh

5 References
[1] The Sikh Army 1799-1849 By Ian Heath, Michael
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claimed himself Sarkar-i-wala or head of state...

[2] http://www.maharajaranjitsingh.com/home.html

[3] A history of the Sikhs by Kushwant Singh, Volume I(Page

195)

[4] S.R. Bakshi, Rashmi Pathak (2007). 1-Political Condi-

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9. Retrieved 2010. Check date values in: |access-date=
(help)

[5] Kushwant Singh. RANJIT SINGH (1780-1839)". En-

The Samadhi of Emperor Ranjit Singh was built next to the
Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan
Samadhi of Ranjit Singh
Funerary urns containing the ashes of Ranjit Singh
are stored at the Samadhi of Ranjit Singh in Lahore,
Pakistan.
cyclopaedia of Sikhism. Punjabi University Patiala. Re-
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[6] Ranjit Singh Encyclopdia Britannica, Khushwant Singh
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[7] Khushwant Singh (2008). Ranjit Singh. Penguin Books.
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[8] Encyclopdia Britannica Eleventh Edition, (Edition: Vol-
ume V22, Date: 1910-1911), Page 892.

Statue in the Parliament of India [9] Grewal, J. S. (1990). Chapter 6: The Sikh empire
(17991849)". The Sikh empire (17991849). The New
On 20 August 2003, a 22-foot-tall bronze statue of Singh Cambridge History of India. The Sikhs of the Punjab.
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[10] Patwant Singh (2008). Empire of the Sikhs: The Life and
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Times of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Peter Owen. pp. 113
124. ISBN 978-0-7206-1323-0.
A garden was laid out in 1818 in the north of the Amritsar
city at the behalf of Shalimar Bagh of Lahore, known as [11] Teja Singh; Sita Ram Kohli (1986). Maharaja Ranjit
Ram Bagh at the name of Guru Ram Dass. Maharaja de- Singh. Atlantic Publishers. pp. 6568.
voted his time in this palace in summer days during the
visit of Amritsar. It has been converted into the shape of [12] Kaushik Roy (2011). War, Culture and Society in Early
Modern South Asia, 1740-1849. Routledge. pp. 143
Museum during the 400th years celebrations of Amritsar
144. ISBN 978-1-136-79087-4.
City. The Museum displays objects connecting to Ma-
haraja Ranjit Singh such as arms and armour, outstand- [13] Kaushik Roy (2011). War, Culture and Society in Early
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[14] Jean Marie Lafont (2002). Maharaja Ranjit Singh: Lord
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[15] Kerry Brown (2002). Sikh Art and Literature. Routledge.
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[25] Khushwant Singh (2008). Ranjit Singh. Penguin Books.
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[26] Sardar Singh Bhatia. Mahitab Kaur (d, 1813)". Ency-
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[28] Vincent Arthur Smith (1920). The Oxford History of In-
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Ratan Kaur, Rani. Encyclopaedia of Sikhism. Punjabi
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[47] Singh, Khushwant (11 October 2004). A History of the
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[48] Patwant Singh (2008). Empire of the Sikhs: The Life and
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[55] Marshall 2005, p. 116.
[56] Bennett-Jones, Owen; Singh, Sarina, Pakistan & the
Karakoram Highway Page 199
[57] Kartar Singh Duggal (2001). Maharaja Ranjit Singh: The
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[58] Kuiper, Kathleen (2010). The culture of India. Rosen
Publishing Group. p. 136. ISBN 1615301496.
[59] Henry Thoby Prinsep (2011). Origin of the Sikh Power in
the Punjab, and Political Life of Muha-Raja Runjeet Singh.
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108-02872-1.
[60] Vigne, G.T., 1840. A Personal Narrative of a Visit to
Ghuzni, Kabul, and Afghanistan, and a Residence at the
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hinav Publications (1989) ISBN 81-7017-244-6
[62] Sidhwa, Bapsi (2005). City of Sin and Splendour: Writ-
ings on Lahore. Penguin Books. Retrieved 7 January
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toric citadel and put it to his own hardy use or desecrated
the Badshahi Mosque and converted it into a functional
ammuniation store...
[63] Amin, Mohamed; Willetts, Duncan; Farrow, Bren-
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[66] Maryam Zamani Mosque. Journal of Central Asia.
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pp. 2526. ISBN 978-0-14-306543-2.
5 REFERENCES
[68] Singh, Khushwant (11 October 2004). A History of the
Sikhs: 1469-1838 (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. p.
295. ISBN 978-0-19-567308-1. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
[69] Teja Singh; Sita Ram Kohli (1986). Maharaja Ranjit
Singh. Atlantic Publishers. pp. 56, 67.
[70] Khushwant Singh (2008). Ranjit Singh. Penguin Books.
p. 128. ISBN 978-0-14-306543-2.
[71] Kaushik Roy (2011). War, Culture and Society in Early
Modern South Asia, 1740-1849. Routledge. p. 147.
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[72] Singh, Khushwant (2008). Ranjit Singh: Maharaja of the
Punjab. New Delhi: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-143-
06543-2.
[73] Teja Singh; Sita Ram Kohli (1986). Maharaja Ranjit
Singh. Atlantic Publishers. pp. 8385.
[74] Sunit Singh (2014). Pashaura Singh and Louis E. Fenech,
ed. The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies. Oxford Uni-
versity Press. pp. 6265. ISBN 978-0-19-100411-7.
[75] Kate Brittlebank (2008). Tall Tales and True: India, His-
toriography and British Imperial Imaginings. Monash Uni-
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[76] J. S. Grewal (1998). The Sikhs of the Punjab. Cambridge
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[77] Harjot Oberoi (1994). The Construction of Religious
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978-0-226-61593-6.
[78] Clive Dewey (1991). D. A. Low, ed. Political Inheritance
of Pakistan. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 263265. ISBN
978-1-349-11556-3.
[79] Sunit Singh (2014). Pashaura Singh and Louis E. Fenech,
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versity Press. pp. 6568. ISBN 978-0-19-100411-7.
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8020-9257-1.
[81] Major, Andrew J. (1991). DA Low, ed. The Punjabi
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1-349-11558-7.
[82] Sunit Singh (2014). Pashaura Singh and Louis E. Fenech,
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[83] Christopher Alan Bayly (1996). Empire and Information:
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lam, Regional Identity, and the Making of Kashmir. Ox-
ford University Press. pp. 3941. ISBN 978-0-19-
521939-5.
[85] Bikramajit Hasrat (1977). Life and Times of Ranjit Singh:
A Saga of Benevolent Despotism. V.V. Research Institute.
pp. 83, 198. OCLC 6303625.
[86] Anne Murphy (2012). The Materiality of the Past: History
and Representation in Sikh Tradition. Oxford University
Press. pp. 121126. ISBN 978-0-19-991629-0.
[87] Gardner, Alexander (1898). Chapter XII. Memoirs of
Alexander Gardner Colonel of Artillery in the Service of
Maharaja Ranjit Singh. William Blackwood & Sons. p.
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[88] Sohan Singh Seetal (1971). Rise of the Sikh Power and
Maharaja Ranjeet Singh. Dhanpat Rai. p. 56. OCLC
6917931. (note: the original book has 667 pages; the open
access version of the same book released by Lahore Pub-
lishers on archive.com has deleted about 500 pages of this
book; see the original)
[89] Harjot Oberoi (1994). The Construction of Religious
Boundaries: Culture, Identity, and Diversity in the Sikh
Tradition. University of Chicago Press. pp. 207208.
ISBN 978-0-226-61593-6.
[90] Harjot Oberoi (1994). The Construction of Religious
Boundaries: Culture, Identity, and Diversity in the Sikh
Tradition. University of Chicago Press. pp. 208216.
ISBN 978-0-226-61593-6.
[91] The Real Ranjit Singh; by Fakir Syed Waheeduddin, pub-
lished by Punjabi University, ISBN 81-7380-778-7, 1 Jan
2001, 2nd ed.
[92] Singh, Ranjit (20 August 2003). Parliament to get six
more portraits, two statues. Times of India. Retrieved
11 August 2012.
[93] Ranjit Singhs statue unveiled in Parliament House. The
Tribune. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
[94] Maharaja Ranjit Singh Museum,Amritsar. Punjab Mu-
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6 Bibliography
Jacques, Tony. Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: A
Guide to 8,500 Battles from Antiquity Through the
Twenty-rst Century. Westport: Greenwood Press.
p. 419. ISBN 978-0-313-33536-5.
Heath, Ian (2005). The Sikh Army 17991849. Ox-
ford: Osprey Publishing (UK). ISBN 1-84176-777-
8.
Lafont, Jean-Marie Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Lord of
the Five Rivers. Oxford: Oxford University Press,
2002 ISBN 0-19-566111-7
11
Marshall, Julie G. (2005), Britain and Tibet 1765
1947: a select annotated bibliography of British re-
lations with Tibet and the Himalayan states including
Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan (Revised and Updated to
2003 ed.), London: Routledge, ISBN 978-0-415-
33647-5
Sandhawalia, Preminder Singh Noblemen and Kins-
men: history of a Sikh family. New Delhi: Munshi-
ram Manoharlal, 1999 ISBN 81-215-0914-9
Waheeduddin, Fakir Syed The Real Ranjit Singh;
2nd ed. Patiala: Punjabi University, 1981 ISBN 81-
7380-778-7 (First ed. published 1965 Pakistan).
Grin, Sir Lepel Henry (1909). Chiefs and Fami-
lies of Note in the Punjab. The National Archives:
Civil and Military Gazette Press. ISBN 978-
8175365155. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
7 Further reading
Umdat Ut Tawarikh by Sohan Lal Suri, Published by
Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar .
The Real Ranjit Singh by Fakir Syed Waheeduddin,
published by Punjabi University, ISBN 81-7380-
778-7, 1 Jan 2001, 2nd ed. First ed. published 1965
Pakistan.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh: First Death Centenary
Memorial, by St. Nihal Singh. Published by Lan-
guages Dept., Punjab, 1970.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his times, by J. S. Grewal,
Indu Banga. Published by Dept. of History, Guru
Nanak Dev University, 1980.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh, by Harbans Singh. Pub-
lished by Sterling, 1980.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh, by K. K. Khullar. Published
by Hem Publishers, 1980.
The reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh: structure of
power, economy and society, by J. S. Grewal. Pub-
lished by Punjab Historical Studies Dept., Punjabi
University, 1981.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh, as patron of the arts, by Ran-
jit Singh. Published by Marg Publications, 1981.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh: Politics, Society, and Econ-
omy, by Fauja Singh, A. C. Arora. Published by
Publication Bureau, Punjabi University, 1984.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his Times, by Bhagat
Singh. Published by Sehgal Publishers Service,
1990. ISBN 81-85477-01-9.
12 8 EXTERNAL LINKS

History of the Punjab: Maharaja Ranjit Singh, by Detailed article on Ranjit Singhs Army
Shri Ram Bakshi. Published by Anmol Publica-
tions, 1991. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Ranjit Singh".
Encyclopdia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge
The Historical Study of Maharaja Ranjit Singhs University Press.
Times, by Kirpal Singh. Published by National Book
Shop, 1994. ISBN 81-7116-163-4.
An Eyewitness account of the fall of Sikh em-
pire: memories of Alexander Gardner, by Alexander
Haughton Campbell Gardner, Baldev Singh Baddan,
Hugh Wodehouse Pearse. Published by National
Book Shop, 1999. ISBN 81-7116-231-2.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh: The Last to Lay Arms, by
Kartar Singh Duggal. Published by Abhinav Publi-
cations, 2001. ISBN 81-7017-410-4.
Fauj-i-khas Maharaja Ranjit Singh and His French
Ocers, by Jean Marie Lafont. Published by Guru
Nanak Dev University, 2002. ISBN 81-7770-048-
0.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh, by Mohinder Singh, Rishi
Singh, Sondeep Shankar, National Institute of Pan-
jab Studies (India). Published by UBS Publishers
Distributors with National Institute of Panjab Stud-
ies, 2002. ISBN 81-7476-372-4,.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh: Lord of the Five Rivers, by
Jean Marie Lafont. Published by Oxford University
Press, 2002. ISBN 0-19-566111-7.
The Last Sunset: The Rise and Fall of the Lahore
Durbar, by Amarinder Singh. Published by Roli
Books, 2010.
Glory of Sikhism, by R. M. Chopra, Sanbun Pub-
lishers, 2001. Chapter on Sher-e-Punjab Maharaja
Ranjit Singh.

8 External links
Gallery on Sikhs Raj with Rare portraits of Sikh Raj

Maharaja Ranjit Singh Biography

True Account of Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Foreign ocers in Ranjit Singhs Court
Ranjit Singh prole from sikh-history.com
Ranjit Singh
Ocial government of Pakistan cultural history ar-
ticle on Maharaja Ranjit Singh
RoyalArk on Punjabs dynasty, includes extensive
bios

Biographies
 13

9 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

9.1 Text
Ranjit Singh Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranjit_Singh?oldid=767494771 Contributors: Charles Matthews, Jay, Henrygb,
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Ricky81682, Salilb, Riana, LRBurdak, MarkGallagher, SidP, Grenavitar, Woohookitty, TheoClarke, John Hill, DialUp, Deltabeignet,
BD2412, Rjwilmsi, Koavf, Tombseye, Vary, TheRingess, Vegaswikian, Gurkhaboy, Rewinn, Singh, Shakti, DaGizza, DVdm, Bgwhite,
YurikBot, Wavelength, Eraserhead1, RussBot, Epolk, Gaius Cornelius, Asarelah, Tachs, Narncruiser, Yahoo, Closedmouth, Tevildo,
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Wilhelm Harder, Vikramsingh, TimBentley, Master of Puppets, Jematt, Freedom skies, Hibernian, Colonies Chris, Neo139, OrphanBot,
Khoikhoi, MrRadioGuy, Fuhghettaboutit, Giani g, Bejnar, Ohconfucius, Nishkid64, Jangvijay, Vik238, Shyamsunder, Skinsmoke, Phan-
tasee, Iridescent, Harpreetgiani, CmdrObot, Nishkalp, Randhirreddy, Ale jrb, Rajat Ghai, Moreschi, Sikh scholar, Cydebot, Future Perfect
at Sunrise, Kanags, Ipsingh, DumbBOT, Gonzo fan2007, JamesAM, Thijs!bot, Epbr123, Qwyrxian, Peter johnson4, Jasmeetsinghsekhon,
AntiVandalBot, Sidsahu, Chill doubt, James smith2, MikeLynch, Ekabhishek, Fetchcomms, Sikh historian, Maias, Mr. G. Williams, Ge-
niac, Faizhaider, Waacstats, Tuncrypt, Vssun, JaGa, Edward321, STBot, Karamjeet~enwiki, CommonsDelinker, Sikh-history, Fconaway,
Thirdright, DrKay, Victuallers, Guneeta, Plasticup, Veeresh1976, Kansas Bear, Lordofallhearts, KylieTastic, Rizwan1003, Intothere,
Barastert, Mrengine, Manikpathak, TXiKiBoT, Kww, Sankalpdravid, Charlesdrakew, Aymatth2, Swami1980, Cosmos416, Benevolent56,
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toety, Atmamatma, Sajidnisar, Msp4realmf, SURYAVEER SINGH, Fratrep, Nancy, Akldawgs, Sitush, ImageRemovalBot, Apuldram,
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II, Silly water, Khandoor, J04n, Chdbhangoo, GrouchoBot, Anotherclown, RibotBOT, Caltech03, Jaagpkpk, IShadowed, Joaquin008,
British Raja, Celuici, Editorintruth, FrescoBot, Joshuadowney, Abhinav22, Willard84, Batinde, OgreBot, Sandaldeep, SpacemanSpi,
Tom.Reding, Misterconginialtastical, Lars Washington, Swamishivananda, Information-Line, KSY3, Migelot, GD Kaur, Dadehar, An-
sumang, Reaper Eternal, Linguisticgeek, Diannaa, Gaganromana76, Onel5969, RjwilmsiBot, Generalboss3, Drbhau, Ti2008, Volvicsport,
DASHBot, DrJGMD, Letdemsay, EmausBot, Desibhagera, Heracles31, Pashtunwarrior99, Pakhtunallmighty00, Jujhar.pannu, Dewritech,
Solar Tsunami, Irshaad86, Starcheerspeaksnewslostwars, Last Emperor, Mychele Trempetich, Signia1, Tommy2010, Winner 42, Ibn abdul
hassan, , ZroBot, PBS-AWB, Kamalbains, Donner60, Irfan0552007, Saka23, Rmchopra, Chewings72, Aikenware, Tarn taran,
ClueBot NG, Gareth Grith-Jones, Kamalbains420, Tejveer Khangura, Tinpisa, Akhil.bharathan, Ntrikha, Muon, Wc1agoyal, Yuvpsi,
Helpful Pixie Bot, Sirdaar, Thisthat2011, BG19bot, Desijatt1, Theman244, Gursan, Solomon7968, Manpreetbhasin, Charanjaitu, Bon-
niebains007, Fatbuu, Saifu77, Utopia1978, Rayaraya, LakhdeepSinghFarwaha, Makecat-bot, Nasir Ghobar, Sam Bajwa, VIAFbot, The-
jatboy, Ashim nep, Sukerchakia9, Of Teacher, Harjeet Singh Lamba, Singhmunde, Sumairsidhu, The Sockfather, Nawabmalhi, Zaketo,
Quenhitran, Notthebestusername, Maharajah ranjit singh, OccultZone, Deepcruze, 7Sidz, Ms Sarah Welch, Sol Pacicus, Ethangunit,
LiamKasbar, C114WLA, Kasperdawg, Filedelinkerbot, StratMan001, Kimern9, Teddyktchan, 1sikhtl, Gurpavith Singh, Ghatus, Kks-
ingh99, Kautilya3, Jspannu23, Jombiecutter, Mysteriw, Adil buksh, Xtremedood, Mewla bhatti, KasparBot, Vgenapl, Lawldawg, Chotarip-
ple, Mahtabshergill, Re5x, Nareshrana01, Amarthal, Muhammad Umair Mirza, RoyalBharat, Xkd2626, JJSINGH46, Rizwan Ashraf Kash-
miri, Gyukdown, Groiil000, Gurbar Akaal, PantherDePunjab9525, Bender the Bot, Trinity4156, Chaudhary1997, Nspaap, Shimlaites,
LikLik23 and Anonymous: 544

9.2 Images
File:A_watercolor_portrait_of_Ranjit_Singh.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/A_watercolor_
portrait_of_Ranjit_Singh.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00routesdata/
1800_1899/ranjitsingh/portraits/portraits.html Original artist: Unknown<a href='https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4233718'
title='wikidata:Q4233718'><img alt='wikidata:Q4233718' src='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/
Wikidata-logo.svg/20px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png' width='20' height='11' srcset='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/
thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/30px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/
Wikidata-logo.svg/40px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 2x' data-le-width='1050' data-le-height='590' /></a>
File:Alexander_Gardner_(soldier).jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ea/Alexander_Gardner_%28soldier%29.
jpg License: PD-US Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Alfred_Dedreux_-_Randjiit_Sing_Baadour.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Alfred_
Dedreux_-_Randjiit_Sing_Baadour.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Own work Original artist: Alfred de Dreux
File:Appendix_XL_Sukerchakia_Genealogy_-_A_History_of_the_Sikhs_pg478.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/
wikipedia/en/6/67/Appendix_XL_Sukerchakia_Genealogy_-_A_History_of_the_Sikhs_pg478.jpg License: PD-US Contributors: ?
Original artist: ?
File:Commons-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: PD Contributors: ? Origi-
nal artist: ?
File:Golden_temple_pano.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Golden_temple_pano.jpg License: CC
BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Apsk121 Angad Pal Singh Kingra
File:Jean-Franois_Allard.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Jean-Fran%C3%A7ois_Allard.jpg Li-
cense: Public domain Contributors: Unknown Original artist: Joseph-Dsir Court
14 9 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

File:Khanda_emblem.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Khanda_emblem.svg License: Public do-

main Contributors: <a href='//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Khanda.png' class='image'><img alt='Khanda.png' src='https://upload.
wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e2/Khanda.png/75px-Khanda.png' width='75' height='89' srcset='https://upload.wikimedia.
org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e2/Khanda.png/113px-Khanda.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/
e2/Khanda.png/150px-Khanda.png 2x' data-le-width='186' data-le-height='220' /></a> Original artist: Fred the Oyster
File:Maha_Raja_Ranjet_Singh_Birth_place,_Panoramic_view..jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/
38/Maha_Raja_Ranjet_Singh_Birth_place%2C_Panoramic_view..jpg License: CC BY-SA 4.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist:
Tipoo Fawwad
File:Maharaja_Ranjit_Singh_with_wives_Wellcome_V0045197.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/
a5/Maharaja_Ranjit_Singh_with_wives_Wellcome_V0045197.jpg License: CC BY 4.0 Contributors:
http://wellcomeimages.org/indexplus/obf_images/04/9c/4e09b4f8b4ff9edc9e9cfff54068.jpg
Original artist: ?
File:Maharaja_Ranjit_singh{}s_treasure.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Maharaja_Ranjit_
singh%27s_treasure.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Online gallery of the British Library [1] Original artist: Eden, Emily
File:Ranjit_Singh{}s_golden_throne.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Ranjit_Singh%27s_golden_
throne.jpg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by NotFromUtrecht using CommonsHelper.
Original artist: The original uploader was VAwebteam at English Wikipedia
File:Samadhi_of_Ranjit_Singh_123.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Samadhi_of_Ranjit_Singh_
123.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Shahbaz Aslam429`
File:Sikh_Empire_tri-lingual.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Sikh_Empire_tri-lingual.jpg Li-
cense: CC BY-SA 4.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Jangvijay

9.3 Content license

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