Maharaja Ranjit Singh Stories

Empire of the Sikhs

Ranjit Singh was one of the most powerful and charismatic Indian rulers of his age, but has been largely forgotten by recent Western historians. Yet his achievements have had a lasting impact. He unified the warring chiefdoms of the Punjab in a northern Empire of the Sikhs, built up a formidable modern army, kept the British in check to the south, and closed the Khyber Pass through which plunderers had for centuries poured into India. He was also humane and just in his victories, giving employment to defeated foes, and honored religious faiths other than his own. This new biography uses a variety of eye-witness accounts from Indian and European sources to chronicle his life and the controversial period of the Anglo-Sikh Wars following his death.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh:
lord of the five rivers

This book examines the achievements of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, ruler of the last great Indian state which successfully resisted British expansionism until 1849. The main emphasis is on the dynamism and energy of the Maharaja and the Punjabi people in establishing a state in the Land of the Five Rivers. Ranjit Singh's empire ultimately came to include Kashmir, Ladakh, and Peshawar, extending as far west as the Khyber Pass. Ranjit Singh respected the ethnic and religious diversity of the people of the Punjab and successfully forged a political, social, and cultural synthesis among them.

He also introduced innovative administrative measures in the political, economic, and cultural spheres of his kingdom. His secular policy was matched by his modernising drive, seen most spectacularly in the military field where innovative measures were introduced with the help of French and Italian military officers who had served under Napoleon. Among the most serious military challenges which the British encountered in their century-long conquest of India (1757-1849) occurred on the battlefields of Ferozeshah and Chillianwala. In addition to the political, military and economic aspects of Ranjit Singh's administration, the book also throws light on some of the little-known yet fascinating cultural achievements of his rule. These include the Imam Bakhsh Lahori school of painting, the discovery of Gandhara art, and the exploration of the Himalayas, which are presented here for the first time.
This volume elaborates on the catalogue of the exhibition Life and Times of Maharaja Ranjit Singh organised by the Government of Punjab at the Rambagh Place, Amritsar, Punjab to celebrate and commemorate the bicentenary of the coronation of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (16 November 1801-2001). It is lavishly illustrated with 216 colour illustrations and six maps

Maharaja Ranjit Singh

UBS Publishers' Distributors in association with National Institute of Panjab Studies, 2002 - Religion - 96 pages
Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839) Popularly Known As The Lion Of The Panjab Is, Perhaps The Most Outstanding Figure In Panjab History. Because Of His Extraordinary Qualities As A Fighter, Conqueror And An Empire Builder Ranjit Singh Is Often Compared With The Napoleon Bonaparte, Bismarck And Akbar. Rising From The Position Of The Chief Of One Of The Twelve Sikh Confederacies In The Eighteenth Century Panjab, Ranjit Singh Was The First Panjabi Ruler Who Established A Vast Empire In North India, Which Extended From The Khybar Pass In The North West, Sutlej In The East, Deserts Of Sind In The South And China And Tibet In The North. This Book Tries To Capture The Life And Times Of The Maharaja Based On Some Of The Hitherto Inaccessible And Unpublished Material Collected From Various Repositories In India, Pakistan And The United Kingdom.

Kashmir Under Maharaja Ranjit Singh

 

 

This Work Is An English Version Of A Part Of The Travel Account Of German Scholar Mr Charles Baron, Von Hugel Who Visited The World Famous Charming Valley Of Kashmir During The Reign Of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, The Lion Of The Punjab. This Travel Account Is The Most Important Source Material For The History Of Kashmir Under The Sikh Rule. Unfortunately It Remained Unnoticed By The Research Scholars As It Was Not Available In English. This Transla¬Tion Has Been Made More Meaningful By Providing Exhaustive And Annotated Biblio¬Graphical Notes At The End Of Every Chapter. These Notes Have Been Borrowed From The Works Of The Contemporary Authors To Supplement This Work.The Appendixes Annexed To This Book At The End Include Some Of The Important Documents Dealing With The Industrial Out¬Put Of Kashmir And The Burden Of Taxation To Which The Kashmiri-Traders, Artists And Cultivators Were Liable During The Rule Of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.