Maharaja Ranjit Singh is one of the most prominent king of Punjab, who has fought for the Sikh empire. He is known as Sher-e-Punjab. He was the one who founded the United Sikh Empire. His aura was very prominent and bold. He has maintained the consistency of the Sikh rule in India when it was important for the community to save itself from diminishing. This blog will take you further on the life journey of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the history of the Sikh Community.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Life History and Background
Maharaja Ranjit Singh was born on 13 November 1780 in Gujranwala (now in Pakistan). His original name was Buddh Singh, and this powerful personality was born to Sardar Maha Singh and Sardarni Raj Kaur. Giving birth to such a fearless man was a matter of glory. He was attack by a disease call smallpox when he was a kid which affect her eye. This doesn’t demoralise his potential; rather, his one-eyed experience was related to the fact that he sees every religion, community, and caste equally.
| Name | Maharaja Ranjit Singh |
| Real Name | Buddh Singh |
| Birth Date | 13 November 1780 |
| Birth Place | Gujranwala (now in Pakistan) |
| Father | Maha Singh |
| Mother | Sardarni Raj Kaur |
Personal and Married Life
Historical marriages were very interesting to note. Since Maharaja Ranjit Singh needed to combine the split regions of Punjab, marrying the princesses was the only way. Some regions were won after fighting with the ruler. Others were acquire by marrying the princess. Thus, his first wife was Mehtab Kaur (daughter of Gurbaksh Singh and Sada Kaur). He married for the second time to the Nakkai princess named Raj Kaur to acquire the state. Later, he married Maharani Jind Kaur, the youngest wife of Ranjit Singh and mother of the last Maharaja, Duleep Singh.
The Powerful Rise of Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Maharaj declared Lahore the capital of the whole community. The most prominent day of his life was 12 April 1801, the day of Baisakh. This particular day is mark in history as the day of his coronation, done by Sahib Singh Bedi (from the family of Sri Nanak Dev Ji). He declared himself the ‘Maharaja’ and acquired the throne. At the ae of 19, he was declare Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Administration and Governance
- Talking about his administration and governance, it was clear that his rule was unbiased and respected every religion. He was more than a warrior and modernised his kingdom in various ways. The way he managed the law and order was par excellence. He banned the slaughter of cows and protected the religious fight between Hindus and Muslims. The way he dealt with the corruption was strong. The police and army were organise very well.
- Another interesting aspect of his administration was his respect for every religion. He was very unbiased and preferred talents over religion. The name of his foriegn minister was Fakir Aziz-ud-din, who was a muslim. And the finance minister was a Brahmin name Dina Nath, and the Prime Minister was Dhian Singh, a Dogra.
Golden Temple Renovation
The most beautiful thing that he did during his era was reconstructing the Golden Temple in Amritsar. For him, his religion was very important, and thus it was very necessary to beautify the monuments that his ancestors had created to preserve the sikh religion and maintain its essence from generation to generation.
Thus, he reconstructed the golden temple with gold and gave it the name “Golden Temple”. This was a matter of celebration for all the sikh community. His step for reconstruction was beautifully glorified by everyone.
Infrastructure and Development
His infrastructural development included constructing canals, gardens, and roads. Promotion of art, architecture and literature was the most important aspect he follows during his era. And it develope the culture of the whole community. For every ruler, it is very important to preserve the culture and authenticity of their traditions.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Military Arms and Major Conquests
- Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s military arm was the most powerful army of that time. this army popularly known as the Khalsa Army when he was ruiling. And, he was name as Sarkar-e-Khalsa during his time period.
- He collaborated with European Officers to train his armies with modern techniques and equipment. This was a step to collaborate with the foreigners and maintain cordial relations with them. Officers like J.B. Ventura(Italy) and Jean Francois (France) were employe to train their troops in European Warfare.
Given below are the some of the great initiative taken by Maharaja during her time period:
| Major Conquests | Year & Area |
|---|---|
| Religious Unity Among Sikhs | 1802 in Amritsar |
| Extended the Empire and controlled rich territories | 1818 in Multan and 1819 in Kashmir |
| Conquered by the Afghans | 1834 in Peshawar |
| Strengthened the Military of his Empire at its borders with Afghanistan | In 1837, in the Battle of Jamrud |
Relation with the Britishers During the Colonial Era
The British were afraid of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh, as it was necessary to build a peaceful bond with them, and the initiative was the “Treaty of Amritsar”. Since the Britishers didn’t want him to come to their territory, and were ready to sign a peaceful bond with him.
Treaty of Amritsar
In the year 1809 the treaty of Amritsar was singed by Maharaja Ranjeet Singh. The initiative to sign this treaty was a fear of Sher-e-Punjab. At the time of the treaty, Lord Minto was the Governor General of India. They settled on a part of the Satluj River in the middle of their settlement, and the decision was that both parties would not cross the borders beyond their boundaries.
Personality and Bold Nature
Maharaja Ranjit Singh was a devout Sikh and considered himself a humble servant of the God. He was very adept at donating wealth and materials for the shrines. Maharaj Ranjit Singh built two Takhts: Patna Sahib and Sri Hazur Sahib. He even donated gold plates to Sri Harmindir Sahib along with her mother in law Rani Sada Kaur.
His nature was to develop a peaceful and powerful kingdom, and he always wanted to help everyone, no matter what religion they pursued or what community they were from. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the life of the Sikh empire. His presence and aura were the most trusted traits of his personality. Everyone wanted him to live the most of time in the kingdom, because he was the only one who has brought the disunited Punjab together.
Another most respectful part of his personality was that, despite being the Maharaj, he never wore a crown. He sat on a simple cushion rather than on a big chair. This depicted his down-to-earth personality.
Possession of the Koh-i-Noor
The most beautiful and demanded gem of all time is Koh-i-Noor. Maharaja Ranjit Singh possessed this gem in 1813. He was successful in defeating the Afghan ruler Shah Shuja, and conquered the beauty of India back to his control. It was a symbol of power and authority. Though Ranjit Singh never felt greedy about the gem, he donated it to the Jagannath Temple in Puri. But his unfortunate death took away this beauty from us. Once, his empire was demolishe after his death, the gem was taken by the British. And made a part of the British Crown.
His Son and Related Facts
His son, named Duleep Singh, has a very interesting history. He was born in 1838 and was given the throne at the age of 5. Since his father’s sudden death, he was immediately announce as the new heir of the community. He was the youngest son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. In 1849, when the British conquere the Sikh Empire, he was taken by them to England. Dullep was raise as a Christian in England. Though he was always emotionally root to his Sikh Empire, and want to return to his kingdom. He was known as ‘Black Prince of Perthshire’, since he was not able to stay loyal to his community. His life was surround by colonial manipulation and disloyalty to his community.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Death and Descendants
His death was very unfortunate and a reason for the decline of the Sikh Empire. Maharaja Ranjit Singh died on June 27, 1839, in Lahore. He was 58 years old at the time of his death. After his death, his descendants were not able to maintain the consistency of the power that the Maharaja had maintained. No one was powerful enough to handle the pressure given by the Britishers as fearlessly as Ranjit Singh did. Thus, in 1849, the entire Sikh Empire was demolish, and the glorious chapter of the Sikh history was under the Colonial Rule.
Important Facts About Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Important and Prestigious people hold some interesting and notable facts:
- Since his childhood days, he was keen interested in hors riding and different traits of horse riding.
- His court was full of various cultures, including Persian, Urdu, Punjabi, and European languages.
- He claimed the ‘Golden Throne of Punjab’, which was a beautiful throne of that time.
- He also founded Fauj-e-Khas, a very special unit of Napoleon’s army.
Life Summary
To summarise his life, Maharaja Ranjit Singh was a power in himself. Only he was responsible for tying a positive relationship between the Indians and the British. Ranjeet was the one who managed to bring back the Sikh Community, which was shattered due to Afghan rule. It was he who established the Golden Plates on the Golden Temple and named it as we know it today. Although,His legacy is still admired by many because he never linked religion or caste under his administration. His whole administration was full of a variety of Muslims, Persians, Sikhs and more. Maharaja Ranjit Singh has been titled the perfect as “ The Lion of Punjab”.
FAQs:
Ans: Maharaja Ranjit Singh is the most prominent leader of Punjab, who has fought for the Sikh Community and is known as the Lion of Punjab. He was the founder of the Sikh community in the 19th century.
Ans: Maharaja Ranjit Singh was born on 13 November 1780 in Gujranwala (now in Pakistan).
Ans: He was married three times; his first wife was Mehtab Kaur (daughter of Gurbaksh Singh and Sada Kaur). He married for the second time to the Nakkai princess named Raj Kaur to acquire the state. Later, he married Maharani Jind Kaur.
Ans: Maharaja Ranjit Singh is famous for reconstructing the Golden Temple with gold and gave it the name “Golden Temple”.
Ans: Maharaja Ranjit Singh died on June 27, 1839, in Lahore. He was 58 years old at the time of his death.
