Birthday: November 2, 1780 (Scorpio)
Born In: Gujranwala, Pakistan
Birthday: November 2, 1780 (Scorpio)
Born In: Gujranwala, Pakistan
Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the founder of the Sikh Empire based in the Punjab region. He came to power in the early half of the 19th century, and his empire existed from 1799 to 1849. Born as the son of Maha Singh, the Commander of the Sukerchakia Misl—one of 12 Sikh Misls in Punjab during the 18th century—Ranjit Singh followed in his courageous father’s footsteps to become an even greater leader. He was born in a period when much of Punjab was ruled by the Sikhs under a Confederate Sarbat Khalsa system and the territory was divided among factions known as misls. His father died when Ranjit was 12 years old following which he was raised in the care of his mother Raj Kaur, and later his mother-in-law Sada Kaur. He took over as misldar of the Sukerchakia Misl upon attaining the age of 18 and set about expanding his territory. An ambitious man and a courageous warrior, he started conquering all the others misls and the annexation of Lahore from the Bhangi Misl marked the first important step in his rise to power. Eventually he conquered the region of central Punjab from the Sutlej to the Jhelum, vastly expanded his territory and founded the Sikh Empire. Because of his bravery and courage he earned the title of "Sher-e-Punjab" ("The Lion of Punjab").
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Also Known As: Sher-e-Punjab
Died At Age: 58
Spouse/Ex-: Datar Kaur, Daya Kaur, Maharani Mahtab Devi Sahiba, Ratan Kaur
father: Maha Singh
mother: Raj Kaur
children: Duleep Singh, Kharak Singh
Born Country: Pakistan
place of death: Lahore, Pakistan
Founder/Co-Founder: Sikh Empire
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Ranjit Singh was born on November 13, 1780, in Gujranwala, Sukerchakia Misl (present-day Pakistan) to Maha Singh and his wife Raj Kaur. His father was the Commander of the Sukerchakia Misl. As a child Ranjit Singh was afflicted with small pox which resulted in the loss of one eye.
He began his conquests by annexing the other misls and captured Lahore from the Bhangi Misl in 1799, and later made it his capital. He then captured the rest of the Punjab.
In 1801, he united all the Sikh factions into one state and assumed the title of “Maharaja” on April 12 —the day of Baisakhi. He was 20 years old at the time. Then he set forth further expanding his territory.
He went to the aid of Raja Sansar Chand of Kangra in the Lesser Himalayas in 1809, against an advancing Ghurka force. After defeating the forces, he added Kangra to his empire.
In 1813, he joined a Bārakzay Afghan expedition into Kashmir but was betrayed by the Bārakzays. Nonetheless he went on to rescue Shah Shoja, the brother of the deposed Afghan king, and occupied the fort at Attock on the Indus River, southeast of Peshawar. Then he pressurized Shah Shoja to part with the famous Koh-i-noor diamond that was in his possession.
Ranjit Singh was a secular ruler who had tremendous respect for all religions. His armies included Sikhs, Muslims, and Hindus and his commanders also hailed from different religious communities. In 1820, he began to modernize his army using several European officers to train the infantry and the artillery. The modernized army performed very well in the conquests in the North-West Frontier.
By the 1830s the British were beginning to expand their territories in India. They were intent on keeping the Sindh province for themselves and tried to make Ranjit Singh accept their plans. This was not acceptable to Ranjit Singh and he authorized an expedition led by Dogra commander Zorawar Singh that eventually extended Ranjit Singh’s northern territories into Ladakh in 1834.
Ranjit Singh was also much feared by the British and they did not dare to try to annex his territories for as long as he was alive. He died in 1839, and the Sikh army was defeated in the First Anglo-Sikh War in 1846. By the end of the Second Anglo-Sikh War in 1849, the Punjab was annexed by the British bringing an end to the glorious Sikh Empire.
He died on June 27, 1839, in Lahore, Punjab, Sikh Empire. He was cremated and his remains are stored in the Samadhi of Ranjit Singh in Lahore, Punjab. He was succeeded by his son Kharak Singh.
He is remembered for being an able and just ruler with a magnificent personality. His empire was secular where all religions were respected and no one was discriminated against because of their religious beliefs. He also played a major role in the golden beautification of the Harmandir Sahib. He was much respected throughout the world for his courage and valor and was known as "Sher-e-Punjab" ("The Lion of Punjab").
Maharaja Ranjit Singh was a patron of the arts and encouraged the flourishing of Sikh literature, music, and architecture during his reign.
He was known for his progressive policies, including promoting religious tolerance and appointing officials based on merit rather than birth.
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