Who is ranjit singh

He proceeded to make the state the most powerful in India, securing the holy city of Amritsar and expanding his control north-west with the capture of Peshawar and Kashmir At the end of the Sikh Wars, following his death, most of his territory was annexed by Britain. View all related items in Oxford Reference ». Search for: 'Ranjit Singh' in Oxford Reference ».

All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single entry from a reference work in OR for personal use for details see Privacy Policy and Legal Notice. As its power dimmed across the 18th century, a host of local and regional powers emerged to fill the vacuum.

In the south the sultans of Mysore and the nizams of Hyderabad carved out independent kingdoms. In the basin of the river Ganges, the nawabs of Oudh and Bengal struggled with the Maratha Confederacy to fill the gap left by the Mughal retreat. Reigned: Misalder chief of Sukerchakia Misl from to , and as first and founding Maharaja of the Sikh empire for 38 years from to his death in Coronation: Proclaimed himself Maharaja of the Sikh empire on 12 April after his conquest of Lahore.

Spouse s : At least 18 wives and as many as 46 according to an interview given by his son Duleep Singh in , including: Mehtab Kaur, daughter of the ruler of Kanhaiya Misl, and Datar Kaur, daughter of the ruler of Nakai Misl.

Cause of death : There is much speculation, but likely the result of complications from a stroke and possibly liver failure. Long use of alcohol is often cited as a contributing factor to his death. Famous for: Building the Sikh empire; reconstructing the Golden Temple at Amritsar; owning the Koh-i-Noor diamond ; religious toleration. Everywhere, the rapacious British East India Company and its French counterpart vied to grasp the spoils now seemingly up for grabs. The 12 Sikh Misls were bound together by ties of marriage and religion and could band together as the Sikh confederacy to fend off the numerous Afghan raids that plagued the period — but competition between the Misls was fierce and conflict constant.

But when his father died in , the year-old heir to Sukerchakia Misl — small in stature, his left eye blinded and his face scarred by smallpox — was an unlikely candidate for the founder of an empire. At first, his mother, Raj Kaur, acted as regent and advisor, a role she continued to occupy after his marriage to Mehtab Kaur, daughter of the ruler of Kanhaiya Misl, in When his mother died sometime around , he turned to his mother-in-law, Rani Sadar Kaur, now ruler of Kanhaiya Misl in her own right and every inch the Sikh warrior-chief.

Her council came at a critical juncture. Society, Research Institute Book Agency, Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his times, Amritsar: Dept.

Singh, Gulcharan. All rights reserved. Khullar, K. The gold and marble work of the iconic Golden Temple in Amritsar was also done under his patronage. The Kohinoor diamond, which is currently in the possession of the Queen of England, was once a part of Ranjit Singh's treasure. AP It was only after his death that the British were able to invade Punjab. Ranjit Singh was a 'thorn' that they couldn't pluck while he was alive.

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