Empire of the Sikhs: The Life and Times of Maharaja Ranjit Singh

by Patwant Singh, Jyoti M. Rai

Ranjit Singh has been largely written out of accounts of India's past by British historians, yet he was one of the most powerful and charismatic figures in Indian history. He unified the warring chiefdoms of the Punjab into an extraordinary northern empire, built up a formidable army, kept the British in check to the south of his realm, and closed the Khyber Pass through which plunderers had poured into India for centuries. His consummate humanity was unique among empire-builders. He gave employment to defeated foes, honored faiths other than his own, and included Hindus and Muslims among his ministers. A colorful character, he was inspired by the principles of peaceful coexistence uniquely articulated by the Sikh Gurus, firm in upholding the rights of others, and unabashed in exercising his own. The authors of this first full-length biography in English make use of a variety of eyewitness accounts, from reports by Maratha spies at the Lahore Durbar to British parliamentary papers and travel accounts. The story ends with the controversial Anglo-Sikh Wars following Ranjit's death, which saw the fall of his empire in the hands of his successors whose internecine conflict was exploited by the British. Coinciding with the 300th anniversary of the consecration of the Sikh holy scriptures, this book honors a vital figure in Sikh history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, India, Religion, Biography

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Patwant Singh was a writer, publisher, political commentator, conservationist and philanthropist. In 1952, he settled in Bombay to start a magazine publishing firm.

Reviews

[Ashish Iyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book. Book start from the inception of Sikh religion, goes through various gurus, history, Sikh empire, their people, lifestyle and culture. There are some images too. There are many references. I definitely want to read this book again. So many information is there.

[S P · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of 'Sarkaar'(the one with authority), under whose command the blood soaked soil of Punjab (India & Pakistan) had its Golden time.

The 'Maharaja' - Great King who never called himself a King/Maharaja/Lord,
who never let anyone go empty handed from his court,
who never had any currency printed/minted in his own name,
who never had any busts/statues made of himself,

who remained undefeated till his natural death,
who commanded, fought and won the first battle in his life at the age of 9 years,
whose mastery in warfare and statecraft was unparalleled in his times,
who was revered for his diplomacy and administrative skills,
who was known as a connoisseur of wine, women and weapons,
who bowed to the only supreme authority, one lord,
who stopped the invaders from entering India forever,
who turned the tide back on invaders and won over the Afghans in their home,

Its a story everyone should read about,
its the story of the life of a true servant of the one lord,

Its the story of 'The Life and Times of Maharaja Ranjit Singh' (also known as the 'Sher-e-Punjab', 'the Lion of Punjab'.

[Ravi- Isb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel i read is a historical biography called Empire of the Sikhs The Life and Times of Maharaja Ranjit Singh by Patwant Singh and Jyoti m Rai. This biography was about Maharaja Ranjit Singh who took over his father’s misl at the age of 9. A boy, who was a school dropout, lost his eye and focused on his military skills. He was able to control Punjab and extended his reign over the entire north of Delhi, almost reaching Kabul in the northwest, and it reached Tibet in the north east. He fought numerous invading Hindus, Muslims and Afghans and held back British supremacy for many years.
Why should we consider woman cursed and condemned,
When from woman are born leaders and rulers,
From Woman alone is born woman,
Without woman there can be no human birth.
This quote is actually from the Sikh Holy Scripture, The Guru Granth Sahib and it makes me feel proud to know that in those ages many cultures and religions looked down upon woman as a lower life form to men however the Sikh religion which I practice disagreed with the condemning of women. It is also very interesting to read about a King who used so many of the Guru Granth Sahib teachings as a guide line to for Kingdom.

[Amarjeet Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sikh history has been the victim of the greatest injustice wrought by academia and the multiple foes which the Sikhs have confronted and still confront today on account of their ideology. While the Sikh Empire was far from perfect politically (as is the norm with any governing nexus be it imperialistic or democratic), it represented an enlightened monarchial autocracy cum minor religious theocracy which ameliorated Punjab's horrendous centuries-long record of bloodshed and continued foreign invasions.

The Empire was and still is synonymous with Maharajah Ranjit Singh, an illiterate scion of a prominent Sikh warrior confederacy (Misl) who annihilated the vestiges of an atrophying embryonic Republic to establish a monarchial reign.

Patwant Singh and Rai chart the meteoric rise of the Sikh faith and Empire in this swift-flowing book. The only downsides are that Khusrau is mentioned as being Jahangir's brother rather than son in the context of the fifth Sikh Guru's martyrdom; and attention is barely paid to enigmatic Sikh historic figures such as generalissimo Baba Banda Singh and the Washingtonian Nawab Kapur Singh who paved the way for the rise and consolidation of Sikh sovereignty.

This is a meticulous once in a generation study of a historic figure who precipitated the greatest crisis of confidence to confront the British in the east but has today slowly been effaced from history.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

an interesting insight into an area of historu I had know little about. the Sikh empire was a brief event but had it roots in a turbulent time period stretching back several centuries. luckily for the british it had subjugated the Sikhs and gained access to their soldiers prior to the indian mutiny. without these soldiers india could well have been lost 90 years before it actually became independent

[Altaf Khan]

gives an impartial insight into what Ranjit singh was made off.

[Arjun · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Empire of the Sikhs" brilliantly captures the fascinating life and legacy of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Authored by Peter Bance, this book is an engaging journey through history, tracing the rise of the Sikh Empire and the charismatic leader who shaped it. A must-read for history enthusiasts and those curious about Sikh history.

[Kitja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patwant Singh was fair enough to talk about both sides of the Maharaja with lots of references
Very good history book of a man who's respected by Sikhs around the world, who protected the land of Punjab from invaders.
Very good book

[M.iqbal Hanif]

i want to read this book because i seek the knowledge about punjab Singh government \.

[Namit H · Rating 2 out of 5]

It cannot be argued that the book is a result of deep research by the authors. However, that unfortunately did not reflect in the writing. It's full of innuendoes, personal opinions, and fixed narratives. The language is heavy on adjectives and the flow of the content is such that it becomes difficult to remain focused. I have been fascinated by the history of Sikhs and wanted to learn more about the man 'Ranjit Singh' rather than the legend. The book did cover many aspects of his life in detailed description. However, it still felt like something was lacking. Perhaps, more emphasis on creative storytelling would have helped. If you are someone who is interested in knowing about the Sikh history and particularly the history of Ranjit Singh's empire, I suggest that you begin with Baba Banda Bahadur's biography. An understanding of the history of the Gurus and their lives is also essential. Happy reading.

[Sunny · Rating 3 out of 5]

An attempt to amend my high school world history.
Found this volume from the local library and picked it up as a follow-up read from 'In Search of Amrit Kaur' by Livia Manera Sambuy.

The book introduces Sikhism - basic teachings, how it started, list of gurus and their accomplishment in the first chapter. The main story is about Ranjit Singh (1780-1839) who led Sikhs and established a Punjab based kingdom (?). Interesting to learn about the religious diversity accepting Sikh teaching. Also helps to understand complicated dynamic between Mughal dynasties, Afghan, British (East Indian company) with Sikh of the time period.

One thing bother me about the book is the author's opinion seem to poke out frequently. Disliked finding value/judgement added works- moral, evil, extraordinary etc. It's very clear which side the authors are cheering for. I would rather have a history book laying out the well-balanced facts from various sides and leaving any value added opinion for my own.

[Jatin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Extremely biased

This author is extremely biased. His going in axiom is that Sikhism is the greatest religion in the world and that anything deviating from that faith is bound for failure. Also, the extreme bitterness against non Sikhs and British just oozes out of every page. The book is fast paced so that’s a relief but as a historian, the lack of objectivity makes it nigh impossible to give anything this person writes any degree of fidelity.

[Sukh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

[Harpreet Multani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suchhhh an amazing & informative book

[Aman Lidder · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf

[Crowley · Rating 3 out of 5]

While reading Return of a King by William Dalrymple, I first came across the Lion of Punjab.
His description sparked an interest in me to find out more about this man.
My knowledge of the Punjab is rather limited, and this is the first book I have read on the topic.

To begin with, anyone who reads this book must acknowledge the huge Biases which emanate from the page. The book, at times, comes across as proselytizing material for the Sikh Religion. With this in mind, the book attempts at times to portray Ranjit Singh as the culmination and the embodiment of the religion, a worthy successor to the Gurus.

The Pashtuns/Afghans are portrayed completely in the wrong, along with the Mughals and every other nation in the region.

Even actions which by todays moral standards (his under age marriage for example) are despicable, are justified.

I of course understand that when writing about historical figures, historians cannot spend all their time condemning their actions, else their work would become elongated and never reach its conclusion, but pure adulation should not be the compromise.

Admittedly, the book also mentions frequently how Singh went against the religion in many ways, and ultimately concludes that the failure of his state was down to trusting of non-believers and as he failed to follow the core principals of his religion closely enough.

However, once one recognises the fact that history is seldom black or white and can pinpoint the author's Biases, the book does present a good narrative and summary of the life and legacy of Ranjit Singh, as well as that of the early Sikh movement. It was certainly for me a good introduction to the history of the peroid, and of the key players in the region.

[Jaspal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting and well researched, but loses stars because it seems (to me) that it lacks objectivity.