Sikh Empire

The‌ ‌**Sikh ‌Empire‌** ‌was ‌an ‌empire mainly ‌based ‌in Punjab region‌ of the Indian subcontinent. It lasted‌ from ‌1799, ‌when Maharaja‌‌ Ranjit Singh captured‌‌ Lahore, until ‌1849, when‌ the British East India Company‌ defeated‌ them in the Second‌ Anglo-Sikh War. The empire stretched from ‌‌Gilgit and ‌Tibet in ‌the‌‌ north ‌‌to the ‌deserts‌ of Sindh in the south and from the Khyber‌ Pass in the west to the Sutlej in the‌ east.

This empire was divided into four provinces; Lahore, Multan, Peshawar, and Kashmir and had a diverse population of around 4.5 million in 1831, with Muslims being the majority at 70% and Sikhs at 6%. The British Empire annexed it, marking the end of Sikh rule in the Indian subcontinent.

The empire's origins trace back to the capture of Lahore from Zaman Shah Durrani, and Ranjit Singh became Maharaja in 1801. Expelling Afghans and unifying Sikh misls, he modernized the army with advanced training and weaponry. However, after his death, internal divisions and political mismanagement weakened the empire. The British East India Company took advantage, and in 1849, the Sikh Empire fell after losing the Second Anglo-Sikh War.

## History

The Sikh Empire officially started in 1801 when the Misls united to form a single state. The leaders of the Misls, linked to the army, were usually from noble families with a long history in Sikh and Muslim traditions.

The empire covered the Punjab region to the west, Khyber Pass, Kashmir in the north, Sindh in the south, and Tibet in the east. In 1799, Ranjit Singh moved the capital from Gujranwala to Lahore, previously established by his grandfather in 1763. Ranjit Singh annexed the Sial State in 1807 after invading Jhang, citing a conspiracy between the local ruler and Nawab Muzaffar Khan of Multan.

Hari Singh Nalwa served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Sikh Khalsa Army from 1825 to 1837. He played a key role in conquering various regions and securing the Koh-i-Noor diamond. Nalwa expanded the empire's frontier to the Indus River, and at the time of his death, the western boundary was the Khyber Pass.

### Timeline

- 1699: Formation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh.
- 1710–1716: Banda Singh defeats the Mughals and declares Khalsa rule.
- 1716–1738: Turbulence, no real ruler; Mughals take back the control for two decades but Sikhs engage in guerrilla warfare.
- 1733–1735: The Khalsa accepts, only to reject, the confederal status given by the Mughals.
- 1748–1757: Invasion of Ahmad Shah Durrani
- 1761–1767: Recapture of Punjab region by Afghans in Third Battle of Panipat.
- 1763–1774: Charat Singh Sukerchakia, Misldar of Sukerchakia misl, establishes himself in Gujranwala.
- 1764–1783: Baba Baghel Singh, Misldar of Singh Krora Misl, imposes taxes on the Mughals.
- 1783: Sikh capture of Delhi and the Red Fort from the Mughals.
- 1773: Ahmad Shah Durrani dies and his son Timur Shah launches several invasions into Punjab.
- 1774–1790: Maha Singh becomes Misldar of the Sukerchakia misl.
- 1790–1801: Ranjit Singh becomes Misldar of the Sukerchakia misl.
- 1799, formation of the Sikh Khalsa Army
- 12 April 1801 (coronation) – 27 June 1839: reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
- March 1809 – August 1809: Nepal–Sikh War.
- 20 February 1810: Siege of Multan (1810).
- 1 June 1813: Ranjit Singh is given the Kohinoor Diamond.
- 13 July 1813: Battle of Attock, the Sikh Empire's first significant victory over the Durrani Empire.
- March – 2 June 1818: Battle of Multan, the 2nd battle in the Afghan–Sikh wars.
- 3 July 1819: Battle of Shopian.
- 14 March 1823: Battle of Nowshera.
- 30 April 1837: Battle of Jamrud.
- 27 June 1839 – 5 November 1840: Reign of Maharaja Kharak Singh.
- 5 November 1840 – 18 January 1841: Chand Kaur is briefly Regent.
- 18 January 1841 – 15 September 1843: Reign of Maharaja Sher Singh.
- May 1841 – August 1842: Sino-Sikh war.
- 15 September 1843 – 31 March 1849: Reign of Maharaja Duleep Singh.
- 1845–1846: First Anglo-Sikh War.
- 1848–1849: Second Anglo-Sikh War.

#### Administration

The empire was divided into various provinces (known as _Subas_), them namely being:
|No.|Name|Estimated population (1838)|Major population centre|
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|1.|Lahore Suba|1,900,000|Lahore|
|2.|Multan Suba|750,000|Multan|
|3.|Peshawar Suba|550,000|Peshawar|
|4.|Derajat Suba|600,000|Dera Ghazi Khan, Dera Ismail Khan|
|5.|Jammu and Hill States Suba|1,100,000|Srinagar|

## List of rulers

|S. No.|Name|Portrait|colspan=2|Birth and death|colspan=3|Reign|colspan=2|Note||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|1|Maharaja Ranjit Singh||13 November 1780 (Gujranwala)|27 June 1839 (Lahore)|12 April 1801|27 June 1839||The first Sikh ruler|Stroke|
|2|Maharaja Kharak Singh||22 February 1801 (Lahore)|5 November 1840 (Lahore)|27 June 1839|8 October 1839||Son of Ranjit Singh|Poisoning|
|3|Maharaja Nau Nihal Singh||11 February 1820 (Lahore)|6 November 1840 (Lahore)|8 October 1839|6 November 1840||Son of Kharak Singh|Assassinated|
|4|Maharani Chand Kaur||1802 (Fatehgarh Churian)|11 June 1842 (Lahore)|6 November 1840|18 January 1841||Wife of Kharak Singh and the only female ruler of Sikh Empire|Abdicated|
|5|Maharaja Sher Singh||4 December 1807 (Batala)|15 September 1843 (Lahore)|18 January 1841|15 September 1843||Son of Ranjit Singh|Assassinated|
|6|Maharaja Duleep Singh||6 September 1838 (Lahore)|22 October 1893 (Paris)|15 September 1843|29 March 1849||Son of Ranjit Singh|Exiled|
|7|Maharani Jind Kaur||1817 (Gujranwala)|1 August 1863 (Kensington)|15 September 1843|29 March 1849||Wife of Ranjit Singh|Exiled|