Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Reign, The Golden Age of Punjab
Maharaja Ranjit Singh was one of the greatest leaders of the Indian Sub-Continent and the last independent ruler of Punjab, who was able to unite the province, provide safety and security to its inhabitants by securing the turbulent western frontier. His reign brought economic prosperity to its citizens, which ultimately led to the Golden Age of Punjab.
He was son of Mahan Singh, one of the 12 Sikh Chiefs who ruled Punjab. He belonged to a great lineage of ancestors, who altruistically served the Sikh faith and community. Ranjit’s father died when he was young and he was raised by his mother and his sagacious mother-in-law Sada Kaur, who instilled the qualities of leadership, statesmanship and indomitable spirit in him. Even though Ranjit Singh was deprived of formal education in his youth, he was intelligent, inquisitive and was always willing to learn from others by participating in discussions and sharing ideas. He was disfigured at a young age and lost an eye due to smallpox, however his pleasing personality, intelligence and charm always won over the most beautiful women of the time.
Maharaja Ranjit was a gifted leader, who was able to unite the disparate chiefs of Punjab and during the last invasion of Afghan ruler, Shah Zaman was able to instill confidence and the spirit of resilience, defiance in his people. Instead of abandoning the Punjab, the chiefs under his leadership faced the Afghan ruler with determined resolution and Ranjit Singh even challenged him to a duel. On his retreat from Punjab, Shah Zaman lost his canons, which Ranjit Singh acutely delivered to the Afghan ruler, won his respect and admiration. Ranjit knew when to exert force and when to negotiate, as he successfully demonstrated this trait during his encounter with the Afghan King.
Punjab was ruled by twelve independent, equal chiefs called Misls. These Misls were able to rule over most of Punjab and successfully resisted the invaders and protected the people during the tumultuous period of 1700s. Once the foreign threat was removed, the Misl chefs fought amongst themselves, which resulted in chaos and instability in the region. Ranjit Singh was able to unite these warring Misls by matrimonial allegiance, by making strategic alliances of brotherhood with like-minded leaders or by usurping the territories of recalcitrant rulers. He was however, benevolent to whom he vanquished and after taking over their territories, offered pensions and land grants to the leaders or their next of kin. Ranjit Singh was able to bring the provinces of Kashmir, Multan and Peshawar within his empire by leading successful military expeditions under the leadership of his trusted and able generals.
Ranjit Singh was a statesman, with foresight and excellent diplomatic skills. During the nascent period of his kingdom, when he was consolidating power and establishing his dominance over Punjab, he avoided a potentially fatal encounter with the British and saved his kingdom. The Maratha Chief, Holkar after being defeated by the British, came to Punjab to seek Ranjit Singh’s help in resting the British. Ranjit Singh being a visionary realized that it was not the opportune time to face a powerful foe. He therefore, diplomatically negotiated a settlement with Holkar and the British and avoided a potentially fatal war.
Ranjit Singh also realized the growing power of the British in the East. They were able to defeat the most powerful kings like Tipu Sultan of Mysore, subdue the Nizam of Hydrabad and bring the power of Marathas to a check. He was able to negotiate a peaceful treaty with the British and ‘Perpetual Friendship’ by signing the treaty of 1809. The southern border was marked by the river Satluj and both powers agreed to have amicable relationships. During his reign of forty years, Ranjit Singh was able to maintain a friendly relationship of mutual respect, and equal footing by exchanging diplomatic missions with the British. Even though they never fully trusted each other, they were able to mutually coexist. Ranjit Singh had visitors from many European nations and he always welcomed his guests with respect, showered them with gifts and had lengthy discussions about their culture. He had an amicable relationship with the French Emperor and exchanged gifts with him.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh was a tolerant and secular ruler, who had respect for all faiths. He believed in the Sikh tenants of equality and universal brotherhood and regarded all humanity as one and looked at everyone equally with his ‘Single Eye’. Ranjit Singh gave liberal patronage to all faiths and donated to their places of worship: he guided the Harminder Sahib (Golden Temple) as it appears today. He gave funds to Hindu temples and Mosques for their upkeep and maintenance. It is said once a Muslim scholar was unable to sell a copy of the Quran, he approached Ranjit Singh, who offered a generous amount to the scholar and kept the Holy Scripture reverently in his possession. Unfortunately, due to misinformation, it has been alleged that the Maharaja desecrated Muslim shrines. According to official documented records, he respected Islamic heritage sites and places of worship and gave liberally for their maintenance. Also, considering the fact that Muslims formed forty five percent of Punjab’s population and many were employed in his army, he could not have defiled their religious sites without evoking the wrath of his Muslim subjects.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh, like other contemporary kings of his time had twenty two wives, a number small comparted to hundreds or thousands maintained by other rulers. He was respectful to women and married the women he liked. He even undertook a religious punishment to marry a Muslim women, Moran, whom he loved and married after obtaining consent from her parents and community. He treaded his children from his marriages with respect and dignity and ensured that they received adequate upbringing.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh employed people from all faiths and nationalities in his government and army. His Foreign Minister was a Muslim, his Chief Minister was a Hindu, one of his most important and trusted general’s was Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa, a Sikh. Muslims were employed in the artillery and were experts in handling canons. The Sikhs soldiers were excellent horsemen and later on became proficient in infantry and matched in drills with their European counterparts. Maharaja Ranjit Singh employed some of the best Europeans in his army. They helped in transforming his army into one of the finest, well disciplined and modern fighting machines of the time. Maharaja offered a better pay and compensation to his soldiers as compared to the ones employed by the British. As long as he was alive, his soldiers were motivated and willing to carry out campaigns at remote locations and under the harshest conditions.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh had a well-established government machinery and administrative setup during his rule, which resulted in economic prosperity of its inhabitants. The taxes imposed on the farmers were fair and just. Even though the land may have been accessed at a higher value based on the potential yield, his officials were lenient and often collected lower taxes on the produce. During the times of famine or natural disasters, he exempted the people from paying taxes or collected a reasonable amount from them. This put less economic burden on the farmers. Also, family members of farmers worked for his Army; the generous salary they earned from military service was remitted back to the villages and their inhabitants. The liberal taxes and high rate of employment resulted in economic prosperity for people of Punjab. They were happy and content with the Sikh rule after decades of hardship, persecution and intolerance.
Education was encouraged in Punjab. Both men and women were inspired to take up education in their childhood and there were village schools, which offered education in basic local language, math and science. Compared to rest of India, Punjabis were reasonably well educated and there were less social evils and superstition in Punjab as compared to other parts of the sub-continent.
Hospitals and medical facilities also existed in villages and major cities of Punjab. There were reasonable means of communication between towns/villages. Crime rate was relatively low in Punjab. Maharaja Ranjit Singh had abolished capital punishment during his reign. His officials imparted fair justice to the citizens and they were free to approach the Maharaja if they felt that they were unjustly tried by the lower courts.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh was a patron of fine art and architecture. His reign may be considered the golden age for Sikh art. During his rule, artists from the hills settled in Punjab plains and produced one of the most unique pieces of art, which can be seen today in museums and is in the possession of private collectors. His reign saw the emergence of Sikh architecture, which was a fusion of Hindu and Muslim styles. This architecture can been seen at various Sikh shrines in both present day India and Pakistan. Numerous Gurdwaras were constructed by him and his generals. The Gurdwara at Hasan Abdal, Panja Sahib was constructed by patronage of his General Hari Singh Nalwa. Various forts were erected during his reign to protect the borders as well as major cities. These structures are still in extant in Punjab and are still used by the present Government.
Maharaja Ranjit was a humble human being, who preferred to be seated on a simple chair as opposed to an expensive throne. He lived a modest lifestyle, dressed in a plain attire and hardly put on any jewellery, expect on special occasions, when he wore the famous diamond ‘Koh-i-Noor’. He however encouraged his courtiers to be handsomely dressed while in his presence. He was a devout Sikh, who listened to the Sikh scriptures diligently; however, he was not an orthodox person who imposed his religious views on others. His liberal attributes, leadership skills, and vision to unite the people, and look after their welfare won the hearts of his subjects. He earned their respect and is considered to be one of the greatest leaders of his time, while his reign can be termed as the Golden Age of Punjab.
