Sher-e-Punjab

 Maharaja Ranjit Singh

Many a battle was fought for Punjab, the land of the five rivers. At the turn of the nineteenth century, a brave, ambitious man who was blind in one eye, dreamed of unifying Punjab under a powerful Sikh empire. The bold young man was Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780 - 1839).

From a young age, Ranjit Singh displayed uncommon Daring. At a time when Afghans attacked and plundered Punjab, the nineteen-year-old marched into their territory and captured Lahore, long considered a seat of power in the region. Within a decade, he established his control over Amritsar and the rest of the Punjab. 

Ranjit Singh was crowned king in 1801. In 1809, he concluded a treaty with the British, another rising power, agreeing not to conquer territories south of the river Sutlej. Thereafter, he expanded his empire to the north and the west, subjugating Attock, Multan, Kashmir, Ladakh and Peshawar. 

Ranjit Singh was a benevolent and secular-minded ruler. He modernized his army and hired Europeans to train the infantry and the artillery. He was a devout Sikh and he named his government Sarkar Khalsaji. The first coins issued during his reign were in the name of Guru Nanak. He also beautified the Harmandir Sahib, the holiest Sikh shrine, with marble and gold, lending it the name, 'Golden Temple'.