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Sikh Artifacts in The Lahore Museum

by JAHO JALAL, Photos by TAHIR IQBAL

 

 

 

The Sikhs, after the demise of the Mughal Empire in the subcontinent, ruled over North India and beyond, into Afghanistan, Tibet and Ladakh) from 1799 to 1849.
 
The empire was forged on the foundations of the Khalsa, under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. At its peak, in the 19th century, its suzernaity extended from the Khyber Pass in the west, to Kashmir in the north, to Sindh in the south, and Tibet in the east.

The death of the Emperor Aurangzeb of the Mughal Empire provided new opportunities for the Sikh army to make further inroads into Mughal and Afghan strongholds. 

The formal start of the Sikh Empire began under Ranjit Singh, who was crowned on 12 April 1801 creating a unified political state. Ranjit Singh rose to power in a very short period, from a leader of a single Sikh Misl to finally becoming the Maharaja of Punjab. He began to modernize his army, using the latest training, as well as weapons and artillery.
 
After his death, the empire was weakened by the treachery of the Hindu Dogras in the Sikh ranks as well as by intrigue at the hands of the British, who stood by across the Sutlej, waiting for the Lion`s death. Internal dissensions and management provided a ready foothold to the empire`s enemies.
 
Finally, by 1849 the state was dissolved after their defeat in the so-called Anglo-Sikh wars, which were concocted by the British to give them a facade of legitmacy for usurping the kingdom.

The Lahore Museum is rich in relics from the Sikh Era.

Tahir Iqbal, who has carried out a lot of research on Sikh history, provides us photographs of the Sikh Era relics, which are preserved in the Sikh Gallery of the Lahore Museum. 

 

Edited for sikhchic.com

December 24, 2011

 

Conversation about this article

1: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), December 24, 2011, 11:45 PM.

When remembering Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the services of the Fakir Family of Lahore shall always remain in gold letters. In the book, "The Punjab Chiefs" by Sir Lepel Griffin, published in 1865, six members of the Fakir family were entitled to seats as "Durbaris". The most trusted progenitor of his family, Fakir Azizuddin Fahad elected to use the title of 'Fakir' for the sake of humility. The Fakir family were dedicated and loyal to the Sikhs to the very end. On the other extreme, the Dogra Hindus shall always be remembered for their perfidy and treachery.

2: Sunny Grewal (Abbotsfsord, British Columbia, Canada), December 26, 2011, 1:08 PM.

In addition to the betrayal by the treacherous Hindu Dogras, Tej Singh and Lal Singh also proved to be saboteurs by deserting their posts during the fighting.

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