Recently a poll was conducted by ‘BBC World Histories Magazine' to Find out the Greatest Leader of All Time”. Maharaja Ranjit Singh become a ruler in 19th century in Punjab has beaten competition from around the world against 19 renowned leaders like Winston Churchill( though I personally do not consider Churchill to be great at all, Indian Bias:) Abraham Lincon, Queen Elizabeth 1, and many others. To be named as the "Greatest Leader of All Time", in world History. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was nominated by historian Matthew Lockwood an assistant professor of history at the University of Alabama for establishing a "modern empire of toleration". Maharaja of Punjab received 38% of total votes to be named as the "Greatest Leader of All Time".
So who was Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and how did he made such a great name for Himself?
Today we will learn about the life and rule of One of the greatest Indian Ruler, but even more than that he is a figure who is admired equally in both the rival countries of India and Pakistan. His near mythical rule of Tolerance and stability is an example for everyone around the world of How a leader should Lead.
In the late 18th Century the Once Mighty Mughal empire was at the its last stage of Decline. Other regional powers along with the British east India Company were trying to fill these gaps. At such Time The region of Punjab was no different, In Punjab Ranjit Singh’s Father was ruler of one of the 14 Misls or Small Kingdoms that emerged after the collapse of Mughal Empire. Out of these 14 Misls 12 Misls were Sikh Misls, 1 was a Muslim Misl and another one was ruled an Irish Sailor.
 |
| Statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh |
After his father in 1792, when he was 12, he took charge of His father’s Sukerchakia Misl. 12 years old, small in size, with his left eye blinded and his face scarred by smallpox nobody could have imagined him as a founder of an empire at that time. But perhaps these responsibilities at young age shaped him as the man that he turned out to be.
The 12 Sikh Misls were already bonded by marriages, but still at the same time competition between these misls was fierce and conflicts were constant. At a mere age of 17 in 1797 he leads these Misls in a conquest to successfully stop the invasion of Zaman Shah, then ruler of the Afghans Durrani empire. With more victories over afghan in 1798 he solidified his Image as the most Important Military Commander of Punjab and In 1799 with his conquest over City of Lahore he translated his prestige into power. By 1801, at the age of 21 he had sufficiently consolidated his control of the region and then he proclaimed himself as Maharaja of Punjab. With this the Sikh empire was born.
His reign over Punjab from 1801 to 1838, is marked as a golden age for Punjab and north-west India. Though a devoted Sikh, he also went to great lengths to ensure religious freedom of all his subjects within his lands. He open heartedly donated money to Hindu temples and mosques. His modern Army and administration of his empire consisted Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Europeans as well. Under his leadership, infrastructure of region was improved, commerce opened and expanded, and the arts flourished. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was a conqueror, almost uniquely, a unifier but not a crusader he was a force for stability, prosperity and tolerance but he was never known for any unnecessary brutality, popularly referred to as “Sher-e-Punjab” or the “the lion of Punjab”. He ruled over a multi-ethnic, multi-faith, multi-caste empire which had remarkable toleration and inclusivity for its subjects.
During his rule, to secure the internal stability of the empire, Ranjit married a series of women at least 18, but as many as 46 from the ruling families of the region. Multiple marriage was a common practice among Punjabi elites at that time, it was a symbol of status but also a crucial means of forging strong alliances.
To ensure the external security, the army was reformed and modernised by Ranjit Singh, his Khalsa army was at par with any army in the world at that time. In the same manner his administration was a diverse affair as well; his foreign minister was a muslim, finance minister was a Brahmin and his prime minister minister a Rajput. He Also signed a treaty with the British, establishing a firm boundary at the river Sutlej and also agreed on occasional co-ordination against their common enemy, the Afghans.
The stunning rise of the Sikh empire made Ranjit Singh a celebrity in the world. A French traveller compared him to Napoleon as well, while other observers praised him as a military genius. The Britisher’s also agreed to these praises, and they themselves were filled with wonder.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh made his empire and the Sikhs a strong political force, for which he is the Sikhs a strong political force, for which he is deeply admired and revered in Sikhism. But, In the 1830s, Maharaja Ranjit Singh suffered from numerous health complications as well as a stroke, which some historical records attribute to alcoholism and a failing liver.
He left the kingdom in 27th june 1839, the sikh empire began to decline as empire failed to establish a lasting structure for sikh government or a stable succession. Though his empire could not sustain for long, but his legacy certainly has and even today it is so strong, that still he is one of the greatest example of how a leader should be. So that's the story. I hope you liked it.
0 Comments