Product Description

Ranjit Singh (1780-1839) has been largely written out of accounts of India's past by British historians. Yet he was one of the most powerful and charismatic figures in Indian history. He unified the warring chiefdoms of the Punjab into an extraordinary northern empire stretching the borders of Kabul and Tibet, built up a formidable army, kept the British in check to the south of his realm, and closed the Khyber Pass through which plunderers had for centuries poured into India. His role provided the north with a political and cultural landscape more integrated and relaxed than any to be found elsewhere in the subcontinent before or since. Singh's consummate humanity was unique among empire-builders. He gave employment to defeated foes, honoured faiths other than his own, and included Hindus and Muslims among his ministers. He was a colourful character. Inspired by the principles of peaceful coexistence uniquely articulated by the Sikh Gurus and firm in upholding the rights of others, he was unabashed in exercising his own. His court was reknowned for its splendour; he had around twenty wives, kept a regiment of 'Amazons' and possessed a stable of thousands of horses. On ceremonial occasions he would wear the Koh-i-noor. The authors of this first full-length biography in English make use of a variety of eye-witness accounts, from reports by Maratha spies at the Lahore Durbar to British parliamentary papers and travel accounts. The story ends with the controversial Anglo-Sikh Wars following Ranjit's death, which saw the fall of his empire in the hands of his successors whose internecine conflict was exploited by the British. The 300th anniversary of the consecration of the Sikh holy scriptures with which the publication of this book coincides is a fitting moment for a long overdue appraisal of a figure who contributed so much to Sikh history and made Amritsar's Golden Temple one of the greatest religious pilgrimage sites in the world.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #65290 in Books
• Published on: 2008-11-21
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 312 pages

Review
Kate Mosse (presenter): 'I was really grateful to have read the book. I knew very little about Sikhism. I was very interested to learn about its history and about Ranjit Singh being a contemporary of Napoleon's, with these two completely different ways of working in India and Europe . . . I think there is no doubt that the two authors are scholars, and the research here is fantastic . . . I loved the early chapters' description of the birth of Sikhism and the beauty of its texts, and it s made me want to know more . . . I also loved the fact that this book is written in Indian English - it hasn't been Americanized, and there is that sense of richness about it.' --Kate Mosse, BBC Radio 4, A Good Read

This is a story well worth telling, and Patwant Singh and Jyoti Rai do so with verve and enthusiasm --David Goodall, The Tablet

Praise for Patwant Singh's 'The Sikhs': 'A balanced, nuanced and well-documented study of a people little understood in the West' --Publishers Weekly

About the Author
Patwant Singh is one of the leading writers on India's history, politics, international affairs and environment, with the most authoritative archive on Sikh history anywhere.

Customer Reviews

Excellent - well written and very inspiring
This book is a realy eye-opener. Very well structured and readable, it is beautifully
written in rich and refined language.

Although a Sikh myself, my UK upbringing meant that I knew very little about the history
of Sikhism or of Punjab. This book does an excellent job in filling in all the gaps for
me. I found it very inspiring - some of the sacrifices and hardships that Sikhs faced in
the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries at the hands of the Mughal rulers are shocking.

This book encaptures the spirit of Sikhism, the values of equality, freedom,
for fighting against oppression, and for the belief in peaceful co-existence
with those of other faiths. The acheivements of the Gurus, the Sikh warriors and rulers
are a real inspiration for any Sikh today.

A must read!