In 1801, at the age of just 20 years old, Ranjit Singh became the Maharaja of the Punjab Empire and subsequently became one of the greatest figures in the history of India. He was a fiercely brave leader, capturing the city of Lahore before becoming Maharaja and overcoming a variety of challenges during his 40-year rule, such as harsh terrain, an ethnically and religiously diverse population and strong aggressors including the British and the Afghans. Despite such challenges, Ranjit Singh was able to unite Punjab's various factions yet rule a nation that was strictly secular; the Maharaja was benevolent to his subjects no matter their ethnicity or religion and sought to promote interfaith unity through policies of equality and non-discrimination. Aside from building his own nation, Ranjit built solid strategic relations with his most challenging aggressor - the British. Through stamina and political will, he managed to establish a formal treaty between the two and secured from 1809 Britain's protection against third party attempts to conquer the Punjab. Following Ranjit Singh's death in 1839, the Empire fell into decline. Just six years later, the Punjabis attacked the British, and in 1845 they were beaten and forced to sign the Treaty of Lahore, essentially conceding control to the British.Ranjit Singh's personal characteristics and leadership skills were what held the Punjab nation together in a tumultuous period in history. Mohamed Sheikh's new account of Singh's life illustrates these characteristics and skills and illuminates the man who singlehandedly created and sustained the Empire. Table of contents Introduction PART I: THE RISE TO POWER Chapter 1 The Punjab and Sikhism Chapter 2 The Misls Chapter 3 Ranjit's Childhood Chapter 4 Ruling as a Teenager Chapter 5 Consolidation in Lahore Chapter 6 Reaching out beyond Lahore Chapter 7 Ranjit's Early Civil and Military Infrastructure Chapter 8 More on Ranjit and His Close Family Chapter 9 Enter the British Chapter 10 Almost War, then a Treaty Chapter 11 First Conquests in the Second Decade Chapter 12 Setback and Victory in Kashmir Chapter 13 Events at the Court PART II: HIGH-POINT Chapter 14 At the Midpoint (i): the Civil State Chapter 15 At the Midpoint (ii): Trade, Industry and the Army Chapter 16 Ranjit's Secularism Chapter 17 Tales of the Hero Chapter 18 The Third Decade Opens with a Bang Chapter 19 Syed Ahmed, a Fanatical Interloper Chapter 20 Anti-climax after a Grand Summit of Equals Chapter 21 The Nobles Chapter 22 Steadfast against British Provocation Chapter 23 Caught up in the Great Game Chapter 24 Fateful Conclusion with the British Chapter 25 The End of a Great Life PART III: COLLAPSE AND SURVIVAL Chapter 26 Vicious Aftermath Chapter 27 Bloody Finale Chapter 28 Conclusion Postscript Maharaja Dalip Singh Appendices: Themes highlighting the life and times of Ranjit Singh Appendix 1 Education under Ranjit Singh Appendix 2 The Darbar Appendix 3 The variety and tolerance of Punjabi religions Appendix 4 Urban developments. Appendix 5 The Maharaja Ranjit Singh Panorama Appendix 6 Ranjit Singh's own words