In the wake of Mughal decline and Afghan invasions, Maharaja Ranjit Singh unified the fractured Sikh Misls to forge a powerful, secular empire centered in the Punjab.
With Lahore as its capital, the empire modernized its army with European officers and expanded aggressively, capturing Multan, Kashmir, and Peshawar.
Sikh Administration
Ranjit Singh's administration was notably secular, employing Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs in high positions of power. His modernized army, the Khalsa, was the most formidable indigenous military force on the subcontinent.
British Annexation
Following Ranjit Singh's death in 1839, the empire fell into political chaos. The British East India Company exploited this instability, eventually defeating the Khalsa in the Anglo-Sikh Wars and annexing the Punjab in 1849.
Territorial Expansion of the Sikh Empire
Major Events
- 1799: Capture of Lahore by Ranjit Singh
- 1818: Capture of Multan
- 1834: Capture of Peshawar
- 1845-1849: The First and Second Anglo-Sikh Wars
Key Figures
Historical Media
