A forgotten classic from India’s favourite storyteller This riveting historical narrative is more full of drama than any fiction. With the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the great Punjab empire he had built was riven by intrigues, betrayals, assassinations and wars until the British finally annexed it, seizing the Kohinoor diamond and sending the young Maharaja Duleep Singh into exile in Britain. Khushwant Singh brings this turbulent period to vivid life in this page-turning account of the collapse of a once-mighty kingdom.

In late-eighteenth-century India, the glory of the Mughal emperors was fading, and ambitious newcomers seized power, changing the political map forever. Enter the legendary Maharajah Ranjit Singh, whose Sikh Empire stretched throughout northwestern India into Afghanistan and Tibet. Priya Atwal shines fresh light on this long-lost kingdom, looking beyond its founding father to restore the queens and princes to the story of this empire's spectacular rise and fall. She brings to life a self-made ruling family, inventively fusing Sikh, Mughal and European ideas of power, but eventually succumbing to gendered family politics, as the Sikh Empire fell to its great rival in the new India: the British. Royals and Rebels is a fascinating tale of family, royalty and the fluidity of power, set in a dramatic global era when new stars rose and upstart empires clashed.

The definitive biography of Ranjit Singh, contemporary of Napoleon and one of the most powerful and charismatic Indian rulers of his ageRanjit Singh has been largely written out of accounts of the subcontinent's past by recent Western historians, yet he had an impact that lasts to this day. He unified the warring chiefdoms of the Punjab into an extraordinary northern Empire of the Sikhs, built up a formidable modern 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. Unique among empire builders, he was humane and just, gave employment to defeated foes, honored religious faiths other than his own, and included Hindus and Muslims among his ministers. In person he was a colorful character whose his court was renowned for its splendor; he had 20 wives, kept a regiment of "Amazons," and possessed a stable of thousands of horses. The authors make use of a variety of eyewitness accounts from Indian and European sources, from reports of Maratha spies at the Lahore Durbar to British parliamentary papers and travel accounts. The story includes the range of the maharaja's military achievements and ends with an account of the controversial period of the Anglo-Sikh Wars following his death, which saw the fall of his empire while in the hands of his successors.

This Is A Translation Of The 1898 Book By Alexander Gardner Called An Eyewitness Account Of The Fall Of Sikh Empire

During the eighteenth and early years of the nineteenth century, the red tide of British expansion had covered almost the entire Indian subcontinent, stretching to the borders of the Punjab. There the great Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh had developed his military forces to thwart any British advance into his kingdom north of the River Sutlej. Yet on the death of Ranjit Singh, unworthy successors and disparate forces fought over his legacy while the British East India Company seized on the opportunity and prepared for battle. In the winter of 1845, the First Anglo-Sikh War broke out.Amarpal S. Sidhu writes a warts and all tale of a conflict characterized by treachery, tragedy and incredible bravery on both sides. In an innovative approach to history writing, the narrative of the campaign is accompanied by battlefield guides that draw on eyewitness accounts and invite the reader to take a tour of the battlefields, either physically or virtually.

The Classic Biography Of One Of India&Rsquo;S Greatest Rulers Ranjit Singh Was In Every Way As Remarkable A Man As His Contemporaries, Napoleon And Mohammed Ali. From The Status Of Petty Chieftain He Rose To Become The Most Powerful Indian Ruler Of His Time. His Empire Extended From Tibet To The Deserts Of Sindh And From The Khyber Pass To The Sutlej. His Army Was One Of The Most Powerful Of The Time In Asia And Was The First Indian Force In A Thousand Years To Stem The Tides Of Invasion From The North-West Frontiers Of Hindustan. This Is The First Detailed Biography Of The First And Only Sikh Ruler Of The Punjab By A Sikh Writer Who Has Devoted Many Years Of His Life To Research On Sikh History. In This Classic Work Khushwant Singh Presents Ranjit Singh As He Really Was. Based On Persian, Punjabi And English Sources And Drawing Upon The Diaries And Accounts Of European Travellers Like Moorcroft, Sir Alexander Burne, Masson, Fane And Emily Eden, This Is A Memorable Account Of The Pageantry And Brilliance Of The Sikh Kingdom At The Height Of Its Power, And A Lively Portrait Of One Of The Most Colourful Characters In Indian History. &Nbsp;