3 Review(s)

Ranjit Singh: Maharaja of The Punjab is the story of the pillar of the Sikh empire, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, by Khushwant Singh. Summary of the Book Born into a royal family, Ranjit Singh was the foundation stone of the Sikh empire, and his legacy has guided the Sikh religion forever, forming the state of Punjab as we know it. Starting with the sacking of Lahore, wresting it from the Bhangi Misl to make it his capital, Ranjit Singh's military conquests pit his name among those of Napoleon and Muhammad Ali of Egypt. He fought against the remaining Sikh misls and built the Sikh empire as a formidable opponent against the British. In this book, Khushwant Singh composes his ode to this mighty conqueror, telling readers how he reduced many of his neighbouring states to his territories, making them pay tributes regularly. An authoritative book, it makes an interesting read for all Sikhs and anyone interested in the origin of the state of Punjab. About Khushwant Singh Khushwant Singh was an Anglo-Indian writer, advocate, politician and journalist. A Padma Vibhushan awardee, Mr. Singh is best remembered for his humour, love of poetry and his vigourous treatment of secularism in his writings, most evident in: The Company of Women, Truth, Love and a Little Malice, With Malice towards One and All, The Mark of Vishnu and Other Stories and Delhi: A Novel. A graduate of Government College, Lahore, St. Stephen's College in Delhi and King's College London, he read for the Bar at the Inner Temple and served as a practising lawyer for nearly fifteen years before entering journalism. He has worked with The Illustrated Weekly, The National Herald and Hindustan Times. A prolific writer, Mr. Singh wrote till the grand old age of 99, releasing his last work The Good, The Bad and The Ridiculous a few months before his passing in March 2014.