A reading guide from Life in the Sikh Kingdoms ·
1699 · The Khalsa
Guru Gobind Singh inaugurates the Khalsa at Vaisakhi. This milestone in Sikh religious history precedes Ranjit Singh’s kingdom by a century.[1]
1710 · An earlier Sikh state
Banda Singh Bahadur’s conquest of Sirhind accompanies the establishment of a short-lived Sikh state and the issuing of coins. Sikh sovereignty has roots before the Lahore empire.[2]
1799–1801 · Lahore and the Maharaja
Ranjit Singh takes Lahore in 1799. In 1801 he becomes Maharaja. The first date marks control of the capital; the second marks his formal royal status.[3]
1839 · Ranjit Singh dies
His death ends a long reign. The empire continues under successors for another decade.[4]
1845–46 · First Anglo-Sikh War
War with the East India Company ends in Sikh defeat and a settlement that sharply increases British influence over the Lahore government.[5]
1848–49 · Second war and annexation
Renewed conflict includes the battles of Chillianwala and Gujrat. Punjab is annexed on 29 March 1849 and Duleep Singh is deposed.[6]
1854 · Duleep Singh in Britain
The former Maharaja goes into exile in Britain. The political state has ended, but the histories of its people and displaced possessions continue.[6]
Sources & further reading
These museum and scholarly resources support this guide. They are independent sources, not endorsements of the experience. Follow them for object records, fuller accounts and further references.