Maharaja Ranjit Singh Commemorative Volume

This volume gives a glimpse of the studies on Ranjit Singh that have been done during the last six decades. The selected writings give a fair idea of the advances made in diverse areas of studies on Ranjit Singh or have interpretative bearings. Among those who stalked the land of Punjab as warriors and rulers, Ranjit Singh’s name not only fascinates but shines like the pole star. The people of the Punjab have cherished his memory and his legend still lives amidst them. They have refused to believe since his death that the decline of the Sikh kingdom was inherent in the system of governance that Ranjit Singh had created. Ranjit Singh was much more to the Sikhs and the Punjab than what Shivaji was to the Marathas and Maharashtra. Shivaji was coroneted as Shivaji Chhattarpati Gau Brahmin Pritpalika. He presented himself as embodiment of Hindu Rashtra. Ranjit Singh on the other hand chose to remain the humble Singh Sahib, came to be called Sarkar by his people and he even avoided wearing emblems of royalty. He possessed humility of a broad mind, like Lenin and Lincoln.  Dimensions of Ranjit Singh’s life of towering achievements have inspired scholars of history to pursue both extensive and intensive studies and multilayered researches on Ranjit Singh and his times. During the last century, from the pioneering researcher, Sita Ram Kohli to the popular writers like Khushwant Singh and Patwant Singh scores of scholars have presented credible accounts of Ranjit Singh’s achievement.  This well-researched commemoration volume on Bicentenary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Coronation gives a good account of the studies done on him during the last six decades. The studies included in this volume will provide enough incentives to the budding scholars to delve deep in such areas as diplomacy, heterogeneous character of Khalsa Darbar, the conduct of courtiers and nobility and Khalsa ethos to make an objective assessment of Ranjit Singh whose attainments decidedly came through decency and civility and not through tyranny or barbarity.