Maharaja Ranjit Singh

Ranjit Singh was married multiple times and had Sikh, Hindu, as well as Muslim wives. Some of his wives were Mehtab Kaur, Rani Raj Kaur, Rani Rattan Kaur, Rani Chand Kaur, and Rani Raj Banso Devi.

He also had several children including sons Kharak Singh, Ishar Singh, Sher Singh, Pashaura Singh and Duleep Singh. However he acknowledged only Kharak Singh and Duleep Singh as his biological sons.

He died on 27 June 1839 in Lahore, Punjab, Sikh Empire. He was cremated and his remains are stored in the Samadhi of Ranjit Singh in Lahore, Punjab. He was succeeded by his son Kharak Singh.

Ranjit Singh was born on 13 November, 1780, in Gujranwala, Sukerchakia Misl (present-day Pakistan) to Maha Singh and his wife Raj Kaur. His father was the Commander of the Sukerchakia Misl. As a child Ranjit Singh was afflicted with small pox which resulted in the loss of one eye.

Maha Singh died when Ranjit Singh was only 12 years old, leaving him to be raised by his mother.

He was married to Mehtab Kaur, the daughter of Sardar Gurbakash Singh Sandhu of the Kanhaiya Misl and Sada Kaur, in 1796, when he was 16 years old. Upon his marriage his mother-in-law also started taking active interest in his life.

Ranjit Singh became the misldar of the Sukerchakia Misl at the age of 18. Upon assuming power he started campaigns to expand his territory.

He began his conquests by annexing the other misls and captured Lahore from the Bhangi Misl in 1799 and later made it his capital. He then captured the rest of the Punjab.

In 1801 he united all the Sikh factions into one state and assumed the title of “Maharaja” on 12 April—the day of Baisakhi. He was 20 years old at the time. Then he set forth further expanding his territory.

He conquered the holy city of Amritsar from the Bhangi Misl ruler Mai Sukhan in 1802. He continued his conquests by capturing Kasur from the Afghan chief Qutb ud-Din in 1807.

He went to the aid of Raja Sansar Chand of Kangra in the Lesser Himalayas in 1809 against an advancing Ghurka force. After defeating the forces, he added Kangra to his empire.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh founded the Sikh Empire, based around Punjab in 1799. It was a major power in the Indian subcontinent and at its peak, the Empire encompassed regions from the Khyber Pass in the west to western Tibet in the east, and from Mithankot in the south to Kashmir in the north.