The Sikh Empire

In Our Time: History

BBC

History

4.4 • 3.2K Ratings

🗓️ 7 April 2016

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the rise of the Sikh Empire at the end of the 18th Century under Ranjit Singh, pictured above, who unified most of the Sikh kingdoms following the decline of the Mughal Empire. He became Maharaja of the Punjab at Lahore in 1801, capturing Amritsar the following year. His empire flourished until 1839, after which a decade of unrest ended with the British annexation. At its peak, the Empire covered the Punjab and stretched from the Khyber Pass in the west to the edge of Tibet in the east, up to Kashmir and down to Mithankot on the Indus River. Ranjit Singh is still remembered as "The Lion of the Punjab." With Gurharpal Singh Professor in Inter-Religious Relations and Development at SOAS, University of London Chandrika Kaul Lecturer in Modern History at the University of St Andrews And Susan Stronge Senior Curator in the Asian Department of the Victoria and Albert Museum Producer: Simon Tillotson.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Thank you for downloading this episode of In Our Time for more details about In Our Time
0:04.0	and for our terms of use please go to bbc.co.uk slash radio4.
0:09.0	I hope you enjoy the program.
0:11.4	Hello, in 1799, Rajit Singh and his Sikh army captured Lahore once the Mughal capital of the North.
0:18.0	He was 18 years old.
0:19.7	His coronation as Maharaja or Great King two years later marked the start of the Sikh Empire.
0:25.2	But it speak the empire covered the Punjab and stretched from the Kiberpass in the west to the edge of Tibet in the east
0:31.4	up to Kashmir and down to Mithankop on the Indus River.
0:35.9	Rajit Singh was at the heart of it, known as the Lion of the Punjab.
0:39.6	He was the one who united separate factions into one powerful state.
0:44.0	He put the gold on the golden temple Amidsa.
0:47.3	Amidsa, sorry.
0:48.6	With his death in 1839, though the Sikh Empire weakened.
0:51.8	There were two wars with the British in a decade and 50 years after it was first established the empire was dissolved.
0:57.2	Even if the influence of Rajit Singh's military power is still felt today.
1:01.6	With me to discuss the Sikh Empire, Goharpal Singh, professor in interreligious relations and development of Saurasi University of London.
1:09.8	Chandrika Kohl, lecturer in modern history at the University of Sunderous.
1:13.5	And Susan Strong, senior curator in the Asian department of the Victoria and Almond Museum.
1:19.4	Goharpal Singh, what are the origins of Sikhism?
1:22.4	Well, Sikh refers to the term Sikh refers to disciple or follower.
1:29.1	And Sikh tradition normally dates the origins of Sikhism from 1469 with the birth of the first Guru Nanak.
1:37.5	Who was born 60 miles southwest of current day Lahore.
	...

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