Empire of the Sikhs (45 page)

travel arrangements,
180–1

as political leader

achievement/legacy,
15–18
,
28
,
201

administrative approach,
94–5
,
122
,
130–6

ambitions/goals,
71–2
,
77–8
,
82–3
,
97–8
,
104
,
110–11

coinage,
188–94

composition of cabinet,
17
,
85–6
,
130

‘coronation',
83–5

court life/décor,
16
,
75–6
,
83–4
,
179–81

criticisms,
148–9
,
202–3
,
208

dealings with British,
15
,
105–11
,
136–52
,
225
(see also under
British Empire)

Ranjit Singh's comments,
140
,
147–8

Ranjit Singh's secret visit to General Lake's camp,
99–100
,
125–6

diplomatic skills,
130
,
148–9

environmental awareness,
181–2

financial administration,
131–2

hands-on approach,
92
,
94–5

humanitarianism,
15
,
17
,
19–20
,
68
,
74
,
78–9
,
81–2
,
88
,
223

as judge of men,
206

patronage of arts/crafts,
28
,
179–82

personal fortune, British appropriation,
262

recognition of limits of power,
140
,
149

religious policy/tolerance,
17
,
79–81
,
85–9
,
130
,
189

responsibility for collapse of state,
202–3
,
205–8
,
209
,
233–4
,
265–6

as secularist/meritocrat,
17
,
85–6
,
130
,
189
,
205–6
,
208

title/mode of address,
82
,
83

treachery against,
122–3
,
129–30
,
132

Western impressions of,
92–3
,
95–6

Ratan Kaur (wife of Ranjit Singh),
169–70

Ravidas,
29

republicanism and Sikh ideology,
202–3
,
220–1

Rodgers, C.J.,
184

Ropar meeting (1831),
141–5
,
176
,
180
,
195

Rup Lal, Missr,
135

rupees (coinage)

design,
190–1

gold,
191–2

replacement,
193–4

Sabraon, Battle of (10 February 1846),
231–2
,
244–9

Sabuktigin of Ghazni,
20–1

Sada Kaur (Ranjit Singh's mother-in-law),
63
,
68–9
,
71–4
,
162–3
,
169

Sa'dullah Chishti, Mufti,
85

Sahaj Singh (Ranjit Singh's uncle),
57

Sahib Singh Bedi (descendant of Guru Nanak),
84–5

Sahib Singh (Bhangi) of Gujrat,
169

Sahib Singh of Patiala,
66

Sahib Singh (Ranjit Singh's uncle),
63–4

Sale, Sir Robert, General,
241

Samana, capture of,
45

Sandhanwalia
misl
, role in power struggles,
215
,
221–2

Sansar Chand, Raja,
109
,
169
,
173
,
200

Sarkar
(title),
82
,
83

sati
(immolation of widows),
26

committed by Ranjit Singh's wives,
160
,
200

Sawan Mal, Diwan,
115
,
135
,
254

Sayyed Jalal-ud-Din,
45

Schoefft, August Theodor,
179

Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848–9),
254–9

causes,
254–6

danger of British defeat,
230–1

Sikh victories,
256–8

see
Anglo-Sikh Wars

Shah Alam, Emperor,
105

Shah Alam Bahadur, Emperor,
186–7

Shah Jahan, Emperor,
33
,
34
,
76
,
87
,
114

Shalimar Gardens,
76
,
167

Sham Singh Attariwala, Sardar,
164
,
166
,
248–50

Shashal Beg,
45

Shaw, George Bernard,
227

shawls, manufacture,
180

Sher Singh (Ranjit Singh's son),
133
,
142
,
179
,
192–3

appearance,
164

birth/legitimacy,
162–3
,
214

coinage,
190
,
191

death,
222–3

role in power struggles,
213–24

weaknesses of character/position,
214
,
216
,
220–4

Sher Singh Attariwala, Raja,
255
,
257
,
259

Shergarh, Battle of,
113

Shuja, Shah,
109
,
111–14
,
212
,
234

Sikh army

‘Amazon' unit,
143
,
158–60

betrayal by high-ranking officers,
237–40
,
242
,
244–8

bravery/skill in battle,
240–2
,
244
,
246
,
248–50
,
257–8
,
259

casualties,
53
,
244

ceremonial parades,
142
,
144
,
167–9

combats with Afghans,
49–51
,
52–3
,
65–7
,
114–24

combats with Mughals,
32–3
,
38
,
41–2
,
45–6

European officers,
100
,
125–9

inducements to desertion,
242–3

numerical strength,
101
,
168
,
201
,
256
,
259

organization/skills,
32
,
47–9
,
100–3
,
127–8

reasons for going to war,
208

rebellion against British rule,
254–6

role in power struggles,
216–17
,
221

unrest/internal divisions,
216
,
220–1
,
223–4

see also
Fauj-i-ain; Fauj-i-khas; First Anglo-Sikh War; Second Anglo-Sikh War

Sikh community/religion,
16–17

attempts to suppress,
35–6
,
38
,
47

attitudes to women,
25–6
,
52
,
57–8
,
73

central tenets,
27–8
,
38–9
,
82
,
202–4

conflicts with Hindus,
37–8

conflicts with Mughal Empire,
30–8
,
41–53

conversions to,
43–4
,
86

devotional practices,
33–4
,
44–5

festivals,
79–80
(
see also
Holi)

foundation,
24–5

history,
22–53

influence on Ranjit Singh,
31
,
68
,
79

internal conflicts,
58–9
,
209–25
,
233–4

Ranjit Singh's impact on,
204
,
266

relics,
89
,
91–2
,
260–1
,
264

symbolism,
38–9

temporal/spiritual concerns (
meeri
/
peeri
),
32

universalism/communitarianism,
27–8
,
40–1
,
202–3

Sikh state

administration,
130–4

art/crafts,
173–82

betrayal by high officials,
231

coinage,
188–94

collapse after Ranjit Singh's death,
205–8
,
209–25
,
265–6

dismantling,
250
,
250–2
,
253–4

finances,
131–2
,
134–5

frontier, establishment,
104

health care,
136

heterogeneity,
79
,
82–3

international trade,
181

justice system,
135

looting by British,
260–4

provinces,
94–5
,
134

religious composition,
83

social/religious festivals,
79–81

territorial expansion,
116–17
,
139

territorial extent,
97–8
,
137
,
197

urban population/development,
135–6

see also
Punjab; Ranjit Singh, as political leader

Sikh Wars
see
First Anglo-Sikh War; Second Anglo-Sikh War

silk, manufacture/use,
181

Sind

British presence/ambitions in,
138–9
,
140–1
,
146–8
,
225

history/geography,
136–8

negotiations over,
145
,
146
,
149–52

political/strategical significance,
136
,
146–8

Sikh claims to,
138
,
150

Sikh withdrawal from,
147–8

Singh, adoption as universal Sikh male surname,
39

Sinha, N.K.,
70

Sirhind, capture of (1710),
45–6
,
186

Sis Ganj, Gurdwara,
36
,
52

Smith, Sir Harry, General,
241
,
248

Sodhi, Bawar Kesar Singh,
78

Sodhran, siege of,
63–4

Somerset, Major,
241

Srichand (son of Nanak),
23–4

Srinagar, conquest of,
117–18

Stacey, Brigadier,
246

Steele, Dr,
198–9

Stone, I.F.,
266

Suchet Singh Dogra,
142
,
213
,
232–3

Sukerchakia
misl
,
51
,
56–9
,
118

alliances with other
misls
,
63
,
69
,
71
,
161–3

conflicts with other
misls
,
58–9
,
63–4
,
76–8
,
169

internal divisions,
69

Surdas,
29

Sutlej (river), crossings,
104–5
,
249

Sutlej Treaty,
96
,
107–11
,
136
,
148
,
225

British manipulation of,
150–1

implementation,
109

outcome/benefits,
109–11
,
139

wording,
108–9

Tamerlane (Timur),
20
,
183

Tara Singh (Ranjit Singh's son),
162–3

Taylor, Brigadier,
248

Tegh Bahadur, Guru,
35–6
,
37
,
45
,
52

Tej Singh,
86
,
129–30
,
205
,
251
,
252

treachery in First Sikh War,
233
,
235
,
237–40
,
242
,
245–8

‘Timur Ruby',
183

Timur Shah, governor,
50
,
52–3
,
88

Trevelyan, Sir Charles,
192

Tuchman, Barbara,
229

turban, wearing of,
39

United States, foreign policy,
146–7

Ventura, Jean-Baptiste, General,
125
,
126–8
,
159–60
,
176–7
,
180

Victoria, Queen,
161
,
183
,
261

Vigne, G.T.,
178
,
179

Vikramaditya, King,
189

wada ghalagura
(great disaster),
49
,
50–1

Wade, Claude, Captain,
109–10
,
141
,
146
,
211

Wafa Begum (wife of Shah Shuja),
111–13

Waheed-ud-din, Fakir Syed,
153
,
155
,
161

wall painting, Sikh,
176

Wallace, Brigadier,
241

Washington, George,
146

Wazir Fateh Khan,
112–13
,
114–15

Wazir Khan, Nawab,
42
,
44
,
45–6

Wellesley, Richard, 1st Marquess, Governor-General,
98–9
,
103–4

Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of,
229–30
,
236
,
258

Wilkinson, Brigadier,
246

women

emancipation in Sikh society,
25–6
,
73
,
219

humanitarian treatment in conflict,
52

naming with creation of the Khalsa,
39