Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the founder and maharaja (1801–39) of the Sikh kingdom of Punjab. He was born on November 13, 1780, in Budrukhan or Gujranwala, and died on June 27, 1839, in Lahore.
Ranjit Singh was reported to be short and unattractive. He was blind in one eye and had a face pitted with pockmarks. He liked to surround himself with handsome men and women, and he had a passion for hunting, horses, and strong liquor.
In July 1799, he seized Lahore, the capital of Punjab (now the capital of Punjab province, Pakistan). The Afghan king, Zamān Shah, confirmed Ranjit Singh as governor of the city, but in 1801, Ranjit Singh proclaimed himself maharaja of Punjab. He then became a powerful ruler, conquering Peshawar and some areas of present-day Afghanistan.
History also describes him as a cruel ruler who committed many atrocities against Muslims. It is said that during his rule, he turned the famous Badshahi Mosque in Lahore into a stable for horses. Due to these historical facts, many Muslims consider him an enemy. However, some segments of society in Punjab regard him as a hero of Punjab.
Earlier, the government of Punjab had installed his statue in Lahore, but this move became controversial, and some people attacked and damaged the statue.
Current Development:
Now, Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s statue has been installed at Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib for Sikh pilgrims who visit Pakistan in large numbers every year. Punjab Minority Affairs and the president of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, Minister Ramesh Singh Arora, along with other officials from India’s Project Management Unit Kartarpur and Sikh pilgrims, attended the ceremony on Friday.
During the ceremony, Arora highlighted the need to protect this statue. “The restored statue has been installed at Kartarpur Sahib so that Sikh pilgrims and general tourists from the Kartarpur Corridor and around the world can view it,” he said. He also mentioned that the restoration of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Samadhi in Lahore would commence soon.
Sikh pilgrims from several countries come to Pakistan to commemorate the 185th death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh on Saturday in Lahore.
