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Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the great warrior, conqueror and conqueror and consolidator of a great secular kingdom, was born on the 2nd Nov. 1780. He was the son of S. Mahan Singh whom he succeeded in 1792, as the Head of the Sukarchakkia branch of the Sikh Confederacy. In his early life, he lost of an eye due to the affliction of the small pox.

Ranjit Singh defeated Shah Zaman, the Afghan ruler, when the later invaded the Punjab and captured Lahore in 1799. In 1802 he attacked and annexed Amritsar. Later Ranjit Singh annexed Ludhiana and other adjoining States.

The East India Company had sent sir C. Metcalfe to negotiate with Ranjit Singh, to frustrate his extending his dominions, across the Satluj, when the latter was making further annexations. On 25th April 1809, a treaty was concluded at Amritsar by which the East India Company and Ranjit Singh recognized the Satluj as the boundary of his Kingdom. According to many historian, this was no doubt a very far - sighted move of Ranjit Singh to concentrate on his annexations up to Afghanistan. In 1810, he consolidated his power between Satluj and the Indus. He received Shah Shuja and obtained the 'Kohinoor' Diamond. In 1835, Amir Dost Mohammad attacked the Sikhs at Peshawar, but was compelled to retire.

Ranjit Singh had employed European officers to train his troops. In order to keep peace with the British Government he went to the extent of meeting Lord William Bentrick at Ropar on 26 Oct. 1837 and in 1838 he signed a tripartite treaty with Shah Shuja and British Government. Though uneducated he was a genius in Military affairs and in civil administration. He built up the Kingdom of the Punjab and created a large and trained Army of the Sikhs. He died on 27 June 1839 of Paralysis.

MILITARY SKILLS OF RANJIT SINGH
Maharaja Ranjit Singh was very much impressed with the victories won by Lord Lake over the Marathas. In 1805 he is said to have paid a secret visit to the British Camp. This incident made him raise regular troops. By 1812 he had formed several battalions, consisting chiefly of men, who had resigned or deserted from the East India Company's service. Though majority of his troops were Sikhs, he had several Corps of Hindustanis and Gorkhas. The artillery was chiefly composed of Mohammedans. It was only by the offers of liberal pay and strict discipline, which helped the Maharaja to have a European type disciplined army.

His army was composed of the strongest young men. He also received services of several French, Italian officers, who organized his truth and greatly improved his artillery. However, he entrusted the command of the army to generally the Sikh Sardars. Of all the Generals of Maharaja, Diwan Mohkam Chand, Hari Singh Nalwa, Gulab Singh and Akali Phoola Singh were the ablest. He left behind an army of 92,000 infantry, 32,000 cavalry and nearly 400 guns. It is unfortunate that his feeble successors were unable to control this huge army with the result that one after another his successors were assassinated or killed and the treasury was plundered.

It will be doing injustice to the Sikh army if two of his great warriors are not mentioned here. One, Hari Singh Nalwa was born at Gujranwala, now in Pakistan, in 1790. He was hardly 12, when he joined Maharaja's Army, Hari Singh Nalwa's father S. Gurdial Singh Nalwa, was an officer at the Court of the Maharaja. Hari Singh was trained by the Maharaja himself in martial arts and was regularly appointed in the Sikh Army. He was very clever, courageous and fearless soldier. He proved his mettle and strategy in subduing the rulers of Kasur and Sialkot.

Against the enemy's army of 25,000 he led Maharaja's forces (2000 only) to a great victory at Mankiala. He also won the victory at Hazara against Sturdy Pathans. In the renowned battle of Jamrud, Hari Singh killed Sher Khan. Dost Mohammad collected more troops and fought against Hari Singh Nalwa and his troops. Nalwa was hit by a bullet and was unable to move. He died on 30 April 1837, but his death was kept secret, till reinforcements were received from Lahore Darbar. The Sikh forces ultimately emerged victorious. Nalwa proved to be a great warrior and administrator.

The other general, Sham Singh Attari Wala, was born at Attari in Amritsar in 1785. His father S. Nihal Singh was a warrior - courtier of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. After the death of Maharaja, the Sikh empire was on decline, for the British had their eyes on Punjab. Lal Singh and Tej Singh, the true leaders of the Sikh Army proved traitors. Sham Singh Attari Wala collected many recruits and joined the Sikh Army at Sabhraon. Tej Singh deliberately ran away from the battle field, with the result that the Sikh Army felt demoralized. During the battle of Sabhraon Sham Singh Attari Wala received 7 bullet wounds. He died fighting in the battle fields on 1 Feb. 1846. British Army won the battle, but due to the shameful treachery of Lal Singh and Tej Singh. The dead body of Sham Singh Attari Wala was cremated at Attari. Today, there a monument at Attari, raised in his memory. Shah Mohammad the Great War poet says that the Sikh Army was defeated at Sabhraon, because of the absence of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Under the leadership of Maharaja, the Punjab State was neither a traditional Indian territorial State of monarchy nor merely a dictatorship of one community over another. There was an element of partnership with other communities. Ranjit Singh did not have despotic sway of a traditional monarch over his own Sikhs. He was in a way, its elected Chief and like Augustus Ceasar, he was very careful never to push his pretensions too far. Though, he had taken the title of Maharaja, he claimed to be no more than the General of the Khalsa. He dominated his contemporaries by intellect as well as diplomatic guile combined with his military skill and immense curiosity of the mind to the Akbar's. As a ruler he was very mild and merciful.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh was a man of faith. His devotion to his own faith remained undiminished. His daily routine began with early morning prayers and his listening to recitations from the Holy Granth. He never took any decision to launch a campaign, without seeking the guidance of the Holy Granth. On his tours, he always carried Holy Sri Guru Granth and Dasam Granth, for which a special Military escort was provided, each member of which carried a Sikh banner. Every regiment had its own volume of the Holy Granth and religious insignia. Even the Minister of the State carried separate copies of Granth on their journeys. He made large land gifts to Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, The Golden Temple Amritsar, and temples at Nander, Anandpur Sahib and other places, sacred to the Sikhs, worth about Rs. 20 Lacs every year. He named the Amritsar public gardens after Guru Ram Das (Ram Bagh) and the Fort there as Gobind Garh. He abolished cow slaughter throughout his Kingdom. He made offerings to the Brahmins, the Sayyads, the Nihangs, the Hindu temples and Mosques equally on all festivals.

His each drop-blood was secular.