NEW DELHI: In His days there were No religious persecutions, no nexus between religion and politics and no demolition of places of worship.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh delinked religion from politics in the early 19th century. He entirely changed the method of recruitment in the army and of deciding political matters, says Dr. Kirpal Singh’s book The Historical Study of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Times.
After 1805, all political matters including wars, relations with the British and other chieftains were decided by the Maharaja in consultation with his ministers, who belonged to various religions, the religious assembly was never called upon to decide such matters, the book says.
Despite persecution of Sikhs for a full century on religious grounds at the hands of Muslim fanatics, there was no demolition of mosque so stoppage of azan (morning call for prayers from a mosque).
Once some Sikhs went to Maharaja Ranjit Singh saying that the azan disturbed their sleep and that its hold be stopped. The Maharaja said he would slopaz an if they undertook to awaken the Muslims for the in morning prayers. The non-Muslims withdrew their request. The nature of the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh can never be called theocracy, says Dr. Kirpal Singh, on the ground that he inscribed the names of Gurus on his coins.
First, he did not recognize any power superior to himself, Khalsa brotherhood or Khalsa commonwealth and their representatives were never consulted formally before any major political development in his State. The Sikh conventions for deciding political affairs were deliberately abandoned and the Gurmata system of deciding political matters in the religious assembly was abolished.
The Maharaja never gave political powers to the priestly order which is the essential condition of theocracy.
During is reign Gurmata was held for the last time in 1805 when the Maratha chief Jaswant Rao Holkar, pursued by tie British, came to Punjab to seek the help of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Dr. Kirpal Singh quotes Tara Singh’s manuscript” The Maratha chief and Ranjit Singh exchanged turbans and swore loyalty towards each other. The chains of Holkar’s elephant and horses ‘were made of gold. Then the Maratha chief began to make purchases. Whatever came before his eyes he purchased food grains, sweets, ghee, oil whatever rate was demanded was paid. The Maratha chief got tired but could not exhaust the stores. The gold smiths, cloth merchants, brass dealers, confectioners and priests grow rich.” Gurmata was convened to take a decision whether the Mahara interpose between the Bi Maratha chief for take a contrary course of aligning with Holkar to fight the British, The assembly of Sikh chiefs decided in favor of British,
‘The Maharaja’s mind was in a state of acute indecision, writes Dr, Kirpal Singh, and he ultimately decided in favor of the British.
Holkar was the most enterprising and daring Maratha leader but his misfortune was that he was repeatedly defeated by the Britishers and was negotiating with Shah Shujah ‘and Ranjit Singh as a fugitive.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh showed great maturity and sagacity in dealing with Holkar, says the book and adds that it was very wise on his part to save his infant kingdom from destruction.
Had he fought the British he would not have been able to conquer Kasur. Kangra or Multan and there would have been no Sikh kingdom under Ranjit Singh, says the book which contains a bunch of research papers.
However, some murmured that their royal master had allied himself with the hated firings. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was born in Gujranwala on November 13, 1780, in a small room, where his crate has been preserved at a huge house in Sabai Mandi.
Before Ranjit Singh occupied Amritsar, the town was divided among dozen families owning different parts of the city, Ranjit Singh brought the entire city under his administration, He raised the status of Amritsar by making it the summer capital of his kingdom, the book says. Ranjit Singh made Amritsar a city of gardens and transformed the flown to the biggest commercial city, Dr. Kirpal Singh writes. One solid contribution for which he would always be remembered is his adamant of Sri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar. Maharaja Ranjit Singh and members of his family visited Darbar Sahib quite often. According to custom they presented something or the other befitting each occasion. In the treasury of the royal temple, gifts of the royal family preserved are four pairs of gold-plated doors, gold umbrella beset with gems, string of 108 pearls, jewel bedecked headband, a canopy made of rich rare cloth with embroidery in gold and silver and. frills of pearls given by the Nizam of Hyderabad and presented to the Golden Temple but was destroyed during Operation Blue Star in 1984.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh was like a meteor that shot up in the sky and dominated the scene for about half a century (1780-1839). He proved to be the Indian his mark who unified the ‘Warring states of Punjab, Dr. Kirpal Singh, a veteran research scholar writes.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 17, 1995
