draw the picture of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and write some sentences about his life
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Answer:
Most of us know Maharaja Ranjit Singh as a secular administrator, brave conqueror, and consolidator of the conquered areas who created a strong state of five rivers which extended from Sutlej River to Afghanistan and Kashmir where people lived peacefully. He is respected as a brave general who checked the foreign invaders who looted our land and abducted our ladies to auction them in the foreign lands. On the basis of my study of many books and articles about the Maharaja, I have found that he was also a patron of literature and I would share this with my readers.
Love for Literature
In spite of the adverse circumstances of his time most of which was spent in fighting against the foreign invaders, extending and consolidating his empire, he never lost his love for literature. No doubt, he was illiterate, but he had instructed his Generals that the Khalsa army should not destroy any library in the area they conquer. In 1834 when Hari Singh Nalwa and Prince Nau Nihal Singh attacked Peshawar, he instructed them to see that no damage was done to the precious library at Peshawar. It is said that his own library had hundreds of Arabic, Persian, Hindi and Punjabi books.
Patronizing Writers of Foreign Languages
Maharaja Ranjit Singh was well known for his patronage of literary persons. He was conscious of his duty towards them. He liberally patronized Giani Sant Singh, a scholar of Sanskrit, Punjabi and Persian, who translated The Ramayana by Tulsi Daas.
Fakir Aziz-ud-din and Qadar Bakhsh, his well-known courtiers, were famous scholars of Persian and Arabic As recorded by Sita Ram Kohli, the later was sent by the Maharaja to Ludhiana to learn English at the state expenses.
Zafarnamah Ranjit Singh written in 1832-33 by Dewan Amar Nath is a contemporary Persian source of the reign of the Maharaja who asked him to write. It consists of 41 chapters and was edited by Sita Ram Kohli in 1928. In 1834, he also wrote Fatehnamah in order to celebrate the victory of the Lahore Darbar forces when they conquered and annexed Peshawar.
Another famous scholar, Ahmad Yar, wrote Shahnama Ranit Singh. Munshi Sohan Lal Suri wrote a unique history book, Umdatul Twarikh. Pandit Radha Krishan, author of Qwaide Rajparbandh ( Rules of Administration), was a favorite scholar of Ranjit Singh. Himat Singh was commissioned by the Maharaja to write a book about the administration of Kashmir.
Poets of the Punjabi Language & Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh bestowed landed property on many Punjabi poets and awarded them with a lot of cash. Syed Hashim Shah (1734-1843), author of the love story of Shirin Ferhad, was his favorite poet. Manuscript of this book duly stamped by the seal of the Maharaja can be seen in the state archives at Patiala. He was granted Jagir (land) near his village, Jagdeoe, in recognition of his literary eminence. His stories of 'Sassi Punnu' and of 'Sohni Mehiwal', in Punjabi are well known.
Bhai Budh Singh Lahori wrote in poetry a huge book 'Budh Baridh' as desired by the Maharaja, He mentioned this fact in 60th stanza of the book. It is translation of a famous Persian book, Auardanish, about politics.
Bhai Sondha Singh, a poet and scholar of saintly nature was another jewel of his court. In 1808, he translated a Persian book 'Hatamnama'. It is his best composition.
Kadar Yar, a famous narrative poet of his time, writes that he was awarded landed property with a well by the Maharaja for writing the story of Puran Bhagat.
Hakam Singh of Raipur wrote more than a dozen compositions. His poem 'Siharfi Guru Khalse Shah Kee' is very famous.
Zafar Beg and Sawan Yar were some other poets who were also patronized by Ranjit Singh. In one of his compositions, Zafar Beg writes that Ranjit Singh was cheated and poisoned by the Firangis.
Shah Mohammad has immortalized himself by writing 'Jangnama'. He writes that main cause of the defeat of the Khalsa army was the absence of the Maharaja (Shah Mohammada ik sarkar bajhon fojan jit ke ant noon harian nee.). He admires Ranjit Singh by writing that his empire was truly secular.
Bhag Singh and Kahan Singh Banga were two other well-known poets of the court. Efforts made by the Maharaja for the Punjabi literature are praiseworthy. Piara Singh Padam, a reputed Punjabi writer, in one of his articles, Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Punjabi, has given a long list of 24 Punjabi writers and poets who were liberally patronized by the Maharaja.
Answer:
Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the leader of the Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century. He survived smallpox in infancy but lost sight in his left eye. He fought his first battle alongside his father at age 10.
