Maharaja Ranjeet Singh's Cavalcade of Sikh Soldiers, 1844 Print

Maharaja Ranjeet Singh’s Cavalcade of Sikh Soldiers, 1844 Print

An 1844 steel engraved print of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh’s cavalcade of Sikh soldiers. The text reads “Runjeet Singh And His Suwarree, or Cavalcade of Seiks, encamped under a Banyan Tree on the River Sutlej.” This engraving is of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, a strong and able ruler of the Kingdom of Punjab.

The British were unable to colonize the kingdom that was under his rule. He was born in 1780 and was short in stature, Ranjeet Singh had developed smallpox in his childhood. The deadly illness blinded him in one eye and disfigured his face with pockmarks. Despite the handicap, he was a clever planner and strategist who drove back many invaders, especially the Afghans.

Ranjeet Singh expanded his kingdom by capturing smaller fringe groups and neighboring lands. The Indian Parliament House and the city of St Tropez in France had installed Maharaja Ranjeet’s bronze statues in his honour. St Tropez’s connection was that a French general in the Punjab army of the Maharaja was from St Tropez. This unique print measures 27 x 20 cm.