Last reviewed 1 Oct 2026 · Facts as of 1 Oct 2026 · 5 min read
Scope. Ranjit Singh is the single most examined figure of Punjab's medieval-to-modern history. Learn the dates of conquests, the names of officers, the 1809 treaty and the features of his administration.
1. Early life and rise
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 November 1780, Gujranwala (now Pakistan) |
| Father | Mahan Singh, chief of the Sukerchakia misl |
| Mother | Raj Kaur (Mai Malwain) |
| Succeeded | 1792, at the age of about 12; his mother and others acted as guardians |
| Lost an eye | to smallpox in childhood |
| Marriage | to Mehtab Kaur (daughter of Kanhaiya chief), which strengthened his position |
Capture of Lahore (1799)
- Afghan ruler Zaman Shah had invaded Punjab and, while returning, lost some guns in the Jhelum; Ranjit Singh helped recover them and was rewarded with the governorship of Lahore.
- In July 1799, with the support of local citizens and Muslim and Hindu notables, he occupied Lahore, making it his capital.
- On Baisakhi, 12 April 1801, he was formally installed as Maharaja of Punjab by Baba Sahib Singh Bedi; coins were issued as Nanakshahi.
2. Territorial expansion
| Year | Conquest |
|---|---|
| 1802 | Amritsar (taken from the Bhangi misl; the Zamzama gun was acquired) |
| 1807 | Kasur |
| 1810 | Multan campaign attempted; 1818 — Multan conquered (Governor Muzaffar Khan killed) |
| 1813 | Obtained the Koh-i-Noor diamond from Shah Shuja (the Afghan ex-ruler); Battle of Haidru (against Afghan Barakzais) was fought at about this time |
| 1819 | Kashmir conquered (defeating the Afghan governor); Misr Diwan Chand was a key commander |
| 1820s | Dera Ghazi Khan, Dera Ismail Khan, Peshawar region annexed gradually |
| 1823 | Battle of Nowshera (Naushehra) — Sikh victory over Afghans/Yusufzai Pathans; Peshawar became tributary |
| 1834 | Peshawar formally annexed |
| 1834–36 | Ladakh brought under Sikh control by General Zorawar Singh (Dogra) |
| 1836–37 | Battle of Jamrud (1837) — Hari Singh Nalwa killed fighting the Afghans |
Note on dates. Some books give slightly different years for secondary annexations; the ones above are the commonly asked ones: Lahore 1799, Amritsar 1802, Multan 1818, Kashmir 1819, Peshawar 1834.