The Wallace collection’s current major exhibition, ‘Ranjit Singh: Sikh, Warrior, King’ is lovingly curated. It covers the rise to power of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and then the decline of his Sikh kingdom after his demise in 1839.
The prelude to the rise of Sikh power is covered through the story of the great saint “Guru Nanak” of the Bhakti movement to the inspirational last Guru Govind Singh who creates “hawks out of sparrows”. The last Guru creates a casteless martial cult of Khalsa out of ordinary peasant folk in a region ravaged by invasions. Bands of armed fearless Sikh soldiers organised in Misls roam the north western Indian countryside harassing Mughals as well as the marauding Afghan militias. With time the Sikh confederacies become fractious with internecine warfare weakening them. This provides the background of the rise of Ranjit Singh- A courageous solider, inspirational commander and an even more astute diplomat and leader of men.
Ranjit Singh unites the various Sikh clans, refuses to be drawn into the Anglo- Maratha wars and creates a modern army. He hires European officers discharged or deserting from the French army after Napoleon’s defeat and organises his Misls on European lines with European firepower. He is blessed to have tactical geniuses like the formidable General Hari Singh Nalwa and fearless commanders like Phula Singh Nihang. His army conquers Kashmir and pushes back the Afghans beyond the Khyber and expands the Sikh kingdom to cover pretty much most of present day Pakistan, Indian Kashmir, and Indian Punjab. It was a remarkable feat for a man in an uncertain war ravaged time especially with great powers like the British, the Marathas and the Afghans around him.
The exhibition curated by Davinder Toor manages to transport the visitors to that space and time that gave rise to this magnificent Sikh kingdom. The prelude is covered through miniature paintings. There are three miniatures tracing the arc of history from Guru Arjan who was martyred to Guru Govind Singh, a trajectory of Sikhism from a peaceful reformation movement to a militant tradition that would one day defy and defeat great powers. The story of Ranjit Singh’s rise is also shown through miniatures. The most telling is the one showing the meeting between fugitive Maratha leader Jaswant Rao Holkar and the Maharaja in 1804. Assessing his strengths and strategic objectives carefully, he refuses to be drawn into the Maratha British conflict.
The exhibition then moves on to showcase several remarkable artefacts. Among them the Maharaja’s immaculately carved sword forged from Damascus steel – a testament to India’s metallurgical heritage, his gold plated throne, matchlock rifles and his beautifully illustrated cuirass. Of these, the cuirass with its elegant calligraphy of quotations from the Guru Granth Sahib and Guru Nanak’s portrait in the middle is the most striking. Another unique exhibit is the war shield of the legendary General Hari Singh Nalwa known in military history for his campaigns against the Afghans and in Kashmir.
The original document and the receipt showing the acquisition of the Kohinoor diamond by Lord Dalhousie from the infant prince Duleep Singh evokes a variety of emotions.
The war displays included the turban helmet made with watered steel, iron, gold and brass. The helmet has a peak in the middle to accommodate the Sikh top knot. Another menacing war item on display is the dark blue Turban fortress or the turban worn by the Nihang ( crocodile) order of the Sikhs. It features a totemic steel centrepiece called ‘Gajgah’ (grappler of elephants’) and razor-sharp steel daggers, quoits and tiger-claws.
The dark blue cloth spouting from the peak represent the ‘Farla’ (Khalsa’s battle standard), signifying the wearer’s rank as that of an ‘Akali’ (Immortal).
Apart from the gold plated throne and the possession of the Kohinoor the exhibition has other items like emerald jewelled girdle of the Maharaja. Some jewellery of the Rani Jind Kaur and a sketched portrait are on display. These point to fabulous riches accumulated by the Sikh kingdom at the peak of their powers.
The exhibition brings to life a shining era of Sikh History – of a people forged in the crucible of Indian history who rose to seize power and change its course. They were instrumental in the fight back of Indian culture against complete annihilation under the onslaught of repeated land invasions.
For me, the exhibition also rekindles childhood memories of growing up in India and watching the Guru Nanak birthday processions where Sikhs in traditional attire with unsheathed swords marched across the town chanting “Sat Sri Akal”. Kudos to Wallace collection and Davinder Noor for their authentic retelling of an important chapter of Indian history.
Featured Image: Alfred Dedreux, Randjiit Sing Baadour, Roi de Lahore’ (Ranjit Singh the Brave, King of Lahore) commissioned by General Ventura, Paris, c. 1837, © RMN-Grand Palais (musée du Louvre)- Stéphane Maréchalle
Review by Koushik Chatterjee
Ranjit Singh: Sikh, Warrior, King, 10 April – 20 October 2024
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