Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th and the
last Guru of the Sikhs, transformed the religious sect into a military
brotherhood.
In the confusion and disorder that followed the
invasion of Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali, the Sikhs increased their
military strength and became a strong power.
Maharaja
ranjit Singh (1792-1839): He was the greatest Indian ruler of his time and
founder of the Sikh rule in the Punjab. Born in 1780 at Gujranwala, he occupied
Lahore in 1799 and made it his
capital. He conquered Amritsar in 1802, occupied Ludhinana and after incessant
wars, and annexed kangra, Attock, Multan, Kashmir, Hazara, Bannu, Derajat and
Peshawar. He died in 1839.
Successors
of Ranjit Singh: Kharak Singh (1839-40), Naunihal Singh (1840), Sher
Singh (1841-43), Dalip Singh (1843-49).
The Sikh power was broken by the British after
the death of RanjitSingh.
First
Anglo- Sikh war (1845-43): Sikhs were defeated in all the four battles as
Mudki, Ferozshah, Aliwal and Sobraon. The Treaty of Lahore (1846) ended the
war. Sir Henry Lawrence became the first resident.
Second
Anglo- Sikh war (1848-49): Dalhousie annexed Punjab. Sir John Lawrence
became the first chief commissioner of Punjab.
Kingdom
|
Year
|
Founder
|
Annexation
|
Nawab of Bengal
|
1713
|
Murshid Quli Jafar Khan
|
1765 (Treaty of Allahabad)
|
Maratha - confederacy
|
1720
|
Baji Rao I
|
1801 (Subsidiary Alliance)
|
Nawab of Carnatic / Arcot
|
1720
|
Saadatulla Khan
|
1801 (Subsidiary Alliance),
|
Nawab of Avadh
|
1722
|
Mir Muhanmmad Amin Saadat khan ‘Burhan-ul-Mulk’
|
1801 (subsidiary Alliance),(Dalhousie)
|
Nizam of Hyderabad
|
1724
|
Mir Qamruddin chin Kilich khan ‘Nizam-ul-Mulk’
|
1798 (Subsidiary Alliance)
|
Mysore
|
1761
|
Haidar Ali
|
1799 (Subsidiary Alliance)
|
Punjab
|
1792
|
Ranjit Singh
|
1849 (Dalhousie)
|