Ranjit Singh

Ranjit Singh (1780–1839), ruler of India who united many Sikhs in a great kingdom. As head of the Sikhs, a religious group of India that lives mainly in the northwest state of Punjab, he began his rule upon his father's death (1792). He conquered neighboring Indian states and overthrew Afghan control, gaining the title “Lion of the Punjab.” Through treaties signed with British colonists, Ranjit kept the peace in India, although his efforts to unite all Sikhs were curtailed.

See also: India; Sikhism.