Rañjīt Si̇gh, Mahārājā

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Rañjīt Siṅgh, Mahārājā (1780–1839). Sikh ruler of Pañjāb, 1799–1839. Rañjīt Siṅgh, son of Mahān Siṅgh, headed the Śukerchakīā misl. He eventually gained overall supremacy between the Sutlej River and the Khyber Pass, ending Afghan influence in Pañjāb. After recapturing Amritsar, he had the Harimandir rebuilt and covered with gold leaf. Ranjīt Siṅgh's reign was the only period of khālsā political sovereignty in Pañjāb. After his death, the kingdom disintegrated and was annexed by the British. His son, Duleep Siṅgh, the first Sikh to live in Britain, has achieved a symbolic importance in the community.