Sikh Empire

State · 1799–1848 CE · at its largest around 1842 CE

The state forged in Punjab by Maharaja Ranjit Singh from Lahore, uniting the Sikh misls; it fell to the British East India Company after two Anglo-Sikh wars.

On its lands while it lasted

• Ranjit Singh (1780 CE – 1839 CE): Founder of the Sikh Empire who captured Lahore in 1799 and united the Punjab.
• Mirza Ghalib (1797 CE – 1869 CE): Urdu and Persian poet of late Mughal Delhi, celebrated for his ghazals.
• Gujranwala (c. 1799 CE): Capital of Sikh Empire (1799–1848).
• First Anglo-Afghan War (1839–1842 CE): British invasion of Afghanistan that ended with the destruction of the retreating army from Kabul in January 1842.
• Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848–1849 CE): War that ended with the British annexation of the Punjab.

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