Maharaja Ranjit Singh Exhibition: Sikh, Warrior, King

Another high-profile Sikh exhibition

In my review of the "Unstruck Melody" exhibition (that you can read here), I mentioned that we are currently in a Sikh Renaissance period, and the new Maharaja Ranjit Exhibition, titled "Sikh, Warrior, King" is another high-profile Sikh exhibition in Central London. This exhibition focuses on the life and times of one of Sikh history's most successful and complex characters and doesn't shy away from his successes, or his flaws.

The person

Maharaja Ranjit Singh is perhaps the most well-known of all Sikh leaders in the post human-form Guru period (and you can read my thoughts on him in full here). In the late 18th century, the young Sikh leader began to dominate his fellow Sikh chiefs with his enterprising spirit, battle ingenuity, and political shrewdness. A well-arranged marriage to the daughter of the neighbouring Kanheya Misl - his closest Sikh rival - made him the undisputed master of Panjabi territories north of the Sutlej River, entering Lahore in his early 20s and being crowned Maharaja (or "great king").

Over the next few decades, Ranjit Singh consolidated his growing Empire, entering Multan, Kashmir, and bringing the borders of the Sikh Empire right up to Afghan territory. In the south, the British checked his goals of reaching the ocean via Sindh, while the remaining Sikh chiefs south of the Sutlej decided to seek British protection to retain some semblance of independence from the growing Lahore Durbar.

At the height of his powers, Ranjit Singh presided over a multi-religious Empire that was among the most powerful and richest in Asia. But he also presided over its downfall. A strong centralised leader, he didn't prepare the infrastructure for continued Sikh rule and Panjabi independence. His dynasty failed to recover from his death and very quickly fell into civil war, finally being conquered by the British following a combination of infighting, deceit, and British firepower. 

For me, Ranjit Singh was a complex character who, on hand one, grew Sikh and broader Panjabi power unlike anyone before or after him. But he also presided over a slow degeneracy of the Sikh ruling class which ultimately was a large factor in its undoing - Kavi Santokh Singh's Suraj Prakash Granth perfectly illustrating this struggle shortly following Ranjit Singh's death. The exhibition here does a great job covering the good, the bad, and the ugly, painting a great picture of an incredible, but flawed, human.

The venue

The Maharaja Ranjit Singh: Sikh, Warrior, King exhibition is held at the Wallace Collection. If you have read the article on my favourite London museums, you know my feelings on the venue (and if you haven't you can check out the article here). The Wallace Collection is a beautiful museum, and certainly one of the best London has to offer.

The collection was put together by five generations of the Marquesses of Hertford spread through the 18th and 19th centuries, the last of these being Sir Richard Wallace. Located in the 16th century Hertford House, the collection is conveniently located a short walk from Oxford Street in Central London.

The collection is important for Sikhs due to the large amount of Sikh related artefacts that it holds. During my previous visit I had already seen the sword of Maharaja Ranjit Singh as well as numerous other Sikh artefacts. For the exhibition, the facade of the museum has been transformed with two large banners on either side of the entrance, one with the title of the exhibition, and another of a large painting of Ranjit Singh. It's pretty incredible to see.

​Inside, as you head down the stairs to the exhibition rooms there is another very large banner which is a piece of the painting of Ranjit Singh's court. The colourful banner stands out from the relatively plain exterior of the cafe area nearby so it really captures your attention.

The exhibition

Tickets are priced at £16 which you can buy online, and you do get an audio guide included in the price. The audio guide alone is a great resource as it goes into length about the exhibition, Ranjit Singh, and explains the story behind different artefacts.

There are five interconnected rooms, but actually the whole exhibition is rather modest in size - and certainly, considerably smaller than the excellent Empire of the Sikh exhibition that I visited many years ago (you can read about that here). But this exhibition does not mess around and straight away you are presented with some of the most important pieces as soon as you walk in.

In addition to Maharaja Ranjit Singh's beautiful sword, which is one of the first things you see, there is also other weaponry - his pistol and battle helmets of Sikh soldiers. Perhaps the most impressive item is the armour plates that may well have belonged to him, with a small painting of Guru Nanak Dev Ji on the chest plate. It is beyond stunning!

As I walked further into the exhibition hall, there were artefacts and paintings that I am more familiar with - either seeing them in previous exhibitions, other museums, or in books. The dastaar bunga (Nihang battle turban) and the famous golden throne of Maharaja Ranjit Singh are both here, loaned from the Victoria and Albert Museum where I have seen them many times. The difference here is the way they are presented. For example, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, you can really only see two sides of the throne, but here it is presented on his own and you can do a full walk around, taking in all the exquisite details.

There are other fantastic exhibits like matchlock rifles, and Sikh helmets shaped to fit the joora of Sikhs at the top, spears, lances, punch daggers, and the famous nihang chakkers.

​Further in, there are more paintings and photos, many of which were exhibited at the Empire of the Sikhs exhibition. The photo of Lal Singh, a person who played a key role in the fall of Sikh rule was exhibited here, and still remains one of the most fascinating bits of Panjabi history that I've seen. There are also photos of Sikh soldiers that fought against the Indians in 1857, soldiers that would have served in Ranjit Singh's armies. These are reminders of how close we came to photos of Ranjit Singh and his magnificent court.

That being said, there are still wonderful paintings of the court of Ranjit Singh, from detailed small paintings (like the beautiful Bishan Singh painting) to large life size paintings that feel like they transport you into that moment in time. There are also more troubling paintings, like those showing Sati, an ancient Hindu custom where the wives of aristocrats would jump into the funeral pyre with their husbands. Even though this was outlawed by Guru Amar Das, the third Sikh Guru, and then the British during the reign of Ranjit Singh, it was still a custom that happened during the funeral of Ranjit Singh.

​Among the newer artefacts that I've not seen before were the jewellery of Maharani Jindan, and the belongings of Bhai Maharaj Singh, one of Sikh history's greatest but least known revolutionaries. Perhaps it was because I had so recently visited the Bhai Maharaj Singh memorial in Singapore (which you can read about here) but seeing some of his personal things showcased here was an incredible moment. There is a bust of Maharaja Dalip Singh the often romantacised but deeply troubled young son of Ranjit Singh, as well as cloths from Panjab and Kashmir from the time period.

Should you visit the "Sikh, Warrior, King" exhibition?

Absolutely, it's another great Sikh exhibition that focuses in on the life of one of Sikh history's most important figures. The exhibition was a little smaller than I expected, especially compared to the Empire of the Sikhs exhibition that ran several years ago, and at £16 it is going to price out many people and families - my family would never have been able to afford that when I was younger.

However, curating and running these exhibitions is not cheap either, and if the choice is paying a little extra or not seeing many of these priceless artefacts at all, then £16 is worth it. Many of the items on show here sit locked away in the storage of museums, and even though they might be some of the most important items to the Sikh community, they are not always out on public display. It's another reminder why a permanent National Sikh Museum that can house our cultural heritage in a large city like London or Birmingham is important.

The exhibition runs until October 2024, so make sure you visit while you have the chance. And a huge congratulations to the entire team that put this together.