Through objects presented in our new exhibition Ranjit Singh: Sikh, Warrior, King, alongside other material aspects of his court, explore the exceptional life and legacy of the great Sikh leader Ranjit Singh (1780-1839). 

In the 18th century, the once powerful Timurid (Mughal) Empire retreated from the wealthy region of the Punjab, now divided between India and Pakistan. Unstable and continually plundered by invasions from Afghanistan, peace and prosperity was eventually restored to the region through local resistance and the enigmatic leadership of Ranjit Singh.  

Over three sessions, we’ll examine Ranjit Singh’s rise to power and the multifaceted reasons for the stability and duration of his almost four-decade reign – regarded as a highpoint in an otherwise violently unstable century. 

Led by Dr Sâqib Bâburî, Content Specialist Archivist with the Qatar Foundation Partnership (British Library) and formerly Curator for Urdu Collections and Curator for Persian Manuscripts (British Library). 

Read the full course description here.  

Joining Information and Format: This course will be taught through Zoom Webinar. Each course session duration is 120 minutes, including a five-minute break and Q&A session with the tutor.  

Tickets are for all dates of this course. Ticketholders will be emailed the Zoom link, Webinar ID and Passcode 24 hours in advance of the first course session, which should be retained for accessing both sessions.   

Course Recording: This course will be recorded. Within 48 hours of each course session, ticket holders will be emailed a link to view the recording, which will be available for two weeks.