Maharaja Ranjit Singh: Lord of the Five Rivers by Jean-Marie Lafont

This book offers a vivid portrait of Maharaja Ranjit Singh — the ruler of the last great independent Indian state to withstand British expansion until 1849. It captures the dynamism of the Maharaja and the Punjabi people as they built a powerful, diverse, and modern state in the Land of the Five Rivers.

At the height of his reign, Ranjit Singh’s empire stretched from Kashmir and Ladakh to Peshawar and the Khyber Pass. Renowned for respecting Punjab’s ethnic and religious diversity, he forged a unique political, social, and cultural unity. His modernising vision introduced pioneering reforms in governance, the economy, and the arts — and transformed the military with the help of French and Italian officers who had once served under Napoleon.

The book also explores some of the lesser-known achievements of his rule: the flourishing Imam Bakhsh Lahori school of painting, the rediscovery of Gandhara art, and early Himalayan exploration. It examines his state’s military power — one of the greatest challenges the British ever faced in India, tested on the battlefields of Ferozeshah and Chillianwala — alongside its cultural brilliance.

A rich blend of political history, military strategy, and cultural heritage, this is an essential read for anyone interested in the legacy of the Sikh Empire and the man who built it.