SIKH ART & HISTORY

The Court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh

Ranjit Singh's court was one of the most magnificent in the whole of India, particularly when the Maharaja wished to impress foreign visitors. Then, scarlet tented pavilions might be set up on gold and silver poles near the river, lined with luxurious shawls from Kashmir, their floors covered with fine carpets. Men and women alike glittered with jewels.

Visitors would approach the small, plainly dressed figure of the Maharaja, his face disfigured by the childhood smallpox which had left him blind in one eye, to be bombarded with questions. He had boundless curiosity, remarkable energy and a compelling personality.

He preferred to sit on a chair or on the floor, but had a golden throne for state occasions. He dressed with notorious simplicity, yet owned some of the most fabulous jewels of the Mughal emperors, including the Koh-i nur diamond and the stone which became known in the West as the Timur ruby. He employed artists at court, collected Mughal jade and crystal, built monuments and laid out gardens.

He created an atmosphere of religious tolerance in which Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs were all appointed to high office. Artists and craftsmen, similarly, worked for patrons without regard for religious differences: the Sikh Maharaja's throne was made by a Muslim, and craftsmen of all religions worked on the building of the Golden Temple.