Regional States : Punjab and Mysore Notes with PDF
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Maharaja Ranjit Singh (The Lion of Punjab)
Early Life and Rise to Power
- Born on 13th November 1780 in Gujranwala.
- Father was Maha Singh, the leader of the Sukerchakia Misl.
- Took control of his administration in 1797.
Expansion of the Sikh Empire
- Captured Lahore in July 1799 and made it his political capital.
- The Treaty of Amritsar (1809) with the British prevented expansion south of the Sutlej River but allowed westward expansion.
- Key conquests included:
- Multan (1818)
- Kashmir (1819), including its capital, Srinagar
- Peshawar (1834)
- Acquired the Kohinoor diamond from the deposed Afghan ruler Shah Shuja.
Administration and Character
- Established a high court, the Adalat-i-Ala, in Lahore.
- Set up modern foundries to manufacture cannons at Lahore.
- Was known for his religious tolerance, famously stating: “God intended me to look upon all religions with one eye, that is why he took away the light from the other.”
Decline and Succession
- Succeeded by his son Kharak Singh (Khadag Singh) in 1839.
- Kharak Singh’s reign was marked by instability due to his opium addiction and factional fights between the Dogra Brothers and Sandhanwalia Sardars.
- The last king of the Sikh Empire was Maharaja Duleep Singh.
- Duleep Singh ruled from 1843 until the annexation of Punjab in 1849.
- He died in Paris on 23rd October 1893.
British Annexation of Punjab
The Board of Administration
- After annexation in 1849, Lord Dalhousie appointed a ‘Board of Three’ to administer Punjab.
- Its members were:
- Sir Henry Lawrence (President)
- John Lawrence
- Charles Grenville Mansel
The Anglo-Mysore Wars & Key Rulers
Hyder Ali
- Was the ruler of Mysore and father of Tipu Sultan.
- Established a modern armory in Dindigul in 1755.
- In July 1780, he captured Arcot and defeated the British Army under Colonel Baillie.
- Initially formed an alliance with the Marathas and the Nizam of Hyderabad against the British.
- Was ultimately defeated by British General Sir Eyre Coote at the Battle of Porto Novo in 1781 (during the Second Anglo-Mysore War).
Tipu Sultan (The Tiger of Mysore)
- Succeeded his father, Hyder Ali, as the ruler of Mysore.
- Established his capital at Srirangapatna.
- Was a modernizer and an international diplomat:
- He established embassies in foreign countries (e.g., Egypt, France, Turkey) on modern lines.
- He was a founding member of the Jacobin Club in Srirangapatna and planted a “Tree of Liberty” to signify his alliance with France.
- Military Engagements:
- His forces defeated the British Army at the Battle of Pollilur in 1780.
- He was finally defeated and killed by the British in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1799 during the siege of his capital, Srirangapatna.
- Was a patron of Hindu institutions; he gave money for the construction of the idol of Goddess Sharda at the Sringeri temple.
Wars and Treaties of the Anglo-Mysore Wars
- First Anglo-Mysore War (1767-1769):
- Haider Ali emerged victorious.
- He captured Mangalore (1768) and threatened Madras (1769).
- Ended by the Treaty of Madras in April 1769.
- Second Anglo-Mysore War:
- Ended by the Treaty of Mangalore (1784).
- Third Anglo-Mysore War:
- Ended by the Treaty of Srirangapatna (1792).
- It was signed between Tipu Sultan and Lord Cornwallis.
- Terms were harsh: Tipu Sultan lost half his territory (ceded to the British, Marathas, and Nizam), paid a large war indemnity of 3 crores, and had to surrender his two sons as hostages.
- Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799):
- Tipu Sultan was defeated and killed.
Other Key Historical Figures and Events
Begum Samru
- Ruled the principality of Sardhana near Meerut.
- Constructed an eminent church at Sardhana.
Sawai Jai Singh of Amber
- A renowned scholar and astronomer.
- Had Euclid’s ‘Elements of Geometry’ translated into Sanskrit.
- Established observatories (Jantar Mantar) in Jaipur, Delhi, and Varanasi.
Important Historical Facts
- Ahmad Shah Abdali defeated the Marathas at the Third Battle of Panipat (1761).
- Murshid Quli Khan introduced the system of revenue farming in Bengal.
- The Second Battle of Karnataka (Carnatic) was fought between 1749 and 1754.
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