Former Pakistani Minister uses derogatory language against great Sikh emperor Maharaja Ranjit Singh

LAHORE, Punjab—Senior PML (N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique, who held the reins of Pakistani Railways Ministry during the last tenure of Nawaz Shariff, has hurt Sikh sentiments by dubbing the great Sikh emperor Maharaja Ranjit Singh as a profligate, dacoit and looter. He has also leveled allegations of desecrating and looting mosques on Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

“Ranjit Singh Ayash was a dacoit looter ruler who openly desecrated Muslim faith mosques and Sufi shrines, looted heavily and forcibly imposed Sikh beliefs. Established oppressive Dogra rule over Kashmir,” reads the English translation of Khawaja Saad Rafique’s tweet.

Reacting to Khawaja Saad Rafique’s statement, Pakistani Sikh leader Gopal Singh Chawla has said that Khawaja Saad Rafique was trying to earn political mileage and hide his failures by leveling baseless allegations on the great Sikh ruler.

Recalling the tenure of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Gopal Singh Chawla said that no one got capital punishment during his four decades-long regime.

“Once a man asked Maharaja Ranjit Singh to ban Azan in his empire. On this, Maharaja Ranjit Singh replied that Azan was meant to call Muslims for Namaz and if he can call the Muslims for Namaz by knocking their doors individually, then he (Maharaja Ranjit Singh) will ban Azan,” he said.

Was Maharaja Ranjit Singh really a profligate, dacoit, and oppressor?  

In a survey named “Greatest leader of all times poll” carried out by BBC History Magazine this year, Maharaja Ranjit Singh was voted as the greatest ruler of all times among all the international rulers. The name of Maharaja Ranjit Singh outshined the names of other prominent international leaders, including Amílcar Cabral, Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, and Elizabeth I.

In this survey, the readers were asked to choose a leader who exercised power and had a positive impact on humanity and to explore their achievements and legacy.

Around 5000 readers participated in this survey. 38% of voters voted for Maharaja Ranjit Singh while Amílcar Cabral and Winston Churchill secured 25% and 7% votes. Interestingly, American President Abraham Lincoln and UK’s queen Elizabeth I stood fourth and fifth in this survey.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s name was nominated in this survey by the renowned historian Matthew Lockwood.

It is a well-known fact that persons belonging to all the religions were allowed to exercise their faith without any fear in the regime of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. His tenure is considered as the most prosperous time of North India.

16 COMMENTS

  1. The greatest ruler Punjab has had in the last 1000 years or so. Treated all his subjects with respect regardless of religion. Even when some fanatic Islamist clerics lead a jihad against the Sikh empire, he made sure the dead and prisoners taken in battle were treated with respect or buried with proper Islamic customs. Yes, he was a devout Sikh too (not a perfect Sikh but he wasn’t an atheist or agnostic). He banned cow slaughter and Azan in SOME parts of his kingdom (the latter was temporary I think in response to radical clerics). In the grand scheme of things, and compared to the atrocities meted out by many Islamic rulers, these were very minor things. He was extremely tolerant compared to the Mughals, Afghans, etc. Through his policies and actions he demonstrated a vision of uniting all Punjabis under their sovereign. A Punjabi nationalism of sorts, albeit with heavy Sikh influence.

    Punjabis as a people never reached the heights they did under Maharaja Ranjit Singh, again. Too bad his rise to power coincided with the rise of the British empire. Otherwise, the Sikh empire would have been much larger and perhaps lasted longer.

    Pakistanis who insult him are ignorant and brainwashed against non-Muslim heroes of their own land. They would rather admire invaders like Ghori and Mahmud of Ghazni then the Maharaja who was the son of their soil. What a sad state of affairs.

  2. We must not judge people of other faiths without facts and figures. Especially, not hurt the sentiments of other faiths such as the Sikh community.
    At least Ranjit Singh meted out one-eyed justice to his subjects and proved himself much more capable of governance by effectively maintaining peace among warring tribes for forty years.

    Ranjit was far better than the present lot of corrupt and incompetent rulers, including the PML-N and PPP. He who have done nothing than looting and and money laundering while destroying the Pakistan economy. About 10 crore people are .now either at or below the poverty line thanks to our so-called patriotic political elite. Shane on Saad Rafiq.

  3. Ranjit Singh was neither as great nor perhaps as bad. He was somewhere in the middle. He may be was a great ruler who took Sikh power to a height where they will perhaps never reach again. But at the same time it is also true that his rule was not as glorious as we are made to believe. Badshahi mosque of Lahore was a godown and stable in his time. Similarly the beautiful Sher Shah Suri mosque. So ignore these controversial comments and move ahead.

  4. Mirza saheb come out of false propaganda. The Maharajah always stood for justice. He never committed atrocities like in history some many other kings did.
    Recent world survey declared him greatest of all. The whole world cannot tell a lie.

  5. Dear in fight people from both sides die but check if he forcefully killed them because of their religion.

  6. Actually some people are taken aback to note the envious popular of Maharajah all over the world. Recently a world survey declared him the greatest king ever world had. He surpassed all leaders of the world so far. Can be searched in net.
    The envious popularity no one can assimilate.
    He was an honest king. Never did atrocities. He lived for just cause.
    So people should come out of dark and accept reality. Fact world knows.

  7. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was one of the greatest rulers ,he was not only a outstanding military genius but farsighted and secular ,many Muslims of Punjab voluntarily fought under his readership against Afghans . Even the British could never annexe Punjab and North west Frontier Provinces as long he lived

  8. Very short sighted & ignorant comment about a great ruler, who was equally popular among all religions…

  9. I still hear the stories how ranjit Singh butchered my forefathers for land and plundered our legacy is this greatness? If it is.his greatness is of no use to me.
    No offence and love for all Sikh brothers.

    • Actually some people are taken aback to note the envious popular of Maharajah all over the world. Recently a world survey declared him the greatest king ever world had. He surpassed all leaders of the world so far. Can be searched in net.
      The envious popularity no one can assimilate.
      He was an honest king. Never did atrocities. He lived for just cause.
      So people should come out of dark and accept reality. Fact world knows.

    • Mirza saheb come out of false propaganda. The Maharajah always stood for justice. He never committed atrocities like in history some many other kings did.
      Recent world survey declared him greatest of all. The whole world cannot tell a lie.

  10. If you people present Raja Ranjit Singh as a Punjabi ruler then it will be great. Why you mention Sikh ruler for him, if he was a secular ruler.

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