Ranjit Singh may not be a household name in the UK, but he was a fierce historical leader and warrior, who became the first maharajah of the Sikh Empire on the Indian subcontinent, gaining him the nickname “the Lion of Punjab”. The Wallace Collection has opened a fantastic exhibition on his life, his (battle-heavy) reign in the early 19th century, and his eventual downfall.
Singh had a difficult childhood, contracting smallpox in infancy that resulted in the loss of sight in his left eye and scarring to his face.
At 10 years old he fought his first battle. His father died when Singh was 12 years old. The first attempt on his life (outside of battle) came when he was 13 years old. And when Singh was 18 years old his mother died.
This violent start to Singh’s life continued with even more violence, and the exhibition doesn’t shy away from it, opening with an enlarged version of a book illustration of bloody battle, behind a case displaying a quoit - a circular throwing weapon that the curator suggests have been referred to as death frisbees (top image).
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