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{{Era|Brahman}}
{{Era|Individuals}}{{WP-REAL}}
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{{Update|''[[Assassin's Creed: Syndicate]]''}}
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{{Quote|You're one of a kind. Benevolent, they say. All castes and creeds under one roof. You haven't even the temper to order the death of one lowly thief.|Francis Cotton to Ranjit Singh, 1839.|Assassin's Creed: Brahman}}
'''Maharaja Ranjit Singh''' (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839) was the founder of the [[Sikh Empire]] which rose to power in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panjab Panjab] of the Indian Subcontinent in the early 19th century.
{{Character Infobox
===Ancestry===
|image = [[Brahman Ranjit Singh Halfbody render.png]]
Born into the Sukkerchakia Misl(Clan) of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikh_Confederacy Sikh Confederacy] Ranjit Singh had much to live up to. His Grandfather, Charat Singh Sukkerchakia, the founder of the Misl, was one of the leading individuals during the defense against the Afghan [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wadda_Ghalughara attempt to wipe out] the Sikh people once and for all. After the pushing back of the Afghans it is said that Charat Singh vowed that the Sikh people and his family would gain an ultimate revenge for the bloodshed.
|birth = 13 November 1780<br>{{Wiki|Gujranwala}}, {{Wiki|Sukerchakia Misl}}
===Rise to power===
|death = 27 June 1839 {{C|aged 58}}<br>[[Amritsar]], [[Sikh Empire]]
|species = [[Human]]
|database = [[Database: Ranjit Singh|Ranjit Singh]]
|affiliates = [[Sikh Empire]]
}}
'''Ranjit Singh''' (1780 – 1839) was the founder of the [[Sikh Empire]], which rose to power in the [[Punjab]] region of the [[India]]n subcontinent in the early 19th century. He was also the keeper of the [[Koh-i-Noor]] [[diamond]], an [[Isu]] [[Piece of Eden|artifact]], from 1830 until his death.


As such Ranjit Singh was brought up in military style. From a young age he was taught Equestrianism along with the traditional Sikh martial arts. As he grew his love for battle grew as well, even though he was blind in one eye. After the death of his father Ranjit Singh gained control of the Sukkerchakia Misl and as such was required to represent his Misl in the assembly of the Sikh clans. It is through this that his rage grew. He discovered that many of the clans had been appeasing the Afghans so as they would not invade again. As he was now the leader of the Sukkerchakia clan they needed his consent to continue. In a heated rage he vowed that he would never allow such a thing and questioned the integrity of the council for allowing giving in to the Afghans. He pressed the ideal that the Sikh clans should unite, as they had done in the past, and force the Afghans to submit to ''their'' will. As he challenged the status quo many of the clans disagreed. In response to what he saw as cowardice Ranjit Singh claimed that if he had to bring them to heel in order to do the same to the Afghans he would not hesitate. The other clans saw this as an open declaration of internal war. Thus the council was disbanded and the stage set. Ranjit Singh gathered his clan's forces and marched on. Eventually after many arduous battles he gained control of the majority of lands in the Panjab and was declared Emperor(Maharaja) by the clans that were left in 1801 after taking the fort of Lahore. He was very kind.
==Biography==
===Early life===
Singh was the son of {{Wiki|Maha Singh}}, a small faction leader heading a ''misl'', one of many entities comprising the region at the time. During childhood, he contracted smallpox, resulting in the loss of one of his eyes. When he was 12 years old, Singh succeeded his father.<ref name="ACC">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India]]'' – [[Database: Ranjit Singh]]</ref>


===Modernisation of the Army===
===Rise of the Sikh Empire===
With the Panjab now under his control Ranjit Singh looked towards Afghanistan. However, he knew that the times had changed. The Sikh armies would no longer be able to rely on the old ways in order to bring the fight to them. The Maharaja then looked to the Southeast, towards the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_India_Company East India Company]. He saw that the European style of battle had allowed the East India Company to annex the lands of the Hindu States in a short period of time with inferior numbers. The Maharaja then began looking for those foreigners who would be willing to help train the Sikh Army in the ways of the Europeans, however, no British man would help him. It is then that the Maharja came into contact with the four Frenchmen who would help change the history of the Subcontinent. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Fran%C3%A7ois_Allard Jean-Francois Allard], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Baptiste_Ventura Jean-Baptise Ventura], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Di_Avitabile Paolo Di Avitabile], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_August_Court Claude August Court]. All four of these men were Ex-Napoleonic Generals who had been exiled from France after the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Days Hundred Days]. They all needed work and a home. The Maharaja openly welcomed these men and put them under his employment. Through their guidance the Sikh Army was transformed from Irregulars and heavy melee troops to Line-Infantry, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuirassiers Cuirassiers], and Artillery masters by 1835. The most seasonsed of these troops were put into the "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fauj-i-Khas Fauj-I-Khas]" whose command language was French and who marched under a flag which was a combination of the French Tri-Color and the Sikh Nishan-Sahib.Ranjit Singh was now ready to enact his complete revenge.
{{Quote|Your people in Kashmir suffered a great tragedy, my friend. But those days have long passed and Singh's strength is all that stands between India and the growing British power.|Hamid to Arbaaz, 1839.|Assassin's Creed: Brahman}}
In the summer of 1799, Singh conquered the ''misl'' of {{Wiki|Lahore}}, the region's economic capital. The ensuing expansion led him to be crowned Maharajah of Punjab at the age of 20. Singh then launched an attack on the {{Wiki|Afghans}}, acquiring many territories where [[Islam]] was the predominant religion.<ref name="ACC" />


==Reference==
While some of its conquests were violent, the Sikh Empire was, on the whole, very progressive and open-minded for its time. For the Sikhs, the rigid [[Hinduism|Hindu]] system of social castes did not apply as they considered all men to be equal. Similarly, they allowed other religions to be practiced freely. Wanting to have his memory live on in the Sikh religion, Singh had the sacred temple of [[Harmandir Sahib]] adorned with [[marble]] and [[gold]] leaf. As a result, the western world has since referred to it as the "Golden Temple".<ref name="ACC" />
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Brahman]]''
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Ranjit}}
With the annexation of [[Kashmir]] to the north and {{Wiki|Sindh}} to the south, Muslims represented more than 70% of the Sikh Empire's subjects. It was a testament to its strength that the Empire remained standing while other Indian regions fell to the [[United Kingdom|British]].<ref name="ACC" /> Singh was adamant about remaining in control of his lands, his resolve strengthened by his knowledge of the [[Templars]] and their desires to obtain India and its riches.<ref name="Brahman">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brahman]]''</ref>
 
===The Koh-i-Noor===
{{Quote|Take the Syamantaka Mani and go. Far from here. They will come for you. All of you. Your uncles will not have the strength to hold the empire together. The Punjab may fall, but we may still protect India herself. Go. And never return.|Singh's last words to Pyara, 1839.|Assassin's Creed: Brahman}}
[[File:ACBH Pyara with dying Ranjit Singh.jpg|thumb|230px|Singh poisoned by Francis Cotton]]
In 1830, Singh acquired the Koh-i-Noor diamond, a powerful Piece of Eden, serving as its keeper for nine years. He hid the real artifact in a secret chamber beneath his [[Ranjit Singh's summer palace|summer palace]] and wore a copy of it on his wrist. In 1839, the [[British Rite of the Templar Order|British Templars]] plotted to take the diamond from Singh by [[Assassination|assassinating]] the Maharaja, realizing that his successors did not share Singh's determination to protect it. During a feast at the Maharaja's palace, General [[Francis Cotton]] laced Singh's [[tea]] with a fatal [[poison]].<ref name="Brahman" />
 
As the [[Indian Brotherhood of Assassins|Indian Assassin]] [[Arbaaz Mir]] tried to prevent Singh from drinking more of his tea, Cotton instead placed the blame on the Assassin, making [[Soldier|guards]] chase Mir through the palace. Singh's health quickly deteriorated and his granddaughter [[Pyara Kaur]] came rushing to his aid. When she revealed that the Koh-i-Noor was in her possession, he implored her to flee the country with it and never return; Singh would perish that same night.<ref name="Brahman" />
 
===Legacy===
Even after his death, Singh was venerated by Sikhs across the world as one of the greatest heroes of their culture. In 2003, a 22-meter tall [[bronze]] statue of Singh was installed in the {{Wiki|Parliament of India}}.<ref name="ACC" />
 
==Gallery==
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center" widths="180">
ACBH Pyara with Ranjit Singh.jpg|Singh with his granddaughter
ACC India DB Ranjit Singh.png|Singh in the [[Helix]] database
</gallery>
 
==Appearances==
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Brahman]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India]]''
*''[[Echoes of History]] – Indian Chronicles'' {{Mo}}
 
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{ACBM}}
{{DEFAULTSORT: Singh, Ranjit}}
[[Category:1780 births]]
[[Category:1780 births]]
[[Category:1839 deaths]]
[[Category:1839 deaths]]
[[Category:Individuals]]
[[Category:Individuals]]
[[Category:Indians]]
[[Category:Indians]]
[[Category:Punjabis]]
[[Category:Maharajas of the Sikh Empire|Ranjit]]
[[Category:Individuals who held Pieces of Eden]]
[[Category:Ancestors of Monima Das]]
[[Category:Sukerchakia dynasty]]
<!--[fr:Ranjit Singh]-->

Latest revision as of 16:44, 12 May 2026

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"You're one of a kind. Benevolent, they say. All castes and creeds under one roof. You haven't even the temper to order the death of one lowly thief."
―Francis Cotton to Ranjit Singh, 1839.[src]

Ranjit Singh (1780 – 1839) was the founder of the Sikh Empire, which rose to power in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent in the early 19th century. He was also the keeper of the Koh-i-Noor diamond, an Isu artifact, from 1830 until his death.

Biography[edit | edit source]

Early life[edit | edit source]

Singh was the son of Maha Singh, a small faction leader heading a misl, one of many entities comprising the region at the time. During childhood, he contracted smallpox, resulting in the loss of one of his eyes. When he was 12 years old, Singh succeeded his father.[1]

Rise of the Sikh Empire[edit | edit source]

"Your people in Kashmir suffered a great tragedy, my friend. But those days have long passed and Singh's strength is all that stands between India and the growing British power."
―Hamid to Arbaaz, 1839.[src]

In the summer of 1799, Singh conquered the misl of Lahore, the region's economic capital. The ensuing expansion led him to be crowned Maharajah of Punjab at the age of 20. Singh then launched an attack on the Afghans, acquiring many territories where Islam was the predominant religion.[1]

While some of its conquests were violent, the Sikh Empire was, on the whole, very progressive and open-minded for its time. For the Sikhs, the rigid Hindu system of social castes did not apply as they considered all men to be equal. Similarly, they allowed other religions to be practiced freely. Wanting to have his memory live on in the Sikh religion, Singh had the sacred temple of Harmandir Sahib adorned with marble and gold leaf. As a result, the western world has since referred to it as the "Golden Temple".[1]

With the annexation of Kashmir to the north and Sindh to the south, Muslims represented more than 70% of the Sikh Empire's subjects. It was a testament to its strength that the Empire remained standing while other Indian regions fell to the British.[1] Singh was adamant about remaining in control of his lands, his resolve strengthened by his knowledge of the Templars and their desires to obtain India and its riches.[2]

The Koh-i-Noor[edit | edit source]

"Take the Syamantaka Mani and go. Far from here. They will come for you. All of you. Your uncles will not have the strength to hold the empire together. The Punjab may fall, but we may still protect India herself. Go. And never return."
―Singh's last words to Pyara, 1839.[src]
Singh poisoned by Francis Cotton

In 1830, Singh acquired the Koh-i-Noor diamond, a powerful Piece of Eden, serving as its keeper for nine years. He hid the real artifact in a secret chamber beneath his summer palace and wore a copy of it on his wrist. In 1839, the British Templars plotted to take the diamond from Singh by assassinating the Maharaja, realizing that his successors did not share Singh's determination to protect it. During a feast at the Maharaja's palace, General Francis Cotton laced Singh's tea with a fatal poison.[2]

As the Indian Assassin Arbaaz Mir tried to prevent Singh from drinking more of his tea, Cotton instead placed the blame on the Assassin, making guards chase Mir through the palace. Singh's health quickly deteriorated and his granddaughter Pyara Kaur came rushing to his aid. When she revealed that the Koh-i-Noor was in her possession, he implored her to flee the country with it and never return; Singh would perish that same night.[2]

Legacy[edit | edit source]

Even after his death, Singh was venerated by Sikhs across the world as one of the greatest heroes of their culture. In 2003, a 22-meter tall bronze statue of Singh was installed in the Parliament of India.[1]

Gallery[edit | edit source]

  • Singh with his granddaughter
    Singh with his granddaughter
  • Singh in the Helix database
    Singh in the Helix database

Appearances[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India – Database: Ranjit Singh
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Assassin's Creed: Brahman

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