Book Review [114] : Punjab - A History From Aurangzeb to Mountbatten

'Punjab: A History from Aurangzeb to Mountbatten' is a good historical work written in a lucid style by Rajmohan Gandhi (grandson of two great Indians - Mahatma Gandhi and C. Rajagopalachari). It covers the history of Punjab from the death of Aurangzeb to the partition of Punjab in a detailed manner. 

This book is a repository of many stories/things/places of Punjab. There is one such place in Punjab known as Tilla Gorakhnath ( an ancient Jogi monastery). Its located about 40 km west of Jhelum town in Pakistan. Its is widely believed that Gorakhnath may have lived here. Nowadays its in ruins only.

It tells in details about the rise of Sikh powers from the ruins of Mughal power and destruction caused by 10 invasions of Afghan chief Ahmad Shah Abdali/Durrani. Its a real question for historians and social scientists that why Sikhs were able to carve out a large empire in greater Punjab despite of being in a tiny minority while Muslims failed despite of being in absolute majority (The Sikhs were less than 10% of the total population of Punjab + Jammu & Kashmir + trans Indus region while Muslims were more than 50%). Perhaps the spirit of common Punjabi brotherhood ran deeper those days. The Sikh Kingdom under Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the first independent Kingdom of Punjabis in Punjab since 1192. In many battles that Sikh Empire fought against Afghans the Muslims of Punjab either supported Sikhs or stayed neutral. Had they supported Afghans, it would have been easier for Afghans to destroy Sikh power.

Beef was banned in the Sikh empire and cow slaughter was strictly forbidden. It was a syncretic Hindu-Sikh empire with most of the nobility coming from Hindus and Sikhs. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was a highly pragmatic King and was able to secure his Empire from British Hawks when Marathas and everyone else lost theirs but he could have been more shrewd and could have exploited the threat from France and Russia in getting a better bargain from the Company. 

The Sikh Empire was not defeated by Britishers but by the foes within. Their Generals Lal Singh and Tez Singh treacherously destroyed their own army and Empire. The British lost very few battles in India and the Battle of Chillianwala was one such battle when Indians showed British their actual place. The annexation of Punjab was followed by the introduction of British administration and recruitment of Punjabis in British Army. This played a key role in suppression of the first war of Indian Independence. It was not the Britishers who defeated the Sepoys, it was the Punjabis who defeated and killed their own brothers in 1857 and 58. The sanguine scenes were again repeated in the fields of Punjab in 1947 when Punjabis killed Punjabis in a bitter internecine "civil war". 

Overall its a must read book. Highly recommended (8/10).