Rise of the Sikh soldier
Speaker: Gurinder Singh Mann
The talk will highlight the rich military history of the Sikhs. Participants will be taken through a journey of over 200 years through anecdotes and reference to important events.
The small community from the Panjab overcame tremendous odds to become a pivotal military force which conquered Northern India eventually leading to a Sikh Empire.
Based on his recently published and deeply researched book, Mann will use rare anecdotes to provide recognition of early descriptions from administrators, writers and illustrators who depicted the history of the Sikhs and the land of the Panjab. He also gives credence to the underrepresented role of women warriors and how they were pivotal to many campaigns.
In illustrating the rise of the Sikh Empire, Mann will also refer to some of the objects of Sikh heritage held in the Royal Armouries collection. From the chahar a’ineh (cuirass) ascribed to Ranjeet Singh and a cannon gifted by the British to the Sikhs, to other pieces of richly decorated arms and armour, the material culture of the Sikh empire illuminates both its military strength and the wider artistic accomplishments of the Indian subcontinent.
This is a free online lecture. Royal Armouries is a charity, please consider making a donation to support our work as guardians of the national collection of arms and armour.
Image: Bronze 9-pounder howitzer gun, 1838, Royal Armouries XIX.247
More details here