By Amandeep Madra and Paramjit Singh

Maharaj Singh

Amongst the treasures in the collection of London’s British Library, which include the Magna Carta and the Lindisfarne Gospels, lie a remarkable collection of modest personal effects that tell an extraordinary story from the dying days of Sikh sovereignty in Punjab.

These seemingly unassuming objects – two steel bracelets, a miniature dagger, a needle and thread, a conch shell and a seal ring – were the belongings of Bhai Maharaj Singh (d.1856) a spiritual leader and fervent Sikh nationalist. Now carefully preserved, they were confiscated from him on his arrest in the year following the Anglo-Sikh wars in 1849.

Bhai Maharaj Singh was an inspiration to thousands of ordinary Punjabis and a thorn in the side of early colonial aspirations in the state. His power and revolutionary activities against the British during the Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848-49) prompted the Times of London to note “It is well known in certain circles that the influence of this man is unbounded amongst the Sikh chieftains and the whole population of the Punjab; and there is little doubt but that he has generally been the prime mover in all the conspiracies and revolts which have lately caused so much of the Punjab expense and led to so much bloodshed.”

Shortly after the Khalsa Army had surrendered to British arms in 1849, the Bhai was ultimately arrested and quickly exiled to Singapore where he died in 1856 after six years spent in solitary confinement. He remains an important figure for the Punjabi community there as well as in Punjab.

His personal possessions housed at the British Library were confiscated from him at the time of his arrest. They provide are a remarkable insight into this extraordinary Sikh leader. The pair of plain steel bracelets (karHā) and the miniature dagger (dastār vāli kirpān) are extremely intimate and personal items. Seemingly more mundane yet indispensable for a roving warrior is a humble sewing needle and thread. The conch shell speaks of his role as a spiritual leader. The only obvious symbol of majesty is the seal ring, inscribed in reverse Gurmukhi script with the invocation: “Akal sahai Maharaj Singh ji” literally The Immortal One protects: Maharaj Singh ji.

“These objects are of international importance to anyone interested in Sikh heritage.” commented Jennifer Howes the British Library’s Curator of Art Objects in the Asia Pacific and Africa Collections, who researched the collection of objects and oversaw their conservation “Preparing online catalogue entries for them has been a real honour. I am pleased that the full story behind these exceptional items is now available to researchers worldwide.”

The objects and the manuscripts were in the British Museum's collection since the 1920s when they were gifted to the institution by a direct descendant the man who finally arrested the Bhai in Jalandhar. "The items have been in secure storage, alongside the rest of the India Office Collections, ever since they were received. The bracelets, kirpān and ring are in absolutely pristine condition. You could still use the needle and thread today, and I'm sure if blown into, the conch would still make its distinctive sound,"

But these aren’t the only artefacts connected with the great man in the vaults of the British Library. Four of his personal manuscripts handwritten in the Gurmukhi script complete the collection. These have been catalogued in detail as a part of a national project to catalogue Punjabi manuscripts in UK national collections undertaken by United Kingdom Punjab Heritage Association (UKPHA). Its senior cataloguer, Harminder Singh Mann, commented on their significance: “These four manuscripts range from a single page to a short anthology – each one gives important clues into the life of one of the most enigmatic of characters from Sikh history.” Mann also told that “the meticulous conservation of these precious manuscripts by the British Library means that they will be enjoyed and studied by for many generations to come”.

Bhai Maharaj Singh was born Nihal Singh in Rabbon, Ludhiana. In his early life he came under the influence of Bhai Bir Singh of Naurangābad and succeeded him on his death in 1844. By this time he was already an influential religious leader in the Sikh courts of Lahore. At a time of growing British influence and interference at court, his message was uncompromising and highly nationalistic. His transformation to saintly revolutionary was completed in 1847 when he was implicated in a conspiracy to assassinate Henry Lawrence, the British resident at Lahore. With his property confiscated and wanted by the British he went underground with 600 followers in order to continue his sedition. The governor-general at the time, Lord Dalhousie, offered a staggering Rs. 10,000 bounty for his head.