In 1991 Des Pardes, the popular Punjabi language newspaper published this photograph and identified it as a genuine photograph of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (seated centre), his general Hari Singh Nalwa (standing second from left) and Fakir Nur-u-din (Standing second from the right), one of the Maharaja’s three Muslim ministers of state.
The photographs was found by the British based historian Dr CS Chan and immediately caused a major stir. Today, a copy of this photograph takes pride of place at Bangla Sahib gurdwara in Delhi and is to be found at the Samadhi of Ranjit Singh in Lahore. Was this a major historical find? Was this the only glimpse of some of the most important characters in Sikh history at that vital meeting of the Maharaja and Lord William Bentick at Ropur in 1809?or was it a fake?
This is just one of the hundreds of historical Sikh photographs that historian Parmjit Singh, co-author of “Warrior Saints” and “Sicques, Tigers or Thieves” presents during a lavishly illustrated video lecture on UKPHA’s new Punjab Heritage Lectures website on www.punjabheritagelectures.org .
Parmjit’s authoritative expose of this photograph and many others makes this talk one of the highlights of the series which also includes the journalist and author Christy Campbell narrating the tragic story of Maharaj Duleep Singh.
Click here for Parmjit's lecture A Picture of the Sikhs
Click Here for Christy’s lecture Pioneers : the Maharaja’s Box
