From the Jacket

By sheer force of his personality Maharaja Ranjit Singh born in 1780, became the unquestioned ruler of the Punjab from 1799 to 1839, his kingdom being the last bastion to hold out against the British a symbol of their incomplete conquest of India.

Relying on unconventional statecraft and dazzling display of daring and courage, he wielded his warrior nation to extend the empire from the Sutlej to Kabul in Afghanistan and from Ladakh to Iskardu and Tuklakote in Little Tibet.

Every invasion of India till then had been from West to East, across the Indus, from 2000 BC onwards, when the Aryans came in. for the first time in history, an Indian ruler went West wards, crossed the Indus River in 1826 and hoisted his flag on Kabul fort.

This is the story of Maharaja Ranjit Singh whose kingdom was the last to lay arms before the British who had annexed to entire sub-continent.

About the Author

He is born in 1917 awarded Waris Award as Punjabi writer of the millennium by the chief minister, Punjab in the world Punjabi Conference held at Chandigarh in December, 2000 has to his credit 21 collections of poetry, seven plays, six collections of short plays, and autobiography in two volumes and several works of literary criticism. K.S. Duggal has been honoured with Padam Bhushan, the Soviet Land Nehru Award and Punjabi Sahitya academy's Sarva Sresht Sahtykar Award for the totality of his contribution to Indian literature besides the National Academy of Letters Award for drama, the Bhasha Parishad Award for fiction and the Bhai Mohan Singh Vaid Award for autobiography. Appreciating his contribution to Indian literature, Shri Duggal was conferred the degree of D. Lit. by the president of India in 1997. Having served as Director, All India Radio, Director National Book Trust and Adviser, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting attached to Planning Commission of India, he is currently devoted exclusively to literary activity.