This talk explores the little-known history of the ‘Kooka’ Massacre.

Davinder Toor, a leading figure among a new generation of Sikh, Indian, and Islamic art collectors and the guest curator of The Wallace Collection, joined Amandeep Madra in our 2024 series of talks. They explored the life of the great Sikh leader Ranjit Singh through historical objects from his court, courtiers, and family, including items owned by the Maharaja and the most famous of his 30 wives, Maharani Jind Kaur.

The Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1799-1839) died ten years before the British annexation of the Punjab in 1849. his funerary monument or samadhi is located next to the Lahore fort, where the Maharaja lived. The structure is the last state funded project of the Lahore Darbar and represents a high point of nineteenth-century Sikh architecture, second only to the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

Susan Stronge takes us on a fascinating journey in which she highlights the exquisite objects which mark the artistry and creativity in the history of Lahore.