The Samadhi of Ranjit Singh

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.

Dr Nadhra Kahn

Professor Kim Wagner, an historian of Global and Imperial History from Queen Mary's University of London, speaks about his book ‘Amritsar 1919: An Empire of Fear & the Making of a Massacre’ This talk was given at the first UKPHA Virtual Bookclub meeting on 20 April 2020

Nadhra Khan's primary area of research and interest is 19th Century Sikh Art and Architectural Ornament in the Punjab, but she also focuses on Mughal Art and Architecture (16th to 18th century). Her work emphasizes the significance of the Sikh period as the last episode of centuries old indigenous art and architectural tradition before annexation of the Punjab by the British in 1849 that changed, among other things, the visual culture of the Punjab forever. A research project that started with one Sikh funerary monument or samadhi built to honor Maharaja Ranjit Singh has led her to study almost all major monuments dateable to this period, including the Golden Temple Amritsar, Sikh period havelis and various other samadhis.

Buy The Samadhi of Ranjit Singh here >>

Jassa Ahluwalia

The first of our 2024 Bookclub talks was with actor, presenter, and now author, Jassa Ahluwalia who was in conversation with presenter and author Noreen Khan.

Amandeep Madra & Parmjit Singh

Warrior Saints tells the compelling story of how they fought back to establish a powerful empire stretching from the borders of Tibet to Afghanistan across Punjab's plains. The Sikh army became one of Asia's most powerful but their growing territorial ambition brought them into conflict with a rival foreign power, the British East India Company.

Prof William Gould & Prof Sarah Ansari

The politics behind the Partition of India in 1947

Vee Walker

Vee Walker, award-winning author and heritage consultant, was inspired to write her prizewinning epic novel of WWI, Major Tom's War, by the unlikely yet true love story of her own grandparents.

See All Events

UKPHA VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB