How the Sikhs Lost Their Kingdom

by Khushwant Singh

This book tells the story of the disintegration of the Sikh kindgom after the death of Maharaja Ramjit Singh. It is a sordid tale of court intrigues and treachery, encouraged by the British who eagerly awaited the oppurtunity to annex the last independent Indian state and extend their empire beyond the Indus. It also tells of the heroism and valour of the common Punjabi soldiers who fought to the last but never turned their backs to the enemt to flee to safety.

194 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2000

About the author

Khushwant Singh, (Punjabi: ਖ਼ੁਸ਼ਵੰਤ ਸਿੰਘ, Hindi: खुशवंत सिंह) born on 2 February 1915 in Hadali, Undivided India, (now a part of Pakistan), was a prominent Indian novelist and journalist. Singh's weekly column, "With Malice towards One and All", carried by several Indian newspapers, was among the most widely-read columns in the country.

An important post-colonial novelist writing in English, Singh is best known for his trenchant secularism, his humor, and an abiding love of poetry. His comparisons of social and behavioral characteristics of Westerners and Indians are laced with acid wit.