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Wives of Ranjit Singh

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Genealogical notes on Sikh emperors from the Lahore Durbar, focusing on their wives and children, from the personal notebook and copybook of Duleep Singh, ca.1855–60. The many wives of Ranjit Singh and their children are enumerated.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh had many wives, possibly around thirty.[1] Furthermore, he kept a company of around twenty-three concubines and a 150 dancing-girls, mostly from Kashmir and the Punjab Hills.[2][3] The numerous wives were of various ethnic backgrounds, such as Punjabi, Pashtun, and Pahari, and also various caste-backgrounds, such as Jatt, Rajput, and Gujjar. The marriages initially helped strengthen the Sukerchakia Misl and later the Sikh Empire, due to marital-alliances to various groups.[1][4] After Ranjit Singh provided help to Sansar Chand of Kangra against the invading Gurkhas, he married two of the Kangra ruler's daughters.[2] At-least five of his wives were Muslim.[5]

Recent scholarship has argued that historians' focus on the Maharaja has hidden the political role of "the ruling women and young princes of Ranjit Singh's new royal house", who in fact had a strong influence on the Sikh Empire.[6] A 2021 novel by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni titled The Last Queen tells the story of Ranjit Singh's last wife, Jind Kaur, and interweaves stories of the other wives in the zenana, including Rani Guddan, Chand Kaur and Pathani.[7]

List of notable wives

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Mehtab Kaur

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Main Article: Mehtab Kaur

Jean-Marie Lafont notes that Ranjit Singh's first wife, Mehtab Kaur, was the only wife to bear the title of 'Maharani'.[8] Mehtab Kaur was betrothed to Ranjit Singh in 1786, married him in 1789, and was sent to live with him from 1796 after the muklawa (a ceremonial tradition in which the bride is sent to live with her husband's family) occurred.[9] According to historian Sardar Singh Bhatia, Mehtab, however, largely lived with her mother, Sada Kaur, resenting Ranjit's father for having killed her own.[10] Bhatia records that Mehtab had three sons: Ishar Singh (1804), Sher Singh (1807) and Tara Singh (1807). Mehtab died in 1813.[11]

Raj Kaur

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Main Article: Raj Kaur

Estranged from Mehtab Kaur, Ranjit Singh married Raj Kaur (also known as Datar Kaur and Mai Nakain) in 1797.[10] Bhatia notes that Raj Kaur was Ranjit Singh's 'favourite' wife and 'took active interest in the affairs of the State'.[12] Bhatia only makes notes of Raj Kaur's oldest son, Kharak Singh, who was born in 1801.[12] Later descendants of Ranjit Singh have proved that Rattan Singh was also Raj Kaur's son.[13] Raj Kaur died in 1838.[12]

With regard to her death The Missionary reported,[14]

"The Maharajah was never the same person again. He was no longer able to mount his horse himself and had to be lifted into the saddle. His recovery was retarded by the death of Mai Nakain, his favourite wife and companion of over forty years . He took the Nakain's death to heart and brooded over it a long time"

Ratan Kaur and Daya Kaur

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Ratan Kaur and Daya Kaur were both wives of Sahib Singh Bhangi. When Sahib Singh Bhangi died, Ranjit Singh married the widows in 1811.[15][16] Bhatia notes that the wedding was conducted via the chādar andāzī ceremony, a ceremony in which the marriage is effected upon the unfurling of a cloth on one's head.[15] Daya Kaur had two children: Kashmira Singh and Pashaura Singh (1821). Ratan Kaur had one child, Multana Singh (1819). Both wives outlived Ranjit Singh.[16][15]

Mahitab Devi and Raj Banso

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Main Article: Rani Katochan

Mahitab Devi of Kangra, also known as Randi Guddan or Rani Katochan, married Ranjit Singh in 1829. Bhatia notes that Mahitab Devi had 'great influence' over Ranjit Singh and advocated for the arts by 'establishing a school hill music and dance' and introducing 'the art of Phulkari embroidery'.[17] Mahitab Devi died in 1939, taking her husband's head in her lap and performing sati by immolating herself in his funeral pyre.[17]

Raj Banso was Mahitab Devi's sister who also married Ranjit Singh in 1829. Bhatia notes that she was 'said to be the most beautiful of the Mahārāja's wives'.[18] An advocate for the arts, like her sister, Raj Banso commited suicide in 1835 'over a typical palace trifle'.[18] Bhatia writes that Ranjit Singh performed her cremation ceremony himself.[18]

Jind Kaur

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Main Article: Jind Kaur

Jind Kaur, wife of Ranjit Singh, is more notable as the mother of Duleep Singh (1838), the final ruler of the Sikh Empire.[19] Jind Kaur married Ranjit Singh in 1835 after her father, Manna Singh Aulakh, who happened to be Ranjit Singh's 'royal kennel keeper', convinced him of her beauty.[20] Jind Kaur outlived Ranjit Singh and was appointed regent when her son was eligible for the throne.[19][20]

Other known wives

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Maharaja Ranjit Singh with some of his wives.

In the 1830s toward the end of Ranjit Singh's life, his number of marriages increased substantially as many new women were wedded to him.[21] His other wives included, Mehtab Devi of Kangra, also called Guddan or Katochan, and Raj Banso, daughters of Raja Sansar Chand of Kangra.[22] He was also married to Rani Har Devi of Atalgarh, Rani Aso Sircar, and Rani Jag Deo. According to the diaries, that Duleep Singh kept towards the end of his life, these women presented the Maharaja with four daughters. Dr. Priya Atwal notes that the daughters could be adopted.[9] Ranjit Singh was also married to Jind Bani or Jind Kulan, daughter of Muhammad Pathan from Mankera, presented to him in 1824, and Gul Bano, daughter of Malik Akhtar from Amritsar. Another Pashtun woman, named Zebo, was also married to him, who was originally sent as a concubine from Kashmir in 1832 after being given by her father.[22] The marriages to Pashtun women happened as the Sikh Empire conquered Kashmir and former Afghan territory on its western-border.[22]

Ranjit Singh married many times, in various ceremonies, and according to some sources had twenty wives.[23][24] Sir Lepel Griffin, however, provides a list of just sixteen wives and their pension list. Most of his marriages were performed through chādar andāz.[25] Some scholars note that the information on Ranjit Singh's marriages is unclear, and there is evidence that he had many concubines. Dr. Priya Atwal presents an official list of Ranjit Singh's thirty wives.[26] The women married through chādar andāzī were noted as concubines and were known as the lesser title of Rani (queen).[27] While Mehtab Kaur and Datar Kaur officially bore the title of Maharani (high queen), Datar Kaur officially became the Maharani after the death of Mehtab Kaur in 1813. Throughout her life was referred to as Sarkar Rani.[28] After her death, the title was held by Ranjit's youngest widow Jind Kaur.[29] According to Khushwant Singh in an 1889 interview with the French journal Le Voltaire, his son Dalip (Duleep) Singh remarked, "I am the son of one of my father's forty-six wives."[11] Dr. Priya Atwal notes that Ranjit Singh and his heirs entered a total of 46 marriages.[30] But Ranjit Singh was known not to be a "rash sensualist" and commanded unusual respect in the eyes of others.[31] Faqir Sayyid Vaḥiduddin states: "If there was one thing in which Ranjit Singh failed to excel or even equal the average monarch of oriental history, it was the size of his harem."[32][31] George Keene noted, "In hundreds and in thousands the orderly crowds stream on. Not a bough is broken off a wayside tree, not a rude remark to a woman".[31]

Titles

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Lithograph titled 'Dancing Girls', from 'The Court and Camp of Runjeet Sing' by William Godolphin Osborne, depicting dancing-girls at the camp of Ranjit Singh, published in 1840[33]

There were various khitab (titles) given to the women depending on their status.[21] In the period of the Sikh Misls, high-status women, such as Sada Kaur and Raj Kaur, were given the title sardarni and the more-general term musammat.[21] However, by the time of the 1830s when many new women were wed to Ranjit Singh, the wives were given the more prestigious title of sarkarat, a plural term referring to the multiple women who took-on the sarkar title after their marriage to Ranjit Singh.[21] As per the writings of the court-historians, there were different terms used to differentiate between royal-women, such as wives, versus concubines and other women of the court (servants, dancers, courtesans, slaves, etc.), with royal-women being known through the titles of maharani, rani sahiba, sarkar, and were described as purdahnashin, for their practice of purdah.[21] However, there were cases where non-royal women, such as dancing-girls, managed to elevate themselves to the position of being wives, such as the case of Gul Begum.[21] Maharaja Ranjit Singh would go-on to bestow Gul Begum with the maharani title.[21] The wives' families would often benefit from these marriages, with their brothers and other members of their family often being gifted jagirs and prestigious titles/positions.[22] Most significant and powerful of Maharaja Ranjit Singh's wives was Maharani Datar Kaur who he affectionately called Mai Nakain.[34] Though he went on to marry many women Mai Nakain remained his favorite and most respected wife.[35]

List

[edit]

A list prepared by Priya Atwal of the known wives of Ranjit Singh, using contemporary documents and other sources, is as follows:[36]

List of wives of Maharaja Ranjit Singh[36]
No. Name(s) Portrait Religion Marriage date Death date Dependents, issues, or heirs
1. Mehtab Kaur (1) Sikh 1789 1813 Maharaja Sher Singh and Kunwar Tara Singh
2. Mai Nakain (Datar Kaur) Sikh 1797 1838 Maharaja Kharak Singh
3. Moran (Mai Mohran) Muslim 1802 1814[37]
4. Rattan Kaur Sikh 1811 ? Kunwar Multana Singh
5. Daya Kaur Sikh 1811 ? Kunwars Kashmira Singh and Pashaura Singh
6. Unknown name 1812 ?
7. Roop Kaur Sikh 1815 ? Adopted her nephew’s son
8. Jumrul Beebee 1816 ?
9. Luchmee Kaur Vudpuggun Sikh 1820 ? Took-care of Duleep Singh when Jind Kaur was exiled. Adoped a girl named Ram Kaur.
10. Jind Kulan (Jind Bani) 1824 ?
11. Jind Kaur Sikh 1825? 1863 Maharajah Duleep Singh
12. Doulee Khoond Hindu 1826 ?
13. Chund Kaur Sikh 1827 ?
14. Dukhno Hindu 1827 ?
15. Katochan (Mehtab Devi/Guddan) Hindu 1829 1839 (death by sati)[38]
16. Raj Banso Hindu 1829 1830s, possibly 1835[39] (death by suicide through overdosing on opium after Ranjit Singh compared her beauty to that of a dancing-girl[40])
17. Medno 1829 ?
18. Mehtab

Kaur (2)

Sikh 1829 ?
19. Zebo 1830 1855? Possibly a son of a Kashmiri pundit named Buksheesh Singh, who was later adopted by Sher Singh when Zebo became his concubine
20. Gul Begum Muslim 1830 1863? Adopted a Muslim boy
21. Bhooree 1831 ? Adopted Bhoop Singh, the son of a slave-girl
22. Deokee Khoord 1832 ?
23. Suman Kaur 1832 ?
24. Chainpurwala ?
25. Hardavi Hindu ? 1839 (death by sati)
26. Deokee Kulan ? 1854
27. Doulee Kulan ? 1859
28. Durooptee ? 29 December 1852
29. Gulab Kaur ? July 1856 (died at the age of 47)
30. Unknown 30th wife

References

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  1. ^ a b Sharma, Manimugdha S. (21 February 2021). "Sikh history shows that Punjabi women have been active in politics for centuries, says British historian Priya Atwal". Times of India. Retrieved 2 August 2025. The Maharaja had at least 30 wives — according to my estimate! My book includes a 'marriage map' which plots where these women came from. Ranjit Singh's queens were Sikh, Hindu and Muslim; his marriages to them helped cement Sukerchakia dynastic ties throughout the different classes and ethnic groups of its growing empire within and beyond the Punjab.
  2. ^ a b Singh, Amarinder (7 March 2010). "The man with 20 wives". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
  3. ^ "Maharaja Ranjit Singh's 20 wives and 23 concubines | Moving to Canada I Canada news I Indo-Canadian news". 2022-02-01. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
  4. ^ Gupta, Diya (7 January 2021). "Book Review: Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire by Priya Atwal". London School of Economics and Political Science. Retrieved 2 August 2025. By taking on wives who came from across the regions and communities of the Punjab, Ranjit Singh was able to broaden his kinship ties and establish his ruling base – similar, Atwal argues, to the practices of the Mughal emperor Akbar before him.
  5. ^ Mahmood, Parvez (28 February 2020). "Queen of Takht-e-Lahore". The Friday Times. Retrieved 2 August 2025.[dead link]
  6. ^ Atwal, Priya (2021-01-15). Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-756693-0.
  7. ^ Sharma, Ritika (28 Mar 2021). "The Last Queen (Book Review): A warrior woman". Financial Express. ProQuest 2505779758.
  8. ^ Jean Marie Lafont (2002). Maharaja Ranjit Singh: Lord of the Five Rivers. Oxford University Press. pp. 33–34, 15–16. ISBN 978-0-19-566111-8.
  9. ^ a b Atwal, Priya (2020). Royals and Rebels. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/oso/9780197548318.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-754831-8.
  10. ^ a b Bhatia, Sardar Singh (2011). "Mahitab Kaur (d, 1813)". In Singh, Harbans (ed.). The Encyclopedia Of Sikhism. Vol. III M–R (3rd ed.). Punjabi University Patiala. p. 19. ISBN 978-8-1-7380-349-9.
  11. ^ a b Khushwant Singh (2008). Ranjit Singh. Penguin Books. pp. 300–301 footnote 35. ISBN 978-0-14-306543-2.
  12. ^ a b c Bhatia, Sardar Singh (2011). Singh, Harbans (ed.). Raj Kaur (d. 1838). Vol. III M-R (3rd ed.). Punjabi University Patiala. p. 443.
  13. ^ Yudhvir Rana (1 May 2015). "Descendants of Maharaja Ranjit Singh stakes claim on Gobindgarh Fort". The Times of India. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  14. ^ The Missionary. Hardev Bahadur Singh. 1963.
  15. ^ a b c Bhatia, Sardar Singh (2011). "Daya Kaur, Rani (died 1843)". In Singh, Harbans (ed.). The Encyclopedia Of Sikhism. Vol. I A–D (3rd ed.). Punjabi University Patiala. p. 539. ISBN 978-8-1-7380-100-6.
  16. ^ a b Bhatia, Sardar Singh (2011). "Ratan Kaur, Rani". In Singh, Harbans (ed.). The Encyclopedia Of Sikhism. Vol. III M-R (3rd ed.). Punjabi University Patiala. p. 491. ISBN 978-8-1-7380-349-9.
  17. ^ a b Bhatia, Sardar Singh (2011). "Mahitab Devi (d. 1839)". In Singh, Harbans (ed.). The Encyclopedia Of Sikhism. Vol. III M-R (3rd ed.). Punjabi University Patiala. p. 19. ISBN 978-8-1-7380-100-6.
  18. ^ a b c Bhatia, Sardar Singh (2011). "Raj Banso (d. 1835)". In Singh, Harbans (ed.). The Encyclopedia Of Sikhism. Vol. III M-R (3rd ed.). Punjabi University Patiala. p. 438. ISBN 978-81-7380-100-6.
  19. ^ a b Hasrat, B. J. (2011). "Jind Kaur, Maharani (1817–1863)". In Singh, Harbans (ed.). The Encyclopedia Of Sikhism. Vol. II E–L (3rd ed.). Punjabi University Patiala. pp. 381–384. ISBN 978-8-1-7380-204-1.
  20. ^ a b Bance, Bhupinder Singh (5 January 2006). Jind Kaur (1817–1863), Maharani and Regent of Lahore. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g Atwal, Priya (2020). Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire. Oxford University Press. pp. 55–56. ISBN 9780197548318.
  22. ^ a b c d Atwal, Priya (2020). Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire. Oxford University Press. pp. 55–56. ISBN 9780197548318.
  23. ^ Anita Anand (2015). Sophia: Princess, Suffragette, Revolutionary. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 13. ISBN 978-1-63286-081-1.
  24. ^ Patwant Singh (2008). Empire of the Sikhs: The Life and Times of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Peter Owen. p. 69. ISBN 978-0-7206-1323-0.
  25. ^ Griffin, Lepel Henry (1865). The Panjab Chiefs: Historical and Biographical Notices of the Principal Families in the Territories Under the Panjab Government. T.C. McCarthy.
  26. ^ Atwal, Priya (2021). Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-756694-7.
  27. ^ "Postscript: Maharaja Duleep Singh", Emperor of the Five Rivers, I.B. Tauris, 2017, doi:10.5040/9781350986220.0008, ISBN 978-1-78673-095-4
  28. ^ Lal Suri, Lala Sohan. Umdat Ul Tawarikh.
  29. ^ Lafont, Jean Marie (2002). Maharaja Ranjit Singh: lord of the five rivers. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-566111-7. OCLC 49618584.
  30. ^ Atwal, Priya (2020). Royals and Rebels.
  31. ^ a b c Duggal, Kartar Singh (2001). Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Last to Lay Arms. Abhinav Publications. ISBN 978-81-7017-410-3.
  32. ^ Vaḥīduddīn, Faqīr Sayyid (1965). The Real Ranjit Singh. Lion Art Press.
  33. ^ Kapuria, Radha (19 May 2023). "Ephemeral Embodiments: The Materiality of Music and Dance in Colonial Punjab". Third Text. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  34. ^ Suri, Sohan Lal. Umdat-ut-Tawarikh.
  35. ^ Singh, Khushwant. Ranjit Singh.
  36. ^ a b Atwal, Priya. "Appendices: Queens of the Sikh Empire - Appendix II. List of All Known Queens of the Empire". Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire. Oxford University Press. pp. 216–223. ISBN 9780197548318.
  37. ^ Wahiuddim, Fakir. The Real Ranjit Singh.
  38. ^ Shanker, Rajkumari (Sep 21, 2015). "Women in Sikhism". In Sharma, Arvind (ed.). Religion and Women. State University of New York Press. p. 200. ISBN 9781438419602.
  39. ^ Kang, Kanwarjit Singh (Jun 28, 2015). "'Sati' choice before Maharaja Ranjit's Ranis". The Tribune. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  40. ^ Singh, Patwant; Rai, Jyoti M. (Aug 1, 2013). Empire of the Sikhs: The Life and Times of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (2nd ed.). Peter Owen Publishers. ISBN 9780720615241. The two who deserve mention here, both of whom he married in 1828, are Mahtab Devi and Raj Banso, daughters of Raja Sansar Chand of Kangra: the first because of her deep devotion to him and the second because she committed suicide when Ranjit Singh compared her exceptionally beautiful looks to those of a dancing girl - coming from a ruling family of Rajputs, Raj Banso took this slight to heart and overdosed on opium.
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