How Sikh chiefs of Punjab became important power brokers in North India in the late 18th century

The year was 1771.

The Mughal Emperor Shah Alam had been living under the protection of the British at Allahabad for six years. An Emperor in name only, he had been making attempts to return to Delhi to reclaim his capital and his Empire, which had been ruled in his name by Najib Khan Rohilla. The British, through their influence on one of Shah Alam’s courtiers, Munir-ud-dowlah, tried to hold him in check, ensuring that he received his pension regularly, which kept the Emperor in comfort.

Najib Khan Rohilla, whose health had been failing, had been signalling to the Emperor that he would not be able to hold Delhi for very long. The Sikhs had become the masters of the Punjab and controlled the districts of Sirhind as well as the areas of modern-day Haryana and the upper doab between the Yamuna and Ganga rivers.

Some of the more ambitious Sikh chiefs had been in correspondence with the Emperor, inviting him to return to Delhi and promising to guarantee his safety. A letter had arrived from Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia as well in 1768, assuring him that his entire empire would be restored to him if he returned to Delhi. The Emperor replied...

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