Ranjit Singh
Ranjit (or Runjit) Singh, (1780–1839), an Indian ruler, known as the Lion of the Punjab. As a boy he inherited leadership of a small branch of the Sikhs, one of the peoples of northwest India. By 22, he had conquered the two Sikh capitals, Lahore and Amritsar, and was on his way to ruling the entire Punjab.
Ranjit Singh built a powerful army trained by European officers. His policies conflicted with British territorial expansion and, in a treaty in 1809, he agreed to give up plans to conquer the southern Punjab. Later, Ranjit Singh often cooperated with the British. Within 10 years after his death, his empire had crumbled and become part of British India.