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Illustration of an Indian woman holding a flower
This exhibition is in the past. View our current exhibitions.

Paintings from the Sikh courts

Sikhism emerged in the Punjab in the sixteenth century as a distinct religion that shares several of the ideals of both Islamic Sufism and the Hindu bakhti movement.

Ranjit Singh, one of the most famous Sikh leaders, founded an independent kingdom in the Punjab in 1801. He revived the splendour of the Mughal court at Lahore and projected himself as heir to the great emperors of the past.

Ranjit Singh’s son, Duleep Singh, was the last Maharaja of the Sikh Empire. He was exiled in 1849 following the East India Company’s annexation of the Punjab.


The income from your ticket contributes directly to The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity. The aims of The Royal Collection Trust are the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, and the promotion of access and enjoyment through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational activities.