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“Reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh a fairly modern idea” Prof Mark Juergensmeyer
The professor from UCLA described Ranjit Singh as an inclusive and secular ruler who uplifted the minorities
Prof Mark addressing the seminar virtually. / YouTube/Bhai Vir Singh Sahitya Sadan
Prof Mark Juergensmeyer of the University of California at Santa Barbara appreciated the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Sikh Emperor who ruled Punjab in the 19th century, as ‘modern idea’ during an International Seminar on ‘Political Economy and Governance of Punjab’
The event was organized by National Institute of Panjab Studies, Bhai Vir Singh Sahitya Sadan, New Delhi in collaboration with India International Centre New Delhi.
In a virtual address, the professor described Ranjit Singh as a remarkable ruler who not only did a lot for the Sikh community like winning wars and providing gold for the Harmandar Sahib, which is why it is popularly known as the Golden Temple but also was inclusive and secular.
“He (Maharaja Ranjit Singh) also built mosques. And he also built Hindu temples. He had French men as advisors in his Army. And the Nihungs were in fact a little bit upset with him for not being true to Sikhism. Point is he ruled as a kind of secular ruler”, said Prof Juergensmeyer.
“The communities of faith, the varieties of them particularly in Punjab, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, and various religious communities were all their own ways without feeling that they were left out or being ostracized or being regarded as minorities. That really is a fairly modern idea”, he asserted.
Referring to a book ‘Enlightenment in The Colony’ by Amir Mufti, a historian at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Prof Juergensmeyer said, “During the reign of Ranjit Singh religious communities did not think of themselves as minorities or majorities. They lived amicably among each other but the British concept of the minority and the idea that there should be a cultural Integrity to the nation was sort of grafted on India where it did not really fit that well.”
A recognized American sociologist and scholar Mark Juergensmeyer specializes in global and religious studies, University of California, Santa Barbara. He has also written in the field of rise of religious nationalism in the world.
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