Maharani Jind Kaur (1816-1863)

Professor M.L. Ahluwalia (1922-2000) was a prominent historian-archivist who authored numerous books and research papers on the history of Punjab. His special area of interest was post-Ranjit Singh period which witnessed the fall of the Sikh kingdom. He was a widely travelled scholar who laid his hand on documents pertaining to the freedom movement of India lying in the Russian and Hungerian archives. He also held a fellowship from B.P. Koirala India-Nepal Foundation to work on Indo-Nepal relations. The Indian Council of Historical Research recognised his meritorious work by giving him a senior fellowship for two consecutive terms.

He has used rare archival material lying at New Delhi and Bikaner for the biography of Maharani Jind Kaur. The monograph being published posthumously will be remembered as Professor Ahluwalia's last contribution to the history of Punjab.

I am obliged to Professor Prithipal Singh Kapur (formerly Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar) for persuading me to do this historical biography of Maharani Jind Kaur. This indeed gave me an opportunity to make an in-depth study of the turbulent events enveloping the short life-span of the valiant Maharani. As I sifted the vast archival material, I developed a strong feeling that even we historians have betrayed the unfortunate Maharani by not having paid full attention to the struggle that she waged; almost single-handed, to thwart the British designs. It is another matter that she was not destined to meet with success.

I conclude with an appeal to fellow-scholars to make an intensive and dispassionate study of all those patriots who dared resist the might of British imperialism to uphold the honour and dignity of the country as also the people of this sub-continent.

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