Sada Kaur, one of the few women in 18th and early 19th-century Punjab to assume a leadership role at a time when women largely served as proxies or regents for male heirs, remains arguably among the most significant strategists, diplomats and military commanders in the history of the Sikh Empire. Yet, in modern history, she is largely remembered as Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s “mother-in-law”, when oral historians consider her the true “kingmaker”. In ‘The Veil & The Sword’, author Ranjit Powar presents Sada Kaur not as a secondary royal figure, but as one of the principal political minds behind the rise of the Sikh Empire.
“She was a visionary, a courageous and wise woman Misldar of the Kanhiaya Misl. At 22, she had the ability to take over as commander of the Misl after her husband died and was also the force behind ensuring the young Ranjit Singh rose to power and became Maharaja. She supplied troops and alliances, including through the marriage of her daughter Mehtab Kaur to Ranjit Singh, and was instrumental in the capture of Lahore in 1799. Yet history has always kept her on the sidelines,” said Ranjit Powar.
Another woman in Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s life who, according to the authors, was deliberately pushed to the margins of history is Moran Sarkar. To this day, contradictory historical accounts surround her: some describe her as a consort, others as “a nautch girl”, while, according to the authors, the reality was that she was the wife of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
In her historical fiction, Keer argues Moran survives in history only in fragments. “She established her own connection with the masses. She has been restricted to a footnote in history, but she definitely played a larger role during the reign. If Jind Kaur played a political role, Moran played a social role. She was the bridge between the Maharaja and the masses,” said Keer.
Both authors, speaking at a special session hosted by Preeti Gill, founder of Majha House, highlighted how Punjab, historically a patriarchal society, has not been kind to its women in history. Gill noted Ranjit Powar’s ‘The Veil & The Sword’ and Keer’s latest book ‘Maharaja’s Moran’ are part of a growing effort to reinterpret Sikh imperial history through women’s experiences. Her previous works include ‘Gulmohar Trilogy’, ‘Trolli-cally Incorrect’ and ‘Veggies on A Beauty Parade’.
While the books remain faithful to facts drawn from primary historical sources, they also explore court culture, social structure, succession and diplomacy during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
“Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s court is often seen as partisan towards women, as whenever they were discussed, they were portrayed through moral judgment, rumour or gendered stereotypes rather than political analysis. This shaped how later Sikh and colonial histories remembered the women around Ranjit Singh,” said Powar.
In ‘Maharaja’s Moran’, Chetna Keer appears to deliberately challenge the traditional image of Moran as merely a consort. “She was culturally refined, socially aware and intelligent. She had the wisdom to refuse to live in the Lahore Fort because she did not want to be one among 40 wives and consorts and instead chose to live independently. As for the romance, one can understand its depth from the fact that the Maharaja had the courage to stand up for the woman he loved, defied Akali Phoola Singh and presented himself for punishment at the Akal Takht for marrying Moran,” said Keer.
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