Punjab in 18th Century: A Historical Survey

Abstract

Punjab was the wealthiest provision of the Mughal Empire in the late sixteenth and seventeenth century. In the beginning of eighteenth century after Guru Gobind Singh, Banda Singh Bhadur took the commands of sikhs and unites them but after his execution Sikh rule could not sustain. The province weakened after first quarter of Eighteenth century because the Punjab was repeatedly invaded by Nadir Shah and weak governors of Mughals in Punjab.  In Eighteenth century Sikh had formed twelve loose groups called Misls to protect themselves. In the mid of eighteenth century Afgani invaded the Punjab by nine times and Mughal persecution was often brutal. Internal squabbles prevented the Misls from uniting to control the region until Ranjit Singh became head of the Sukerchakia Misl.