The Secular Sikh Maharaja and His Muslim Wife: Rani Gulbahar Begum

⟵ Back to VIDEOS

No items found.

The Secular Sikh Maharaja and His Muslim Wife: Rani Gulbahar Begum

This presentation will examine Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s role as a secular ruler through a 19th century tomb in Lahore built by Rani Gulbahar Begum, his Muslim wife. The Maharaja’s religious non-discriminatory policies will be discussed based on information gleaned from his court chronicles and some official documents in the Lahore Museum collection. The tomb’s architectural and ornamental features will also be viewed to understand the tastes and craftsmanship of nineteenth century Punjabi patrons and artists. About The Presenter: Nadhra Khan is Assistant Professor of Art History at Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan. She specializes in the history of art and architectural ornament of nineteenth century Punjab but her research and teaching interests also cover the earlier Mughal and later colonial visual culture of this region. She has held research fellowships at SOAS, London (Charles Wallace Fellowship, 2010-11), Paris (2015), Princeton (Fulbright, 2014-15), and Oxford (Barakat Trust 2014-15). She is currently working with the Aga Khan Cultural Service, Pakistan (AKCSP), as Consultant Historian for their Lahore Fort Picture Wall project. Her monograph entitled Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Samadhi: Understanding Sikh Architectural Ornament will appear in 2017.

No items found.

In This Video

No items found.

Latest Videos

Thursday

January

2022

Guru Teghbahadar Sahib in Rag Jaijavanti & Rag Basant - The Guru Granth Sahib Project

The Guru Granth Sahib Project is pleased to launch the annotation of nine Sabads (Infinite-Wisdom) of Guru Teghbahadar Sahib. Four Sabads are in Rag Jaijavanti (a musical mode), and five are in Rag Basant. Rag Jaijavanti evokes the feeling of profoundness and compassion. Rag Basant is associated with joy, excitement, and cheerfulness.

watch now ⟶

Saturday

January

2022

Barah Maha: Magh

The eleventh month of Barah Maha is Magh, corresponding to the months of mid-January to mid-February. The extreme winter is concluding, and preparation for the upcoming month is commencing. When the coldness leaves, it provides the opportunity to bud. The potential was there, it was just frozen, and now as the weather warms up, the flourishing can happen. In paying more attention to the Guru’s advice, the human-bride, the seeker begins going within and realizes the pilgrimage of IkOankar to be within the heart. This is where, effortlessly or habitually, that state of sahaj develops, and the seeker embraces even more qualities of the One. Her inner being has been transformed into a pilgrimage site, home to her reflection of the Divine virtues. Join the human-bride in her quest for true bliss.

watch now ⟶

Friday

January

2022

What does it mean to give? – State of the Panth Report #8

As the world becomes more interconnected, we understand how some have an abundance of monetary wealth, and others do not, and the more we understand the various needs unaddressed in our backyards and abroad. People want to give. People need to give. But do we understand what it means to give? This report aims to understand and explore what it means to give in a Sikh context, how giving is conceptualized and understood through Sikh history, and how it is understood and practiced today. The report analyzes ideas conveyed in the Nam-Dan-Isnan (Identifying-Giving-Cleansing) doctrine from a Gurmat (or Guru’s Way) perspective, as inferred from Bani (wisdom), Tavarikh (history), and Rahit (lifestyle).

watch now ⟶

The Secular Sikh Maharaja and His Muslim Wife: Rani Gulbahar Begum