The Last Sikh Queen
The ambitious Sikh queen Jind Kaur faced division among her subjects and the might of the British Empire.
John Newmarch, a British solicitor, published a letter in the week before Christmas 1848 in the widely read Calcutta newspaper, The Englishman. It contained a searing indictment of East India Company policy. He was addressing none other than the Company’s Governor-General, the Earl of Dalhousie. It was a bold move and an open attempt to shame the British-Indian authorities in full public view. Then again, Newmarch’s client, and the subject of his letter, was no ordinary person. Her name was Maharani Jind Kaur and she was a formidable Sikh queen. At the time of the letter’s publication, however, Jind Kaur was locked up in a fort in Benares, far away from her family and kingdom in the Punjab.
To continue reading this article you will need to purchase access to the online archive.
Buy Online Access Buy Print & Archive Subscription
If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in.
Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.
