UK writer releases new book on Sikh history

Remnants of the Sikh Empire – Historical Sikh Monuments in India & Pakistan is a journey made via historical remnants in modern-day India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan that lead into the heart of the empire of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. 
The book written by Bobby Singh Bansal, a UK based historian and filmmaker, catalogues numerous structures historically associated with the nobles and courtiers of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s reign during the early nineteenth century.
From Mughal to Sikh edifices, Remnants of the Sikh Empire shines a spotlight on undiscovered residences including forts, haveli’s, memorials, mansions and palaces across these countries that have never been published before.
In order to complete this volume, the author travelled extensively across remote regions along the Afghan-Pakistan border with the assistance of the Pakistan Army in order to compile rare footage that document these habitats.
Some of the structures include strategic forts built in the tribal areas of Pakistan by the legendary Sikh hero Hari Singh Nalwa, the existence of which had been completely unknown to the general public.
The Sikh reign lasted only eighty-four year but its footprint remains to this day. Remains of Sikh architecture exist in the urban and rural landscape of Punjab especially in Pakistan.
Unfortunately the state of many of these Sikh relics in Pakistan in particular are in a state of decay, and without restoration projects will continue to rapidly vanish from the living inventory of Sikh history.
Bansal’s book, while exploring the aesthetic behind these various architectural sites, also peels back on their relationship with the powerful nobles and courtiers of the opulent Lahore Durbar who reshaped the architectural landscape of Punjab and Kashmir in the nineteenth century. 
Remnants of the Sikh Empire catapults the reader into an unforgettable journey, retracing the rich heritage of the Punjab to its apex during the mighty Sikh Empire. 
Remnants of the Sikh Empire is published by Hay House Hong Kong (2015) captures over 100 rare black and white illustrations. It includes coloured images taken by the author in such remote but hazardous areas of Pakistan and Indian Kashmir.
 The book is now available directly from Hay House Publishers and  Amazon.com.

 

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