The First Punjab War by: P.K. Nijhawan

The decline of the Sikh kingdom within a decade of the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh presents saga of tragic events that touch the inner-most feelings of the Punjabis even today. No wonder, an account of the first Punjab War of 1845 presented by Shah Mohammed in his famous Jangnamah. Shah Mohammed represents the ethos of post-Ranjit Singh Punjab and the impact of Ranjit Singh’s rule on Punjabi society. No doubt, Shah Mohammed’s Jangnamah describes the elan of the masses of the Punjab as a whole. The English and Hindi rendition of the Jangnamah by Nijhawan in a lucid style will go a long way in arousing the sense of Punjabi pride, cutting across communal considerations.