Gulab Singh: From Raja to Maharaja

Abstract

Maharaja Gulab Singh, the architect of Jammu & Kashmir was a remarkable personality of the history of India, who during the adverse time, when princely states were annexed by the East India Company was able to carve out the state. Present paper examines the process of his journey from a petty official to a ruler of a state. The establishment of Jammu and Kashmir State by the treaty of Amritsar in 1846 A.D. have obscured the greatness of Maharaja Gulab Singh as a soldier and statesman. Moreover, his rank as a great statesman was established even way before he became the ruler of the state. He attained eminence in the Lahore Durbar as a great General and diplomat. He was noble, generous and was able to inspire others. Although, he was very ambitious but he always remained loyal to the Lahore Darbar. It was because of the conspiracies at Lahore darbar which made Gulab Singh to think of other alternate but if take the political standards of that time into consideration, he stand out as a great figure of 19^th century.