The Last Queen Of The Punjab: How Maharani Jind Kaur Defied The British Empire, Led An Army, And Changed The Course Of Indian History

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not every day that a queen from the 19th century makes global headlines. Yet this week, Maharani Jind Kaur—the last queen of the great Sikh Empire—has done just that. Some of her exquisite jewellery, confiscated during the fall of Lahore, went under the hammer at Bonhams’ Islamic and Indian Art sale in London. These sparkling remnants are not just ornaments—they are symbols of rebellion, power, and a woman’s unyielding spirit against the might of the British Empire.

The Rebel Queen of Punjab

Jind Kaur Aulakh, born in 1817 in Chachar, Gujranwala, was meant for anything but a peaceful existence. She was the child of Manna Singh Aulakh, a humble supervisor of the royal kennels, yet fate had more ambitious intentions. At the age of 18, she wed Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the famous creator of the Sikh Empire, whose realm extended from Kabul to Kashmir. A year before his death, she gave birth to their son—Duleep Singh—the last Maharaja of Punjab.

What followed was nothing short of cinematic. Widowed at 22, Jind Kaur became regent to her five-year-old son. She cast aside the veil and the customs that confined women, addressing troops, holding court, and running the empire with a confidence that rattled both courtiers and colonisers. The British called her the “Messalina of the Punjab”—a slur meant to diminish her influence, but it only underlined their fear of her.

The Queen Who Waged Wars

When the British aimed to annex Punjab, Jindan did not remain quiet. Under her guidance, the Sikh Empire fought two Anglo-Sikh Wars in a determined effort to maintain independence. Even after being defeated in the first, she would not yield. The British, unsettled by her defiance, imprisoned her in the Samman Tower of Lahore Fort and then exiled her to Chunar Fort near Varanasi. Her young son was taken away—sent to England to be raised as a loyal subject of the Crown. However, Jindan Kaur was not a helpless maiden. In 1849, she bravely fled from Chunar Fort, posing as a servant, journeying hundreds of miles through woods before seeking refuge in Nepal. It was a story of perseverance worthy of a legend.

A Mother’s Reunion, A Queen’s Redemption

Thirteen long years later, the exiled queen was finally allowed to meet her son. The reunion between Maharani Jind Kaur and Maharaja Duleep Singh in Calcutta in 1861 was an emotional spectacle—witnessed by cheering Sikh soldiers who still saw her as their queen. Duleep took his mother with him to England, marking one of the most poignant homecomings in colonial history.

In London, far from the grandeur of Lahore, the once-feared queen spent her final years in quiet reflection. She was frail and blind but remained defiant in spirit—reminding her son of his heritage, his lineage, and the empire that once was. When she died in 1863 at just 46, cremation was still illegal in Britain. Her son’s efforts to honour her final wish—to rest beside her husband in Lahore—were thwarted. Decades later, her remains were finally returned home by her granddaughter, Princess Bamba.

A Legacy That Refuses to Fade

Today, the tale of Maharani Jind Kaur resembles a script for a historical epic—a queen who was betrayed, cast out, and silenced by empires, only to be rediscovered and honored by history. Her jewels, now shown and sold in London, sparkle not only with emeralds and pearls but also with the burden of a fallen empire and a woman’s reclaimed bravery.She wasn't merely the final queen of Punjab. She embodied defiance during an era of obedience, a leader who would not remain hidden, and a mother whose affection transcended empires.As the globe reclaims her through art, auction venues, and rejuvenated history, Maharani Jind Kaur’s heritage shines more brilliantly than ever—showing us that even in banishment, a genuine queen never relinquishes her crown.