This book needs revision as the Lahore Darbar( Sikh Empire 1799-1849) had annexed Ladakh to the Sikh Empire in 1834. – Simranjit Singh Mānn
The Hindustan Times Dated 21st February,2022
Comments by Simranjit Singh Mann: Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) states that it is unfortunate that the author Kyle Gardner, though he has quoted the treaty of Ting-masgang in 1684, he has not done a proper research of the subject he has undertaken to write his book.
He has excluded the history of the Sikh’s specially that of the Lahore Darbar(Sikh Empire 1799-1849) which annexed Ladakh in 1834 and made it an integral part of the Sikh Empire. Maharaja Ranjit Singh had prepared a full scale armed expedition to annexe wide areas to the North of Ladakh.
But the British Indian Government got wind of these preparations and as a gesture of ill-will towards the Lahore Darbar(Sikh Empire 1799-1849) amassed its troops on the left bank of the River Sutlaj, which was the boundary between British India and the Lahore Darbar(Sikh Empire 1799-1849).
Sensing trouble with the British, the Maharaja suspended the expeditionary force in Ladakh to move further to the North. As such expansion of the Sikh Empire Northwards was suspended.
Our Party holds that the Sikh’s were the third party to claiming their homeland to the breakaway to the British Empire in 1947. Unfortunately in breach of the Anglo – Sikh treaty of 1849, the British broke their pledge and left the Sikh’s high and dry but broke their empire by giving the Hindu’s the state of India and the Muslims their Islamic country – Pakistan. Therefore, the Sikh’s do not recognise the partition of British India and the Radcliffe Line of 1947 or the 1966 division of their Punjab by the Hindu Indian state or even the 1849 Anglo Sikh treaty.
On the question of Kashmir and Ladakh the Sikh delegation must sit with the Islamic Pakistan, Communist China and Hindu India Governments when Kashmir and Ladakh come up for discussion. The Sikh’s also do not recognise the sale of Kashmir to Dogra’s by the British. It was sold for the sum of 7.5 million Nanakshahee rupees. This indicates that the British recognised the currency of the Lahore Darbar( Sikh Empire 1799-1849). We have our fears that the author Kyle Gardner has been influenced by the Hindu Indian state to leave out the territories of the Sikh Empire which annexed Ladakh in 1834 and Kashmir in 1819, when it was a province of Afghanistan. In history it is only the Lahore Darbar( Sikh Empire 1799-1849) that has got the better of the rulers of Afghanistan, otherwise the Afghan’s have repeatedly got rid of the British, Soviet Russia and now the American’s. We would be happy if the author revises his book and makes it more honest and factual.
Simranjit Singh Mānn,
President,
Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar),
Email: simranjitsinghmann@yahoo.com
website:www.akalidalamritsar.in
facebook page: @sardarsimranjitsinghmann