Q. Regarding the military and diplomatic policy of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, consider the following statements:
1.He successfully annexed the key territories of Kashmir, Multan, and Peshawar to his kingdom, extending his rule beyond the natural barriers of the Indus River.
2.His elite, European-trained infantry wing was called the Fauj-i-Khas, and it was organized primarily by officers dismissed from the French Napoleonic army.
3.The Treaty of Amritsar (1809) was signed between Ranjit Singh and the British EIC, definitively establishing the River Sutlej as the permanent and non-negotiable boundary between the two powers.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Answer: C
Notes:
Explanation:
- Statement 1: Correct. Ranjit Singh captured Kashmir from the Afghans in 1819, Multan in 1818, and Peshawar in 1834, greatly expanding his territory and ensuring strategic security on the North-West Frontier.
- Statement 2: Correct. The Fauj-i-Khas was his elite, modern fighting force, trained by figures like Generals Ventura and Allard, who were often veterans of Napoleon’s army.
- Statement 3: Correct. The Treaty of Amritsar (1809) forced Ranjit Singh to confine his territorial expansion to the North and West of the River Sutlej, acknowledging British supremacy over the Cis-Sutlej states.
