English: Artist: Eden, Emily

Medium: Lithograph

Date: 1844

This lithograph was made from plate 2 of Emily Eden's 'Portraits of the Princes and People of India'. Ranjit Singh, the Sikh ruler, died having reigned for nearly four decades and did not designate a successor. His sons from different wives jockeyed for power together with the Hindu Dogras and Sikh nobles. After much turbulence Sher Singh was enthroned. Eden wrote: "Maharaja Shere Singh (present Sovereign of the Sikhs) and son of Runjeet came to power early 1841." Sher Singh had served honourably in his father's campaigns and shown "a peculiar friendship and regard for European officers in the Sikh services". A fine figure with a courteous personality, Sher Singh was sketched by many foreign visitors to his court. He did not escape the Sikh intrigues for long, however, and was murdered by other chieftains in 1843. During his brief reign, foreign policy was dictated by the British.