SOVEREIGN SILKS: THE AGENCY AND AUTHORITY OF WOMEN IN THE SIKH EMPIRE (1799–1849)
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(History) Guru Nanak khalsa college Abohar
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Abstract
This paper explores the socio-political status and executive influence of women within the Sikh Empire under Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his successors. While traditional historiography often categorizes the 19th-century Punjab as a purely patriarchal martial state, this study argues that Sikh women—specifically the Sardarnis and Maharanis—leveraged religious egalitarianism and the "Misl" (confederacy) system to exercise significant agency. By examining the lives of figures such as Mai Sada Kaur and Maharani Jind Kaur, this research demonstrates that women were architects of diplomacy, military strategy, and anti-colonial resistance. The paper further analyzes how the transition to British colonial rule systematically dismantled these traditional power structures, reframing the "active" Sikh woman as a domestic subject.
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Double-Blind Peer Review
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CC BY-NC 4.0
Volume/Issue:
Volume 02, Issue 03
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2
Article Type:
Research Article
Publication Date:
Mar 05 2026
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kumar, R. (2026). Sovereign Silks: The Agency And Authority of Women in the Sikh Empire (1799–1849). International Journal of Science, Strategic Management and Technology, 02(03). https://doi.org/10.55041/ijsmt.v2i3.017
kumar, Rahul. "Sovereign Silks: The Agency And Authority of Women in the Sikh Empire (1799–1849)." International Journal of Science, Strategic Management and Technology, vol. 02, no. 03, 2026, pp. . doi:https://doi.org/10.55041/ijsmt.v2i3.017.
kumar, Rahul. "Sovereign Silks: The Agency And Authority of Women in the Sikh Empire (1799–1849)." International Journal of Science, Strategic Management and Technology 02, no. 03 (2026). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.55041/ijsmt.v2i3.017.
References
1.Chowdhry, P. (2015). Emerging patterns: Property rights of women in colonial and post-colonial South-East Punjab. Journal of Punjab Studies, 20, 1-28.
2.Divakaruni, C. B. (2021). The Last Queen. HarperCollins. (As discussed in Sikh Research Journal, 7(1)).
3.Kapuria, R. (2019). Of music and the Maharaja: Gender, affect, and power in Ranjit Singh’s Lahore. Modern Asian Studies, 54(3), 654-690.
4.Mooney, N. (2020). ‘In our whole society, there is no equality’: Sikh householding and the intersection of gender and caste. Religions, 11(2), 95.Singh, P. (2019). How avoiding the religion–politics divide plays out in Sikh politics. Religions, 10(5), 296.
5.Kapuria, Radhika. (2023). Music and Power at the Court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Cambridge University Press. (Expanding on her 2019 article, this is the most recent scholarship on the cultural agency of court women).
6.Lafont, Jean-Marie. (2002). “The Female Guard of the Maharaja.” Journal of Sikh Studies. (A deep dive into the 150-strong female military unit).
7.Syan, Hardip Singh. (2013). Sikh Militancy in the Seventeenth Century: Religious Prophecy and Zenana Politics. London: I.B. Tauris. (Provides the historical precedent for the “Kingmaker” role of women).
2.Divakaruni, C. B. (2021). The Last Queen. HarperCollins. (As discussed in Sikh Research Journal, 7(1)).
3.Kapuria, R. (2019). Of music and the Maharaja: Gender, affect, and power in Ranjit Singh’s Lahore. Modern Asian Studies, 54(3), 654-690.
4.Mooney, N. (2020). ‘In our whole society, there is no equality’: Sikh householding and the intersection of gender and caste. Religions, 11(2), 95.Singh, P. (2019). How avoiding the religion–politics divide plays out in Sikh politics. Religions, 10(5), 296.
5.Kapuria, Radhika. (2023). Music and Power at the Court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Cambridge University Press. (Expanding on her 2019 article, this is the most recent scholarship on the cultural agency of court women).
6.Lafont, Jean-Marie. (2002). “The Female Guard of the Maharaja.” Journal of Sikh Studies. (A deep dive into the 150-strong female military unit).
7.Syan, Hardip Singh. (2013). Sikh Militancy in the Seventeenth Century: Religious Prophecy and Zenana Politics. London: I.B. Tauris. (Provides the historical precedent for the “Kingmaker” role of women).
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This article has undergone plagiarism screening and double-blind peer review. Editorial policies have been followed. Authors retain copyright under CC BY-NC 4.0 license. The research complies with ethical standards and institutional guidelines.
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