Ranjit Singh was associated with which Misl?

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — D, Sukerchakia Misl. Ranjit Singh was born into the Sukerchakia Misl, one of the twelve Sikh misls (confederacies) that controlled Punjab in the 18th century. He inherited its leadership from his father, Maha Singh, while still young, and used it as his base to unify the rival misls into the Sikh Empire after capturing Lahore in 1799.

Why the other options are wrong — (a) A separate, prominent misl associated with Jassa Singh Ahluwalia — not Ranjit Singh's own misl.  (b) Another of the twelve Sikh misls, unconnected to Ranjit Singh's family line.  (c) A powerful rival misl — Ranjit Singh's first wife's family (Sada Kaur's Kanhaiya Misl) was linked to it by marriage, but it was not his own misl.

Concept: The Sikh misls were twelve autonomous warrior confederacies that emerged in Punjab after the decline of Mughal authority in the mid-18th century, each holding its own territory and army. Ranjit Singh belonged to the Sukerchakia Misl; he became its chief as a teenager and, over the following years, absorbed or allied with the other misls to found a unified Sikh Empire centred at Lahore.

State PCS 2021 Q51 — History PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2021 Q51 — History PYQ with Answer