Very rarely has history produced personages who exhibit combination of excellent military strategy with equally shrew diplomacy in their lives and dealings. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was one of those unique personages who carved out on independent sovereign Sikh State with his unparalleled military and diplomatic skills. The author, a learned scholar of Sikh history, makes a critical reappraisal of the life and achievements of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. His book is also a comprehensive social chronicle of the Maharaja period. The book stands out as markedly superior to the run-of-mill works on Sikh and Punjab history.[edit]