The Bamba Collection in Lahore displays artifacts from Ranjit Singh Era

Although the museum of the Lahore Fort is small and unfrequented, a visit to the place reveals that size does not matter. The museum is a hidden treasure, housing a rich and impressive collection of artifacts and paintings from the era of Ranjit Singh, the great Sikh ruler of Punjab. The collection has been named ‘The Bamba Collection’ after the granddaughter of the Sikh ruler, Princess Bamba Jindan.

The collection reveals the grandeur of the Sikh Darbar in Lahore and sheds light on the lifestyles led by Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his son Maharaja Dilip Singh. It also uncovers the distinct artistic taste of the Sikh royal princes during the tumultuous mid-19th century Punjab and shows that the Sikhs patronized the arts in the most turbulent of times.

According to historian FS Ijazuddin, the Bamba Collection, which belonged to Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his son Maharajah Dilip Singh, was acquired by the Pakistan government in the sixties. When Maharajah Dilip Singh was exiled to Suffolk…