Editing Ranjit Singh (section)

==Establishment of the Sikh Empire==
{{main|Sikh Empire}}
[[File:A watercolor portrait of Ranjit Singh.jpg|thumb|Maharaja Ranjit Singh<br />circa 1816–29]]

===Background===
After the death of [[Aurangzeb]] in 1707, the Mughal Empire fell apart and declined in its ability to tax or govern most of the Indian subcontinent. In the northwestern region, particularly the Punjab, the creation of the [[Khalsa]] community of Sikh warriors by [[Guru Gobind Singh]] accelerated the decay and fragmentation of the Mughal power in the region.<ref name="SinghFenech2014p60">{{cite book|author=Sunit Singh|editor=Pashaura Singh and Louis E. Fenech|title=The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=7YwNAwAAQBAJ |year=2014|publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-100411-7 |pages=60–61 }}</ref> Raiding Afghans attacked the Indus river valleys but met resistance from both organised armies of the Khalsa Sikhs as well as irregular Khalsa militias based in villages. The Sikhs had appointed own ''[[zamindars]]'', replacing the previous Muslim revenue collectors, which provided resources to feed and strengthen the warriors aligned with Sikh interests.<ref name="SinghFenech2014p60"/> Meanwhile, colonial traders and the East India Company had begun operations in India on its eastern and western coasts.<ref name="SinghFenech2014p60"/>

By the second half of the 18th century, the northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent (now Pakistan and parts of north India) were a collection of fourteen small warring regions.<ref name="Singh2008p9"/> Of the fourteen, twelve were Sikh-controlled ''misls'' (confederacies), one named Kasur (near Lahore) was Muslim controlled, and one in the southeast was led by an Englishman named George Thomas.<ref name="Singh2008p9">{{cite book|author=Khushwant Singh|title=Ranjit Singh|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D068dKeyGW4C |year=2008| publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=978-0-14-306543-2 |pages=9–14 }}</ref> This region constituted the fertile and productive valleys of the five rivers – Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Bias and Sutlej.<ref name="Smith1920p690"/> The Sikh ''misls'' were all under the control of the Khalsa fraternity of Sikh warriors, but they were not united and constantly warred with each other over revenue collection, disagreements, and local priorities; however, in the event of external invasion such as from the Muslim armies of Ahmed Shah Abdali from Afghanistan, they would usually unite.<ref name="Singh2008p9"/>

Towards the end of 18th century, the five most powerful ''misls'' were those of Sukkarchakkia, Kanhayas, Nakkais, Ahluwalias and Bhangi Sikhs.<ref name="Singh2008p9"/><ref name="Lafont2002p33"/> Ranjit Singh belonged to the first, and through marriage had a reliable alliance with Kanhayas and Nakkais.<ref name="Singh2008p9"/> Among the smaller misls, some such as the [[Phulkian dynasty|Phulkian ''misl'']] had switched loyalties in the late 18th century and supported the Afghan army invasion against their Khalsa brethren.<ref name="Singh2008p9"/> The Kasur region, ruled by Muslims, always supported the Afghan invasion forces and joined them in plundering Sikh ''misls'' during the war.<ref name="Singh2008p9"/>