The authors of this first definitive biography make use of a variety of eye-witness accounts from Indian and European sources, from reports of Maratha spies at the Lahore Durbar to British parliamentary papers and travel accounts. The story includes the range of the maharaja's military achievements and ends with an account of the controversial period of the Anglo-Sikh Wars following his death, which saw the fall of his empire while in the hands of his successors whose internecine strife was exploited by the British. His contribution to making Amritsar's Golden Temple one of the greatest religious pilgrimage sites in the world ensures that his legacy still inspires Sikhs all over the world. PATWANT SINGH is one of India's leading writers on Indian history, politics and international affairs and the environment. His recent books include The Sikhs, The World According to Washington and The Second Partition: Fault-Lines in India's Democracy. JYOTI RAI is a numismatist of international repute, possessing one f the most important collections of Sikh coins and a considerable archive on Sikh history.