Sikhs tell story of how the East was won

Writing in The Times, Melissa van der Klugt celebrates the Sikh Empire set to be showcased in our new London exhibition.

Covering Maharaja Ranjit Singh's lavish court in Lahore, Melissa also focused on the 'firangis' - the foreign mercenaries from across Europe and America who served in the army and government and made a significant contribution to the empire.

Over 100 rare objects will be displayed with the world's leading private collector of Sikh artefacts, Davinder Toor, lending much of his marvellous collection.

Davinder's new book In Pursuit of Empire: Treasures from the Toor Collection of Sikh Art features many of the objects in the exhibition and will be launched soon!

Empire of the Sikhs runs from 12 July until 23 September at the Brunei Gallery, SOAS.