Maharaja Sher Singh on horseback

One of Ranjit Singh's seven sons, Sher Singh (1807-1843) ruled for a brief period during the chaotic power struggle that followed his father's death in 1839. Four years after Ranjit Singh died, Sher Singh was assassinated, and only six years later, in 1849, the Sikh kingdom fell into British hands.

Among the men accompanying Sher Singh in this painting is an Akali Sikh, identified by his long, pointed turban encircled by steel rings (quoits). The Sikh armies included many Akalis, who were known for their bravery, fierce fighting abilities, and devout faith. According to one British observer:

They move about constantly, armed to the teeth, and it is not an uncommon thing to see them riding about with a drawn sword in each hand, two more in their belt, a matchlock at their back, and three or four pairs of quoits fastened around their turbans. The quoit . . . is a steel ring ranging from six to nine inches in diameter, and about an inch in breadth, very thin, and the edges ground very sharp; they are said to throw it with such accuracy and force, as to be able to lop off a limb at sixty or eighty yards' distance. . . .
-William Osborne, The Court and Camp of Runjeet Singh, 1840