The Sikh Empire, also known as Panjab, was a major empire in the Indian Subcontinent that existed from 1799 to 1849, with Lahore serving as its capital. The empire was founded by Ranjit Singh, who established a secular empire based in the Punjab region of present-day India and Pakistan. Singh conquered Lahore from the Durrani Empire and expelled the Afghans from the Punjab, defeating them in a series of wars from 1800 to 1837. He also modernized his army with weapons, artillery, and the latest training. At its height in 1839, the empire extended from the Khyber Past in the west to Tibet in the east, and from Mithankot in the south to Kashmir in the north. Singh's death in 1839 led to the empire's decline, and the United Kingdom engaged in wars with the empire in 1845-1846 and in 1848-1849, leading to the British East India Company annexing the Sikh Empire. The former empire was divided into princely states and the province of Punjab, and a Lieutenant-Governor was later sent to Lahore as a direct representative of the British crown.
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