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In Jassa Singh Ahluwalia (1718-1783): The Forgotten Hero of Punjab, Sumant Dhamija describes the riveting history of Punjab’s struggle for freedom and sovereignty. A key role was played by Jassa Singh and his fellow misl sardars who came into conflict, principally, with Ahmad Shah Abdali ‘Durrani’ (1724-72), King of Afghanistan, regarded as the greatest conqueror of his time. Inspired by Guru Gobind Singh, Jassa Singh united the panth, leading the Dal Khalsa, the Sikh army, to ultimate victory. The people of Punjab looked up to him as the warrior-saint. This victory puts Jassa Singh in the front rank of the heroes of Indian history.

Sumant Dhamija is a freelance writer. He was educated at Mayo College, Ajmer, King’s School, Canterbury and Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He lives in Delhi with his wife Iqrup. They have two children Ritika and Udai. As President of The Oxford and Cambridge Society of India, he organized the history lecture, ‘Jassa Singh Ahluwalia of Punjab: from Sevak to Sovereign’, after which the book was born.

Preface
Acknowledgements
1. Punjab in 1718–1723
2. Jassa Singh’s Childhood: His Birth and Ancestry
3. Jassa Singh’s Delhi 1723–1729
4. Influence of Sikh Gurus
5. The Making of a Warrior: 1730–1739
6. Jassa Singh the Warrior
7. The Mughals and the Sikhs 1739–1748
8. Amritsar and the Rise of Jassa Singh
9. Jassa Singh’s Greatest Adversary: Ahmad Shah Abdali, King of Afghanistan
10. Sikh Territorial Consolidation: Alliance with Marathas
11. The Marathas and Abdali
12. Jassa Singh’s Military Strategies: Conquest of Lahore 1761
13. Jassa Singh’s Defeat and Victory
14. Defeat of Abdali
15. Expansion of Sikh Territory under Jassa Singh
16. Jassa Singh’s Relationship with the Jats, Rajas of Patiala and Mughals
17. Jassa Singh’s Invasion of Delhi
Epilogue
Appendices
Chronology
Glossary
Bibliography

‘Sumant Dhamija has written a wonderful, well researched and entertaining biography of Jassa Singh…and in the process has brought 18th century Punjab to life.’

Liaquat Ahamed
Winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for History
for Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World