BBC magazine poll votes for Maharaja Ranjit Singh as greatest leader of all time

6 Mar 2020

BBC magazine poll votes for Maharaja Ranjit Singh as greatest leader of all time

BBC magazine poll votes for Maharaja Ranjit Singh as greatest leader of all timeIn a recent poll conducted by the BBC World Histories Magazine, readers voted for Maharaja Ranjit Singh as the “Greatest Leader of All Time”.

Who was Maharaja Ranjit Singh?

He was the founder and leader of the Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century.
 	During his reign, he introduced many reforms, modernisation steps, improved infrastructure, and tried to promote unity among different religions.
 	Popularly known as Sher-e-Punjab, or "Lion of Punjab", he also repeatedly defeated invasions by outside armies and established friendly relations with the British.

What was the poll about?

For the poll, global historians nominated 20 “greatest leaders” – someone who exercised power and had a positive impact on humanity.
 	Over 5000 readers voted and Maharaja Ranjit Singh won 38% of the votes, topping the poll.
 	The other leaders in the top 5 of the poll were African Independence fighter Amílcar Cabral, former UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill, former US President Abraham Lincoln and Elizabeth I (Queen of England and Ireland from 1558-1603).
 	University of Alabama assistant professor Matthew Lockwood nominated Ranjit Singh's name for forging a modern empire of tolerance.

The BBC World Histories Magazine is a magazine on history published by the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation).

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