Which Sikh ruler made Lahore the capital of the Sikh Empire?

Maharaja Ranjit Singh made Lahore the capital of the Sikh Empire.

Ranjit Singh captured Lahore in 1799 and established it as the political center of his expanding kingdom. He was formally crowned in 1801 and gradually united many Sikh misls and territories in Punjab under his authority. Lahore remained the empire’s capital during his reign.

His state grew through diplomacy, military campaigns, and administrative consolidation. It eventually included major areas of Punjab, Kashmir, Peshawar, and the northwest frontier. Ranjit Singh’s government employed people from several religious and ethnic communities, reflecting the diversity of the region.

Lahore was not founded by Ranjit Singh, nor was it exclusively a religious center. Amritsar was especially important for Sikh worship, while Lahore served as the empire’s main seat of government. The Sikh Empire ended after the Second Anglo-Sikh War in 1849.