Who was the first Sikh to receive the title Maharaja of the Sikh Empire?

Ranjit Singh was the first Sikh to receive the title Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.

Ranjit Singh, born in 1780, became leader of the Sukerchakia Misl and captured Lahore in 1799. In 1801, he was formally proclaimed Maharaja, marking the consolidation of a unified Sikh state in the Punjab.

His government brought together Sikh confederacies and controlled a large, diverse territory. The empire extended across parts of present-day Pakistan, India, and areas toward the northwest frontier. Ranjit Singh maintained a multi-faith administration that included Sikh, Hindu, and Muslim officials.

He is frequently called the Lion of Punjab, but that nickname should not obscure the precise political fact: he was the ruler who transformed Sikh power into an empire. He died in Lahore in 1839.