Re: Maharajah Ranjeet Singh
Well theres many reasons one could list.
I have often found that people who are strict in thier beliefs and for whom fighting is considered a last resort but also something they would do with pleasure and skill then defeating such faqnatics becomes very difficuilt indeed. As the British once said of the Turks "You can kill them but never beat them" it rings true.
The Akhali Nihang Sikhs were at the time of Ranjeet Singh a very potent force. Even today their fighting techniques in particular Ancient arts like "Shastar Vidaya" which is a evolved form of Martial art that shares the Origins of Kalapatiryu and Kung Fu.
If anyone has had the pleasure of seeing live "Gatka" demonstrations one can appreciate the skill that goes into the Sikh Martial arts. All that fancy stick and sword twirling might look dramatic but it has origins of brutal effectiveness in single combat. In India the Mughals of the later period that clashed with the Sikhs were outclassed in CQC, despite superior numbers, superior Armour and more firearms the Mughal forces were still held in check by primitive and poorly armed Khalsa Warriors.
Ideological commitment can go a long way to deciding the outcome of a confrontation. Some would call such men Fanatics but nobody can deny they are very formidable...
This is very relevant to modern times as well though, much as I abhor the terrible Taliban for thier harsh treatment of fellow humans one cannot deny thier formidable zeal.
Zealots can be a problem but in the end the real battle really is inside hearts and minds, when you get down to it even the most fearsome fighters and even outright Homicidal maniacs can be talked out of thier aggresive patterns.
On a personal level I have no shame in admiting that I have been outranged and outfought on some occasions by skilled Sikh Martial artists.
The Chakram (sharpened throwing disc) is a brilliant weapon that resembles a Frisbee or more correctly an Aerobee. It has much greater range than throwing knives or Shuriken (Ninja stars) and while it lacks the return capability of Boomerangs it can be used to take down bigger targets and has more stopping power when it impacts. I love the Chakram but only came to know of it's great power after seeing one slice Watermelons in half from over 50 feet away! I could not do that with a throwing knife and even a Ballistic knife would be lucky to travel that far.
The Sikhs also have a great twist on the Knucle duster it's called a Wagh Nakah and resembes a Knucle brace with razor sharp claw like protrusions which can rend flesh just like a real leopards claw and can also be used for climbing as well as close quarters combat.
The other most famous weapon that is carried by almost all baptised Sikhs is the Kirpan, which is traditionally a short stout sword like weapon though these days it would be described as a large knife. The Kirpan comes in many forms and along with the Yemini Jambiya, Khyber Chora, Ghurkha Khukri and other ethnic and cultural knives it is not only a great all round weapon but also a very symbolic one that is like a cultural trademark and a favourite of mine.
Ranjeet Singhs army the Khalsa and the Nihangs would have been fammiliar with all the above weapons and continued to use them effectively long after the advent of modern firearms. In fact the Chakram disc was flung in battalion style volleys and had devastating impact against troops in formation, many annecdotes from the Sikh War refer to this fearsome weapon as being capable of decapitating a man from a hundred paces.
It is a shame that the Sikhs never had many archers otherwise combined Chakram and Arrow storms could have decisively swung many battles for them. Unfortunately for the Sikhs the British Muskets and Pathan Rifles as well as composite bows outranged the Chakram. Thus this versatile weapon became obsolete.
Nobody however can deny the effectiveness of Sikh arms and battles such as Mudki and ChilianWalla will vouch for this fact.
