Sikha Shahi



Sikha-Shahi is used to denote the high-handedness of a ruler. The term originated during the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of the Sikh Empire in Punjab, which stretched from the Kashmir valley to the mouth of the Khyber Pass. About 70 per cent of the subjects of the Sikh ruler were Muslim. Allegedly, during the Sikh period in Lahore, curb to religious freedom and economic suppression were imposed on Muslim subjects. The Sikh rule was dubbed ‘Sikha-Shahi’ by the aggrieved Muslim elite. The phrase now refers to the rule of a monarchy or unfavourable court orders in Pakistan, especially in the Punjab province.