The tawaif who stole a maharaja’s heart

Ranjit Singh, the young leader of the Sikhs, who was soon destined to be a king, was solely focused on his mission to build an empire for his people. He had no time for love or affection. That was until his eyes fell on the beautiful dancing girl, Moran Sarkar.

A portrait of Moran Sarkar (left) and Maharaja Ranjit Singh (right). Source: Wikimedia Commons

This is a lesser-known tale about a tawaif (a medieval term used for dancers), who went to become the wife of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the first ruler of the Sikh Empire. Who was this mysterious woman? Let’s find out.

There lived a tawaif in the nineteenth century, India. She was said to have originally hailed from Kashmir but later lived in Makhanpur, Amritsar. She is now remembered as Moran, a name that was supposedly given to her by her lover, Ranjit Singh himself.

There are many local stories as well as some concrete sources that allow us to learn about this enigmatic woman.

According to lore, Ranjit Singh once caught sight of her when she was performing in the royal pavilion in Dhanoa Kalan village. Her graceful dance movements impressed Ranjit Singh and he instantly got smitten over her.

Thereafter, Ranjit Singh gave her the name ‘Moran’, meaning peacock, because of her dancing skills.

Yet in another story, we hear about a small bridge that was built in honour and love of Moran by Ranjit Singh. The bridge now lies on the Indo-Pak border, some 35 km away from Amritsar. Once when Moran was going for her performance at the Baradari (pavillion or an open hall where public performances took place), her anklet fell into a canal which she was trying to cross. She got so upset that she refused to dance anymore unless a bridge was built across the canal. Since Ranjit Singh was so madly in love with her, he quickly built the bridge for her sake.

In the present day, the same bridge is referred to by the locals of Pakistan as ‘Pul Moran’, in honour of Moran. However, a few locals (ones on the Indian side of Punjab) also call it the ‘Pul Kanjri’, derogating her for being a dancer.

When Maharaja Ranjit Singh proposed Moran, the latter gave him a few conditions, one of which was to convince her father. The lovestruck King fulfilled all the demands and finally, he was able to win over Moran. The two got married in the year 1802 in a grand ceremony.

However, wooing Moran was not the biggest challenge for Ranjit Singh. He was after all defying all societal norms and marrying a dancer, which was not regarded highly by society. Moreover, the fact that she was Muslim made matters even worse. Some sources reveal that Ranjit Singh even endured flogging from the Sikh religious leaders. Nevertheless, Ranjit Singh refused to give up on his love for Moran. After their wedding, he built a haveli for Moran in the Papar Mandi area of Lahore.

The personality of Moran and her significance in the life of Ranjit Singh was mentioned by several court chroniclers like Sohan Lal Suri or Diwan Amarnath. Through their accounts, we hear that Moran was a woman of beauty and virtue. She was compassionate and was loved by the people. In her haveli in Papar Mandi, Moran held her own court to address the problems of the local people.

Perhaps, the title ‘Sarkar’ was given to her by the people for her commitment to their welfare.

Moran was also a close adviser to the King. Ranjit Singh issued coins that came to be known as ‘Moranshahi’. They had peacock feathers inscribed on them, which implied that they were made in honour of Moran. Influenced by Moran, Ranjit Singh also became involved in the upliftment of the tawaif community. In 1809, Moran built a mosque called ‘Masjid-e-Tawaif’ in the Papar Mandi area, which is now called the Masjid Moran.

We do not often hear about Moran in the mainstream narrative. Perhaps, one reason for this is because she was a tawaif, who was looked down on by society. However, Moran’s enigmatic personality and particularly her influence over the powerful Maharaja Ranjit Singh is worth remembering.