The land of five waters gave the world its first cities, its saints and its songs. Broken by every empire that crossed it, it is still ours to remember, and to make whole again.

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Land & Ages

The LandRivers, doabs, Harappa and the first cities, seasons, numbersAgesEight ages of the Punjab, from the Soan to todayTimelineEvery dated event on one lineAtlasEvery place on one map, age by agePlacesCities, ancient sites, temples, mosques and gurdwaras, battlefieldsLanguage & scriptsPunjabi, its dialects, Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi

People & Faiths

PeopleSaints and teachers, poets and singers, rulers, rebels, the people of both PunjabsPeople of the landJats, Rajputs, Arains, Khatris, Dalit communities and more, across every faithFaithsHindu traditions, Islam and the Sufis, Sikhi, and the Punjab's other faiths

Kingdoms & Struggles

Kingdoms & WarsWho ruled the Punjab, the Kingdom of Lahore, and the battles fought over itWho ruled the PunjabEvery ruling power, 518 BCE to todayWars & BattlesFrom the Hydaspes to BasantarStruggles & Partitions1849, 1919, 1947, 1966, 1984, 2020

Culture & Museum

CulturePoets, qisse, songs, music, dance, festivals, foodMuseumSculpture, coins, manuscripts, painting, arms, buildings, and where to see themChronicles & ProphecyThe poetry of the old chroniclesAboutWhat this atlas is, its sources, and every word explainedHelp maintain this siteCorrections, pictures, sources and new entries
Punjab WikiMuseumFrom the world's museums
From the world's museums · 109

Arms and armour

Swords, shields, helmets, quoit turbans and daggers of the Punjab.

Explore the collectionA map, a timeline and a web of the people, places and battles the objects show

Gurus and Mughals

1469 – 1708 · 5
Illuminated Guru Granth Sahib folio of a Nishan (flag)Illuminated Guru Granth Sahib folio of a Nishan (flag)Wikimedia Commons ↗Sword of Dara ShokuhSword of Dara Shokuh1640-1641 · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Dagger and sheathDagger and sheath17th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Bow and Arrow of Bahadur Shah Zafar 2, Sword and Dagger of Aurangzeb and battle Axe of…Bow and Arrow of Bahadur Shah Zafar 2, Sword and Dagger of Aurangzeb and battle Axe of…National Museum, New Delhi · photo Nomu420 (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA ↗ShieldShieldca. 1700 · Punjab (India)© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗

Misls and Afghans

1708 – 1799 · 8
Dagger and sheathDagger and sheathearly 18th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Sword and sheathSword and sheath18th century to 19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗FirearmFirearm18th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Sword and sheathSword and sheath18th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Sword and sheathSword and sheath18th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Sword and sheathSword and sheath18th century to 19th century · Peshawar© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Sword and sheathSword and sheath18th century · Peshawar© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗SwordSword18th century or 19th century · Punjab (India)© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗

The Kingdom of Lahore

1799 – 1849 · 10
General Hari Singh Nalwa seated in full armor adopting a militant stanceGeneral Hari Singh Nalwa seated in full armor adopting a militant stanceBritish Museum, London · photo Sir John Mcqueen Uploaded by Profitoftruth85 at en.wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons) ↗Sword and sheathSword and sheathearly 19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗ShieldShieldearly 19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗HelmetHelmetearly 19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Body armourBody armourearly 19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Body armourBody armourearly 19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Body armourBody armourearly 19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗ShieldShield1800-1840 · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Firearm accessoryFirearm accessoryfirst half 19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Indian helmet with butted mail neckguard, 1820-1840Indian helmet with butted mail neckguard, 1820-1840Asian Art Museum, San Francisco · photo Marshall Astor (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA ↗

Colonial Punjab

1849 – 1947 · 71
ShieldShield19th century · Punjab (India)© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Body armourBody armour19th century · Punjab (India)© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Body armourBody armour19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Sword hiltSword hilt19th century · Sialkot© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗HelmetHelmetca. 1850 · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Sword and sheathSword and sheath19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗ShieldShieldca. 1850 · Patiala© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Dagger and sheathDagger and sheath19th century · Patiala© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Body armourBody armour19th century · Patiala© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Quoit turbanQuoit turbanmid 19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Body armourBody armour19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Quoit turbanQuoit turbanmid 19th century · Punjab (India)© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Punch daggerPunch dagger19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Body armourBody armour19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Body armourBody armour19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Body armourBody armour19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Mail coatMail coat19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Combination weaponCombination weapon19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Sword and sheathSword and sheath19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Sword and sheathSword and sheath19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Battle axeBattle axe19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Mail trousersMail trousers19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗DaggerDagger19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗KnifeKnife19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗SpearSpearc.1850 · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Pair of armguardsPair of armguards19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Pair of shin guardsPair of shin guards19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Quiver and arrowsQuiver and arrows19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Firearm accessoryFirearm accessory19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗ClubClub19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗ClubClub19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Mail hoodMail hood19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Pellet bowPellet bow19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗Pair of armguardsPair of armguards19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗SpearSpear19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗DaggerDagger19th century · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗

See all 71 →

Through the ages

15
Sudhanva continues to fight after he has been beheaded by his own sword Series Title:…Sudhanva continues to fight after he has been beheaded by his own sword Series Title:…Wikimedia Commons · Qasim ↗Armour and weapons in the Museum of Islamic Art, DohaArmour and weapons in the Museum of Islamic Art, DohaWikimedia Commons · Francesco Bini · CC BY-SA ↗Two Sikh men dueling with wooden swords.Two Sikh men dueling with wooden swords.Wellcome Collection (via Europeana) · CC BY ↗A Sikh Maharaja or nobleman holding a blue swordA Sikh Maharaja or nobleman holding a blue swordWellcome Collection (via Europeana) · CC BY ↗Swords, miniatureSwords, miniaturePakistan Pakistan Пакистан Paquistão Пакистан Pakistanas Pakistan Pakistāna PakiMuseum of Ethnography (via Europeana) ↗Steel shield, blued and gilt, overlayed with gold koftgari and padded with mishruSteel shield, blued and gilt, overlayed with gold koftgari and padded with mishruWikimedia Commons · Catlemur · CC BY-SA ↗Full dress service jacket and sword belt, 35th Sikh RegimentFull dress service jacket and sword belt, 35th Sikh RegimentWikimedia Commons · CC BY ↗Ringkniv, kastvapen, ring, chakramRingkniv, kastvapen, ring, chakramIndien India Индия Intia Índia Индия Indija Indija Indija Inde India India IndijMuseum of Ethnography (via Europeana) ↗Kastvapen, kastring, ring, chakramKastvapen, kastring, ring, chakramIndien India Индия Intia Índia Индия Indija Indija Indija Inde India India IndijMuseum of Ethnography (via Europeana) ↗ChakramChakramFinnish Heritage Agency (via Europeana) · CC BY ↗ChakramChakramFinnish Heritage Agency (via Europeana) · CC BY ↗Dharma chakramDharma chakramWikimedia Commons · Bhaskaranaidu · CC BY-SA ↗Vishnu ChakramVishnu ChakramWikimedia Commons ↗Sword HiltSword Hiltc. 100s–200s CE · Pakistan, Gandhara, Kushan periodCleveland Museum of Art ↗Victoria and Albert Museum Artefacts ceremonial swordVictoria and Albert Museum Artefacts ceremonial swordV&A, London · photo Sourabh.biswas003 (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA ↗

Search the museums' full collections

V&A ↗ · British Museum ↗ · The Met ↗ · Cleveland ↗ · Wellcome Collection ↗ · Wikimedia Commons ↗ · Ashmolean ↗ · Royal Collection ↗ · Pitt Rivers ↗

Shown here are the objects whose pictures museums have released openly. Far more are in their collections, and in museums with no open search, such as the Lahore Museum. Searching for "Sikh armour".

Pictures from the collections of Art Institute of Chicago, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, Berlin-Dahlem Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum (via Europeana), Bhuri Singh Museum, Chamba, 65 more, found automatically: public domain or openly licensed, except the V&A's, shown for non-commercial use with the museum's credit. Titles and dates are the museums' own; each card names its museum and any licence. Updated 2026-10-26.

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