William Murray, who had a long association with Ranjit Singh, has stated that the Maharaja has been likened to Mehmat Ali and Napoleon Bonaparte. There are some points in which he resembles both; but estimating his character with reference to his circumstances and position he is, perhaps, a more remarkable man that both of them. Ranjit Singh’s prowess in battle was beyond question; the vigour and shrewdness of his judgment was conspicuous and his promptitude of action beyond question. The progress of his army was steady, each step being part of his large design. He made every step secure before he took the next one, never challenging an enemy till he felt sure of his own victory.

On economic front, cities and towns prospered; trade and commerce increased by leaps and bounds; safety on highways ensured. Regular external trade with Europe, Russia, China, Persia and other central Asian countries was carried out and brought riches to the traders of Punjab, Ranjit Singh became the leader of the Sukarchakia misl at the age of ten years when his father Mahan Singh died in 1790, leaving behind a small following and an empty treasury. But after half a century rule his treasury, according to Steinbach’s estimates", had about eight crores of rupees and equal wealth of jewels and shawls and millions more. It is doubtful that any court in Europe possesses such valuable jewels as the court of Lahore."

Whereas the various aspects of empire- building, his humanism and fair treatment of all the religious communities have been widely praised, one aspect of his character, his interest in environment has not been taken much note of. The atmospheric pollution which is choking the lungs of our cities and world at large, which has come with the industrial revolution, was virtually non-existent in 19th century, especially in the Indian subcontinent. The environment was mainly confined to gardens and green areas for human comforts. Ranjit Singh played a major role in setting up gardens and green-cover in many of his cities, far more elaborately than his predecessors the Mughal rulers had done, that too not only for the ruling classes but equally for the general public.

Babar, a descendent of Timur was born in Kabul. Their country surrounded by snowy mountains had numerous water channels crisscrossing the fertile areas of the valleys. Mughals, especially the richer people were very found of having gardens which were generally cut in four sections by water channels with a Baradari in the centre. Babar’s early years in Farghana, as mentioned in his memoirs "Babar Nama" made references to many gardens belonging to the ruling class and his fondness for the same. These gardens were distinguished as orchards, vineyards and ordinary gardens. Some of the names for these gardens have been Charbagh, Bagh-i-Bihisht, Bagh-i-Shamal, Bagh-i-Naksh-i-Jahan, Bagh-i-Dilkusha, Bagh-i-Balandi and Bagh-i-Darweshan, etc.

Babar was very unhappy in not finding any cold water running streams in and around Agra and the first gardens were laid in and around Agra. Some of his amirs went to the other side of the river where water was readily available and set up planned gardens there. The Indian people who had not seen well-planned gardens called the area as Kabul. The Mughal gardens came mainly with palaces and mausoleums - with few exceptions, one of the most important being Shalimar Garden at Lahore built by Shah Jehan which remains a public garden till date.

When Ranjit Singh became the ruler of Punjab, the whole countryside was bearing the scars of twenty Afghan invasions from 1739 to 1799 during which all trees and houses had been destroyed by marauding troops to secure fire-wood for cooking and warming in winter, along some 50 kms on both sides of the Grand Trunk Road. The famous garden Shalimar was in ruins. Ranjit Singh a totally illiterate person - was two centuries ahead of his times. He could understand the need of proper environments and worked towards their restoration when the concept of environmentalism neither existed with his contemporaries nor even with the advanced Western nations.

Ranjit Singh was greatly dismayed with the condition of Shalimar Bagh which was in ruins. Shah Nehar supplying water had been filled with silt, walls and buildings in demolished condition, and jungle of weeds all over the garden. As early as in 1804, Ranjit Singh sanctioned funds for its repair and restored it to its former splendour. Osbourne noted, in 1838, that all the fountains were running, boundary wall covered the entire garden, stone walks with water channels running all along, thousand of fruit trees blooming. Sohan Lal Suri has called it the envy of Paradise. Ranjit Singh also laid new gardens. Badami Bagh, with almond trees, and Hazuri Bagh with variety of fruit trees, viz. mangoes, guavas, oranges, peaches, lemons, mulberries, etc. were laid towards the north of the Lahore fort. These gardens were greatly appreciated by foreign visitors. Osbourne, Baron Hugel, William Barr, Lord Aukland, and others.

The entire area between the fort and river was forested with ornamental and fruit trees, and strict orders were issued that no green tree can be cut within 25 miles, i.e. 40 kms of Lahore city; although it created fire wood problems but these orders were strictly enforced. The idea has been precisely what the present day planners call the providing of "green belts" around the growing cities. Following Maharaja Ranjit Singh, his courtiers and relations laid numerous gardens in and around Lahore. Twelve such gardens have been enumerated by Sita Ram Kohli, viz. Badami Bagh, Bagh-i-Daudi, Dilkusha Bagh, Bagh-i-Shah Balawal, Harbadda Bagh, Khosha Bagh, Chaha Bagh, Bagh Bhai Ram Singh, Bagh Hazrat Faqir Sahib, Bagh-i-Farhat-Afza, Bagh-i-Ruh-kusharamm and Bagh-i-Diwangah. There were also twenty six more gardens laid by relations and ministers of the Maharaja around Lahore and on both sides of the five mile road from Lahore fort to Shalimar Bagh. Ranjit Singh would visit the gardens of his courtiers and prizes were awarded for the best maintained gardens.

One special aspect of the gardens laid by Ranjit Singh and his courtiers was that all were open to the general public. William Barr has described the scene in 1839 that there are large crowds of people, in the evening, enjoying fresh air in the numerous gardens outside the city; the oriental magnificence was witnessed in its grand splendor.

Besides Lahore, Ranjit Singh took great care in the development of Amritsar, it was the religious capital of the Sikh state. Ranjit Singh laid outside the walled city a garden called Ram Bagh in 1819 somewhat similar to Shalimar Bagh, which was later named Company Garden by the British. It had a double storied house called Sheesh Mahal for the Maharaja’s residence in Amritsar. As in Lahore, the various Sardars and ministers also built beautiful gardens in Amritsar. There were some older and smaller gardens in the walled city, viz. Bagh Atar Singh, Guru ka Bagh, Bagh Jhanda Singh, Bagichi Ram Nand etc. The main gardens were outside the city limits, mainly to the northern side, viz. Bagh Raja Tej Singh, Bagh Mula Singh, Bagh Sahib Dayal, Bagh Lehna Singh, Bagh Kharak Singh, Bagh Beth Ram Walla, Bagh Hira Singh, Bagh Suhel Singh, Bagh Ranjodh Singh, etc. in all about twentyfive large gardens. All these gardens were also open to general public as in the case of gardens in Lahore.

Besides the gardens in Lahore and Amritsar, old gardens were revived and new ones laid in Gujranwala where Hari Singh Nalwa, another great admirer of nature, laid a large and beautiful garden in his home city Gujranwala, gardens were also laid in Batala, Multan, Dinanagar. The blood--red Malta (a variety of orange grown in "Malta") was laid by Hari Singh Nalwa in the new town of Haripur raised by him in 1822. It was being maintained in good shape till the Partition in 1947 under the name Sarkari Bagh.

The above is a short account of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s desire to improve environments in the form of laying numerous gardens in the various cities of his state, About a hundred large gardens were laid between him and his courtiers, and the beauty thereof being that all these gardens were open to public to share the joy and pleasure thereof.

The Khalsa state Lahore Darbar was annexed by the British in 1849, the position of the courtiers of Lahore Darbar started deteriorating. But for the few gardens whose upkeep was taken up by the provincial government, the condition of the rest of the gardens fast deteriorated. With increase in population in these cities in nineteen twenties, and after Partition, these gardens were taken over for residential areas and makeshift markets; and the environmentalis efforts of Maharaja Ranjit Singh went into oblivion, leaving their imprints only on the pages of History.