Britain: Thetford Museum gets nearly 2 lakh pounds to preserve the legacy of the last Maharaja of Punjab
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A UK-based museum has been awarded a grant of almost £200,000 by the ‘National Lottery Heritage Fund’ to preserve the legacy of Maharaja Duleep Singh, the last ruler of the Sikh Empire. According to the report of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the amount was given to the ‘Ancient House Museum’ in Thetford, Norfolk on its 100th anniversary. The museum was established in 1924 by Prince Frederick Duleep Singh, son of Maharaja Duleep Singh. According to the report, the amount of 1,98,059 pounds (2,51,712.99 US dollars) received as a grant will be used to showcase and tell the story of the family. Maharaja Dalip Singh was the youngest son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Maharaja Ranjit Singh established the Sikh Empire in Punjab in 1799.
Following the deaths of his father and brother, Duleep Singh became the ruler of the state at the age of five, but was deposed from the throne after Britain annexed Punjab in 1849. Dalip Singh arrived in England at the age of 15 and later made his home at Elveden Hall, Suffolk. His family remained in the area for the next century. Dalip Singh’s second son, Prince Frederick, donated Thetford’s ‘Ancient House Museum’ to the people of the city. He was part of the Suffolk and Norfolk Yeomanry and served in the First World War. “The museum is now embarking on a two-year project to showcase the fascinating history of Dalip Singh’s family,” said Robin Llewellyn, director of England, Midlands and East for the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Norfolk County Council said the new display will include ‘Anglo-Punjab’ history, a model of Elveden Hall, a portrait of Dalip Singh. He said that the contribution of the family and its activism in achieving universal suffrage will also be showcased. The museum will also display family items, such as Dalip Singh’s walking stick, which was given to him by King Edward VII when he was Prince of Wales.
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