The period following Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s reign (post 1839), saw an aggressive campaign by the British to weaken the Sikh Raj.

With Punjab’s education system renowned as one of the most advanced in the world, including over 330,000 students learning a broad spectrum of subjects in multiple languages; the British sought to curb this intellectual empowerment by purchasing and burning educational textbooks, manuscripts, and key texts.

Book burnings became a common sight as the invaders aimed to destroy the knowledge that had bolstered the strength of the Sikh Empire. By suppressing education, the British hoped to stifle any future resistance, fearing that a well-educated populace would grow too powerful to control.