Who founded the Sikh Empire and the first independent Sikh State in the Indian subcontinent?

Who founded the Sikh Empire and the first independent Sikh State in the Indian subcontinent?

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Explanation

Maharaja Ranjit Singh founded the Sikh Empire in 1799 in the Indian subcontinent.

The empire lasted until 1849, when it was annexed by the British East India Company.

He was the founder of the first independent Sikh State.

The Sikh Empire was centered in Punjab and extended across northwestern India.