<P> The Sikh Empire (1799--1849) was formed on the foundations of the Punjabi Army by Maharaja Ranjit Singh who was proclaimed "Sarkar - i - Khalsa", and was referred to as the "Maharaja of Lahore". It consisted of a collection of autonomous Punjabi Misls, which were governed by Misldars, mainly in the Punjab region . The empire extended from the Khyber Pass in the west, to Kashmir in the north, to Multan in the south and Kapurthala in the east . The main geographical footprint of the empire was the Punjab region . The formation of the empire was a watershed and represented formidable consolidation of Sikh military power and resurgence of local culture, which had been dominated for hundreds of years by Indo - Afghan and Indo - Mughal hybrid cultures . </P> <P> The foundations of the Sikh Empire, during the time of the Punjabi Army, could be defined as early as 1707, starting from the death of Aurangzeb . The fall of the Mughal Empire provided opportunities for the Punjabi army to lead expeditions against the Mughals and Pashtuns . This led to a growth of the army, which was split into different Punjabi armies and then semi-independent "misls". Each of these component armies were known as a misl, each controlling different areas and cities . However, in the period from 1762 to 1799, Sikh rulers of their misls appeared to be coming into their own . The formal start of the Sikh Empire began with the disbandment of the Punjab Army by the time of coronation of Ranjit Singh in 1801, creating a unified political state . All the misl leaders who were affiliated with the Army were from Punjab's nobility . </P> <P> Most of the territory of modern Pakistan was occupied beginning first by the East India Company--and continued under the post-Sepoy Mutiny direct rule of Queen Victoria of the British Empire--through a series of wars, the main ones being the Battle of Miani (1843) in Sindh, the gruelling Anglo - Sikh Wars (1845--1849) and the Anglo - Afghan Wars (1839--1919), to remain a part of British Indian Empire until the independence in 1947 . </P> <P> The physical presence of the British was minimal; they employed "Divide and Rule" political strategy to remain in power . The administrative units of British India under the tenancy or the sovereignty of either the East India Company or the British Crown lasted between 1612 and 1947 . </P>

What country was pakistan apart of before it became independent
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