Kharak Singh (22 February 1801 – 5 November 1840) was the second maharaja of the Sikh Empire, ruling from June 1839 until his dethronement and imprisonment in October 1839.

He was the eldest son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh Empire and his consort, Maharani Datar Kaur.

[8] Kharak Singh was brought up in his family's martial tradition and assigned to a variety of military expeditions.

[11] During the battle the queen herself oversaw the steady supply of grain, horses, and ammunition being sent to Kot Kamalia, a town equally distanced between Multan and Lahore.

He was invested with the command of Siege of Multan (1818) as well as of Battle of Shopian in 1819, which resulted in Srinagar and Kashmir being annexed to the Sikh Empire.

[11] Though courageous and good in battle, Kharak was regarded as simple minded[17] and believed to lack his father's shrewdness and diplomatic skills.

[17][4] He developed a close relationship with his tutor Chet Singh Bajwa after the death of his mother, who gained such an ascendancy over him as to render him a puppet.

[20] Burns was the first to refer to Kharak Singh as imbecile but also mentions that Kharak was extremely kind hearted and noted that the prince was the master of an impressive military and good at the administrating and handling important strategic and governing duties assigned to him.

[21] Claude Martin Wade, who was at the Lahore Durbar for 16 years disagreed as well, stating that Kharak Singh was a man with a "mild and humane disposition, who was "loved by his dependants".

[13] Wade suggests that Kharak Singh seemed to have a dismal reputation as he maintained a low profile.

It was rumored that both the Maharaja and Chet Singh were secretly planning to sell out the Punjab to the British, pay them six annas in every rupee of state revenue and, worse of all, disband the Sikh army.

Early that morning the conspirators entered the Maharaja's residence in the Fort and assassinated Chet Singh in the presence of their royal master, who vainly implored them to spare the life of his friend.