Tempo:
CHAF. V
PERRON AND GEORGE THOMAS
111
In 1799 Thomas invested the town of Jind, belong- i787-i800 ing to Bhag Singh, of the Phulkia confederacy. The and enold chief, Baghel Singh Krora Singhia, and the Ama- gages in hoszonian sister of the imbecile Raja of Patiala, relieved tiuties with the place, but they were repulsed when they attacked *^^ sikhs. Thomas on his retreat to Hansi. In 1800 Thomas took "^^• Fatehabad, which had been deserted during the famine of 1783, and subsequently'- occupied by the predatory Bhattis of Hariana, then rising into local repute, notwithstanding the efforts of the Patiala chief, who, however, affected to consider them as his subjects, and gave them some aid against Thomas. Patiala was the next object of Thomas's ambition, and he was encouraged by the temporary secession of the sister of the chief; but the aged Tara Singh, of the Dallehwala confederacy, interfered, and Thomas had to act with caution. He obtained, nevertheless, a partial success over Tara Thomes Singh, he received the submission of the Pathans of marches Maler Kotla, and he was welcomed as a deliverer bv towards the converted Muhammadans of Raikot, who had held ^g'jo^'''"^' Ludhiana for some time, and all of v/hom were equally jealous of the Sikhs. At this time Sahib Singh, a Bedi Opposed by of the race of Nanak, pretended to religious inspiration, sahib singh and, having collected a large force, he invested Lud- ^^^^• hiana, took the town of Maler Kotla, and called on the English adventurer to obey him as the true representative of the Sikh prophet. But Sahib Singh could not long impose even on his countrymen, and he had to retire across the Sutlej. Thomas's situation was not greatly improved by the absence of the Bedi, for the combination against him was general, and he retired Retires to from the neighbourhood of Ludhiana towards his ^^^^i- ^^^ ^ stronghold of Hansi. He again took the field, and masters^ attacked Safidon, an old town belonging to the chief safidon of Jind. He was repulsed, but the place not appearing near Delhi, tenable, it was evacuated, and he obtained possession of it. At this time he is said to have had ten battalions and sixty guns, and to have possessed a territory yielding about 450,000 rupees, two-thirds of which he held by right of seizure, and one-third as a Maratha feudatory; but he had rejected all Perron's overtures Thomas with suspicion, and Perr-on was resolved to crush him. rejects Per-
Thomas was thus forced to come to terms with the ^°^'^ °^^^Sikhs, and he washed it to appear that he had engaged ^"'^^l^^f them on his side against Perron; but they were really armsAsoi desirous of getting rid of one who plainly designed their ruin, or at least th'eir subjection, and the alacrity and Major Smith, Account of Regular Corps in the Service of Indian Princes, p. 118, &c.
PERRON AND GEORGE THOMAS
111
In 1799 Thomas invested the town of Jind, belong- i787-i800 ing to Bhag Singh, of the Phulkia confederacy. The and enold chief, Baghel Singh Krora Singhia, and the Ama- gages in hoszonian sister of the imbecile Raja of Patiala, relieved tiuties with the place, but they were repulsed when they attacked *^^ sikhs. Thomas on his retreat to Hansi. In 1800 Thomas took "^^• Fatehabad, which had been deserted during the famine of 1783, and subsequently'- occupied by the predatory Bhattis of Hariana, then rising into local repute, notwithstanding the efforts of the Patiala chief, who, however, affected to consider them as his subjects, and gave them some aid against Thomas. Patiala was the next object of Thomas's ambition, and he was encouraged by the temporary secession of the sister of the chief; but the aged Tara Singh, of the Dallehwala confederacy, interfered, and Thomas had to act with caution. He obtained, nevertheless, a partial success over Tara Thomes Singh, he received the submission of the Pathans of marches Maler Kotla, and he was welcomed as a deliverer bv towards the converted Muhammadans of Raikot, who had held ^g'jo^'''"^' Ludhiana for some time, and all of v/hom were equally jealous of the Sikhs. At this time Sahib Singh, a Bedi Opposed by of the race of Nanak, pretended to religious inspiration, sahib singh and, having collected a large force, he invested Lud- ^^^^• hiana, took the town of Maler Kotla, and called on the English adventurer to obey him as the true representative of the Sikh prophet. But Sahib Singh could not long impose even on his countrymen, and he had to retire across the Sutlej. Thomas's situation was not greatly improved by the absence of the Bedi, for the combination against him was general, and he retired Retires to from the neighbourhood of Ludhiana towards his ^^^^i- ^^^ ^ stronghold of Hansi. He again took the field, and masters^ attacked Safidon, an old town belonging to the chief safidon of Jind. He was repulsed, but the place not appearing near Delhi, tenable, it was evacuated, and he obtained possession of it. At this time he is said to have had ten battalions and sixty guns, and to have possessed a territory yielding about 450,000 rupees, two-thirds of which he held by right of seizure, and one-third as a Maratha feudatory; but he had rejected all Perron's overtures Thomas with suspicion, and Perr-on was resolved to crush him. rejects Per-
Thomas was thus forced to come to terms with the ^°^'^ °^^^Sikhs, and he washed it to appear that he had engaged ^"'^^l^^f them on his side against Perron; but they were really armsAsoi desirous of getting rid of one who plainly designed their ruin, or at least th'eir subjection, and the alacrity and Major Smith, Account of Regular Corps in the Service of Indian Princes, p. 118, &c.
©
2026
Lehal.net