Tempo:
— CHAP. V
BRITISH POLICY IN 1808
123
of the English Government with the chiefs of the i808-9_ Cis-Sutlej states had not been altogether brokeh off, and the Governor-General had at 'this time assured the Muhammadan Khan of Kunjpura, near Karnal/ that he need be under no apprehensions with regard to his hereditary possessions, while the petty Sikh chief of Sikri had performed some services which were deemed vorthy of a pension.^ But the deputies of the collective but not states could obtain no positive assurances from the distinctly British authorities at Delhi, although they were led to ^<^<^«d«^hope that, in the hour of need, they would not be This was scarcely sufficient to save them whereupon' deserted. from loss, and perhaps from ruin; and, as Ranjit Singh ^^^ chiefs had sent messengers to calm their apprehensions, and ^a^^^^ ^° to urge them to join his camp, they left Delhi for the singh. purpose of making their own terms with the acknowledged Raja of Lahore.^
The Governor-General of 1805,* who dissolved or Jt'^od'de!'^' deprecated treaties with princes beyond the Jumna, Jjg°s of^'the and declared that river to be the limit of British domi- French on nion, had no personal knowledge of the hopes and India fears with which the invasions of Shah Zaman agitated "Modify the the minds of men for the period of three or four years; '^j°^''^ri°rsh '^ and had the Sikhs of Sirhind sought protection from Awards Lord Cornwallis, they would doubtless have received the sikhs a decisive answer in the negative. But the reply of iscs-g. encouragement given in the beginning of 1808 was prompted by renewed danger: and the belief that the French, the Turkish, and the Persian emperors meditated the subjugation of India led another new Governor-General to seek alliances, not only beyond the Jumna, but beyond the Indus.-^ The designs or the desires of Napoleon appeared to render a defensive alliance with the Afghans and with tiie Sikhs imperative; Mr. Elphinstone was deputed to the court of Shah Shuja, and in September 1808 Mr. Metcalfe was sent on a mission to Ranjit Singh for the purpose of bring1
-
In a document dated 18th "January, 1808. Mr. Clerk of Ambala to the agent at Delhi, 19th May,
1837.
Murray, Ranjit Singh, pp. 64, 65. CornwalHs had been sent out in 1805 with strict orders to pursue a pacific and economizing policy, as the Directors were alarmed at the expense of the wars waged by his predecessor Lord Wellesley. But Cornwallis died two months after his arrival, and was temporarily succeeded by Sir G. Barlow. Ed.] Mr. Auber (Rise and Progress of the British Power in India, ii. 461), notices the triple alliance which threatened Hindustan [Lord Minto had arrived as Govern OT'-General in 1807.—Ed.] 3 See
4 [Lord
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'
BRITISH POLICY IN 1808
123
of the English Government with the chiefs of the i808-9_ Cis-Sutlej states had not been altogether brokeh off, and the Governor-General had at 'this time assured the Muhammadan Khan of Kunjpura, near Karnal/ that he need be under no apprehensions with regard to his hereditary possessions, while the petty Sikh chief of Sikri had performed some services which were deemed vorthy of a pension.^ But the deputies of the collective but not states could obtain no positive assurances from the distinctly British authorities at Delhi, although they were led to ^<^<^«d«^hope that, in the hour of need, they would not be This was scarcely sufficient to save them whereupon' deserted. from loss, and perhaps from ruin; and, as Ranjit Singh ^^^ chiefs had sent messengers to calm their apprehensions, and ^a^^^^ ^° to urge them to join his camp, they left Delhi for the singh. purpose of making their own terms with the acknowledged Raja of Lahore.^
The Governor-General of 1805,* who dissolved or Jt'^od'de!'^' deprecated treaties with princes beyond the Jumna, Jjg°s of^'the and declared that river to be the limit of British domi- French on nion, had no personal knowledge of the hopes and India fears with which the invasions of Shah Zaman agitated "Modify the the minds of men for the period of three or four years; '^j°^''^ri°rsh '^ and had the Sikhs of Sirhind sought protection from Awards Lord Cornwallis, they would doubtless have received the sikhs a decisive answer in the negative. But the reply of iscs-g. encouragement given in the beginning of 1808 was prompted by renewed danger: and the belief that the French, the Turkish, and the Persian emperors meditated the subjugation of India led another new Governor-General to seek alliances, not only beyond the Jumna, but beyond the Indus.-^ The designs or the desires of Napoleon appeared to render a defensive alliance with the Afghans and with tiie Sikhs imperative; Mr. Elphinstone was deputed to the court of Shah Shuja, and in September 1808 Mr. Metcalfe was sent on a mission to Ranjit Singh for the purpose of bring1
-
In a document dated 18th "January, 1808. Mr. Clerk of Ambala to the agent at Delhi, 19th May,
1837.
Murray, Ranjit Singh, pp. 64, 65. CornwalHs had been sent out in 1805 with strict orders to pursue a pacific and economizing policy, as the Directors were alarmed at the expense of the wars waged by his predecessor Lord Wellesley. But Cornwallis died two months after his arrival, and was temporarily succeeded by Sir G. Barlow. Ed.] Mr. Auber (Rise and Progress of the British Power in India, ii. 461), notices the triple alliance which threatened Hindustan [Lord Minto had arrived as Govern OT'-General in 1807.—Ed.] 3 See
4 [Lord
—
•">
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