Tempo:
RANJIT SINGH'S FAMILY
CHAP. VI
J
57
They were fortunate in having an excellent material I820. work with, and, like skilful officers, they made a Punjab good use of their means and opportunities. They gav3 before the
to
moderate degree of precision and completeness to a arrival of system already introduced; but their labours are more ^^'^i'* conspicuous in French words of command, in treble whosr'serranks, and in squares salient with guns, than in the vices were ardent courage, the alert obedience, and the long en- yet of value durance of fatigue, which distinguished the Sikh to Ranjit horsemen sixty years ago, and which pre-eminently singh, and ^ characterize the Sikh footman of the present day ^°"hemamong the other soldiers of India. ^ Neither did Gene- selves, rals Ventura and Allard, Court and Avitabile, ever assume to themselves the merit of having created the Sikh army, and perhaps their ability and independence of character added more to the general belief in European superiority, than all their instructions to the real a
efficiency of the Sikhs as soldiers.
When a boy, Ranjit Singh was betrothed, as has Ranjit been related, to Mehtab Kaur, the daughter of Gur- smgh-s bakhsh Singh, the young heir of the Kanhaya (or ^^TfaSy Ghani) chiefship, who fell in battle with his father relations. Mahan Singh. Sada Kaur, the mother of the girl, possessed a high spirit and was ambitious of power, and, on the death of the Kanhaya leader, Jai Singh, about 1793, her influence in the affairs of the confedethis endurance of fatigue, see Forster, 332, 333; Malcolm, Sketch, p. 141; Mr. Masson, Journeys, i. 433; and Col. Steinbach, Punjab, pp. 63, 64. The general constitution of a Sikh regiment was a commandant and adjutant, with subordinate officers to each company. The men were paid by deputies of the 'Bakshi', or 1
For notices of
Travels,
i.
paymaster; but the rolls were checked by 'Mutasaddis', or clerks, who daily noted down whether the men were absent or present. To each regiment at least one 'Granthi', or reader of the scriptures, was attached, who, when not paid by the government, was sure of being supported by the men. The Granth was usually deposited near the 'jhanda', or flag, which belonged to the regiment, and which represented its headquarters. Light tents and beasts of burden were allowed in fixed proportions to each battalion, and the state also provided two cooks, or rather bakers, for each company, who baked the men's cakes after they had themselves kneaded them, or who, in some instances, provided unleavened loaves for those of their own or an inferior race. In cantonments the Sikh soldiers lived to some extent in barracks, and not each man in a separate hut, a custom which should be introduced into the British service. [The barrack system has been introduced. The whole organization of the Sikh army under Ranjit Singh is of much interest. Quite recently some research has been initiated and is still in progress upon the Sikh records in the Secretariat at Lahore. The result of this, as far as it concerns the army, will be found in the Appendix, section XXXIX. En.]
—
CHAP. VI
J
57
They were fortunate in having an excellent material I820. work with, and, like skilful officers, they made a Punjab good use of their means and opportunities. They gav3 before the
to
moderate degree of precision and completeness to a arrival of system already introduced; but their labours are more ^^'^i'* conspicuous in French words of command, in treble whosr'serranks, and in squares salient with guns, than in the vices were ardent courage, the alert obedience, and the long en- yet of value durance of fatigue, which distinguished the Sikh to Ranjit horsemen sixty years ago, and which pre-eminently singh, and ^ characterize the Sikh footman of the present day ^°"hemamong the other soldiers of India. ^ Neither did Gene- selves, rals Ventura and Allard, Court and Avitabile, ever assume to themselves the merit of having created the Sikh army, and perhaps their ability and independence of character added more to the general belief in European superiority, than all their instructions to the real a
efficiency of the Sikhs as soldiers.
When a boy, Ranjit Singh was betrothed, as has Ranjit been related, to Mehtab Kaur, the daughter of Gur- smgh-s bakhsh Singh, the young heir of the Kanhaya (or ^^TfaSy Ghani) chiefship, who fell in battle with his father relations. Mahan Singh. Sada Kaur, the mother of the girl, possessed a high spirit and was ambitious of power, and, on the death of the Kanhaya leader, Jai Singh, about 1793, her influence in the affairs of the confedethis endurance of fatigue, see Forster, 332, 333; Malcolm, Sketch, p. 141; Mr. Masson, Journeys, i. 433; and Col. Steinbach, Punjab, pp. 63, 64. The general constitution of a Sikh regiment was a commandant and adjutant, with subordinate officers to each company. The men were paid by deputies of the 'Bakshi', or 1
For notices of
Travels,
i.
paymaster; but the rolls were checked by 'Mutasaddis', or clerks, who daily noted down whether the men were absent or present. To each regiment at least one 'Granthi', or reader of the scriptures, was attached, who, when not paid by the government, was sure of being supported by the men. The Granth was usually deposited near the 'jhanda', or flag, which belonged to the regiment, and which represented its headquarters. Light tents and beasts of burden were allowed in fixed proportions to each battalion, and the state also provided two cooks, or rather bakers, for each company, who baked the men's cakes after they had themselves kneaded them, or who, in some instances, provided unleavened loaves for those of their own or an inferior race. In cantonments the Sikh soldiers lived to some extent in barracks, and not each man in a separate hut, a custom which should be introduced into the British service. [The barrack system has been introduced. The whole organization of the Sikh army under Ranjit Singh is of much interest. Quite recently some research has been initiated and is still in progress upon the Sikh records in the Secretariat at Lahore. The result of this, as far as it concerns the army, will be found in the Appendix, section XXXIX. En.]
—
©
2026
Lehal.net