Tempo:
158 1807-20.
His wife,
Mehtab Kaur, and mother-inlaw, Sada Kaur.
Sher Singh and Tara Singh, the declared sons of
Mehtab Kaur, not fully recog-
nized, 1807.
Sada Kaur's vexation of .spirit
and
hostile
views, 1810.
HISTORY OF THE SIKHS
CHAP. VI
racy became paramount. She encouraged her young son-in-law to set aside the authority of his own widow mother, and at the age of seventeen the future Maharaja is not only said to have taken upon himself the management of his affairs, but to have had his mother put to death as an adultress. The support of Sada Kaur was of great use to Ranjit Singh in the beginning of his career, and the cooperation of the Kanhaya Misal mainly enabled him to master Lahore and Amritsar. Her hope seems to have been that, as the grandmother of the chosen heir of Ranjit Singh, and as a chieftainess in her own right, she would be able to exercise a commanding influence in the affairs of the Sikhs; but her daughter was childless, and Ranjit Singh himself was equally able and wary. In 1807 it was understood that Mehtab Kaur was pregnant, and it is believed that she was really delivered of a daughter; but, on Ranjit Singh's return from an expedition, he was presented with two boys as his offspring. The Maharaja doubted and perhaps he always gave credence to the report that Sher Singh was the son of a carpenter, and Tara Singh the child of a weaver, yet they continued to be brought up under the care of their reputed grandmother, as if their parentage had been admitted. But Sada Kaur perceived that she could obtain no power in the names of the children, and the disappointed woman addressed the' English authorities in 1810, and denounced her son-in-law as having usurped her rights, and as resolved on war with his new allies. Her communications received some attention, but she was unable to organize an insurrection, and she became in In 1820, Sher a manner reconciled to her position. Singh was virtually adopted by the Maharaja, with the aoparent object of finally setting aside the power of his mother-in-law. She was required to assign half of the lands of the Kanhaya chiefship for the maintenance of the youth; but she refused, and she was in consequence seized and imprisoned, and her whole :
possessions confiscated. The little estate of Whadni, to the south of the Sutlej, was however restored to her through British intervention, as has already been Kharak Singh born to Ranjit
Singh by another wife, 1802.
mentioned.^ Ranjit Singh was also betrothed, when a boy, to the daughter of Khazan Singh, a chief of the Nakkais confederacy, and by her he had a son in the year 1802, who was named Kharak Singh, and brought up as his 1 Cf. Murray, Ranjit Singh, pp. 46-51, 63, 127, 128, 134, 135. See also Sir D. Ochterlony to Government, 1st and 10th Dec. 1810, and p. 144 of this volume.
His wife,
Mehtab Kaur, and mother-inlaw, Sada Kaur.
Sher Singh and Tara Singh, the declared sons of
Mehtab Kaur, not fully recog-
nized, 1807.
Sada Kaur's vexation of .spirit
and
hostile
views, 1810.
HISTORY OF THE SIKHS
CHAP. VI
racy became paramount. She encouraged her young son-in-law to set aside the authority of his own widow mother, and at the age of seventeen the future Maharaja is not only said to have taken upon himself the management of his affairs, but to have had his mother put to death as an adultress. The support of Sada Kaur was of great use to Ranjit Singh in the beginning of his career, and the cooperation of the Kanhaya Misal mainly enabled him to master Lahore and Amritsar. Her hope seems to have been that, as the grandmother of the chosen heir of Ranjit Singh, and as a chieftainess in her own right, she would be able to exercise a commanding influence in the affairs of the Sikhs; but her daughter was childless, and Ranjit Singh himself was equally able and wary. In 1807 it was understood that Mehtab Kaur was pregnant, and it is believed that she was really delivered of a daughter; but, on Ranjit Singh's return from an expedition, he was presented with two boys as his offspring. The Maharaja doubted and perhaps he always gave credence to the report that Sher Singh was the son of a carpenter, and Tara Singh the child of a weaver, yet they continued to be brought up under the care of their reputed grandmother, as if their parentage had been admitted. But Sada Kaur perceived that she could obtain no power in the names of the children, and the disappointed woman addressed the' English authorities in 1810, and denounced her son-in-law as having usurped her rights, and as resolved on war with his new allies. Her communications received some attention, but she was unable to organize an insurrection, and she became in In 1820, Sher a manner reconciled to her position. Singh was virtually adopted by the Maharaja, with the aoparent object of finally setting aside the power of his mother-in-law. She was required to assign half of the lands of the Kanhaya chiefship for the maintenance of the youth; but she refused, and she was in consequence seized and imprisoned, and her whole :
possessions confiscated. The little estate of Whadni, to the south of the Sutlej, was however restored to her through British intervention, as has already been Kharak Singh born to Ranjit
Singh by another wife, 1802.
mentioned.^ Ranjit Singh was also betrothed, when a boy, to the daughter of Khazan Singh, a chief of the Nakkais confederacy, and by her he had a son in the year 1802, who was named Kharak Singh, and brought up as his 1 Cf. Murray, Ranjit Singh, pp. 46-51, 63, 127, 128, 134, 135. See also Sir D. Ochterlony to Government, 1st and 10th Dec. 1810, and p. 144 of this volume.
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