Tempo:
CHAP. VII
LORD WILLIAM BENTINCK
173
invited, by the Baiza Bai of Gwalior, to honour the i83i. nuptials of the young Sindhia with his presence.^ The The Baiza English were at the same time not without a suspicion Bai of that he had opened a correspondence with Russia,- and Gwaiior.
they were themselves about to flatter him as one The rusnecessary to the fulfilment of their expanding views sians and
'nghsh.
and profitable commerce. In the beginning of 1831, Lord William Bentinck, Lord Ben^^^ the Governor-General of India, arrived at Simla, and ^"^'^^^ a Sikh deputation waited upon his Lordship to convey Ge^er^^at to him Ranjit Singh's complimentary wishes for his simia, own welfare and the prosperity of his Government. The issi. *'^*^
of just influence
increasing warmth of the season prevented the dispatch of a formal return mission, but Capt. Wade, the political agent at Ludhiana, was made the bearer of a letter to the Maharaja, thanking him for his attention. The principal duty of the agent was, however, to ascertain whether Ranjit Singh wished, and would propose, to have an interview with Lord William Bentinck, for it was a matter in which it was thought the English Viceroy could not take the initiative.^ The object of a meeting the Governor-General was mainly to give the world ^'^°^°1^'^ an impression of complete unanimity between the two J^l singh," states; but the Maharaja wished to strengthen his own and desired authority, and to lead the Sikh public to believe his by both dynasty was acknowledged as the proper head of the parties for 'Khalsa', by the predominant English rulers. The able ^^f^Jf"* reasons. chief, Hari Singh, was one of those most averse to the recognition of the right of the Prince Kharak Singh, and the heir apparent himself would seem to have been aware of the feelings of the Sikh people, for he had the year before opened a correspondence with the Governor of Bombay, as if to derive hope from the vague lerms of a complimentary reply.* Ranjit Singh thus 1 Capt. Wade to Resident at Delhi, 7th April 1830. The Maharaja declined the invitation, saying Sindhia was not at Lahore when his son was married. 2 Capt. Wade to Resident at Delhi, 24th August 1830. 3 Government to Capt. Wade, 28th April 1831, and Murray,
Ranjit Singh, p. 162. * With regard to this interchange of letters, see the Persian Secretary to the Political Secretary at Bombay, 6th July 1830. That Ranjit Singh was jealous, personally, of Hari Singh, or that the servant would have proved a traitor to the living master, is not probable but Hari Singh was a zealous Sikh and an ambitious man, and Kharak Singh was always full of doubts and apprehensions with respect to his succession and even his safety. Ranjit Singh's anxiety with regard to the meeting at Rupar, exaggerated, perhaps, by Mr. Allard, may be learnt from Mr. Prinsep's account in Murray, Ranjit Singh, p. 162. Col. Wade has informed the author that the whole of :
LORD WILLIAM BENTINCK
173
invited, by the Baiza Bai of Gwalior, to honour the i83i. nuptials of the young Sindhia with his presence.^ The The Baiza English were at the same time not without a suspicion Bai of that he had opened a correspondence with Russia,- and Gwaiior.
they were themselves about to flatter him as one The rusnecessary to the fulfilment of their expanding views sians and
'nghsh.
and profitable commerce. In the beginning of 1831, Lord William Bentinck, Lord Ben^^^ the Governor-General of India, arrived at Simla, and ^"^'^^^ a Sikh deputation waited upon his Lordship to convey Ge^er^^at to him Ranjit Singh's complimentary wishes for his simia, own welfare and the prosperity of his Government. The issi. *'^*^
of just influence
increasing warmth of the season prevented the dispatch of a formal return mission, but Capt. Wade, the political agent at Ludhiana, was made the bearer of a letter to the Maharaja, thanking him for his attention. The principal duty of the agent was, however, to ascertain whether Ranjit Singh wished, and would propose, to have an interview with Lord William Bentinck, for it was a matter in which it was thought the English Viceroy could not take the initiative.^ The object of a meeting the Governor-General was mainly to give the world ^'^°^°1^'^ an impression of complete unanimity between the two J^l singh," states; but the Maharaja wished to strengthen his own and desired authority, and to lead the Sikh public to believe his by both dynasty was acknowledged as the proper head of the parties for 'Khalsa', by the predominant English rulers. The able ^^f^Jf"* reasons. chief, Hari Singh, was one of those most averse to the recognition of the right of the Prince Kharak Singh, and the heir apparent himself would seem to have been aware of the feelings of the Sikh people, for he had the year before opened a correspondence with the Governor of Bombay, as if to derive hope from the vague lerms of a complimentary reply.* Ranjit Singh thus 1 Capt. Wade to Resident at Delhi, 7th April 1830. The Maharaja declined the invitation, saying Sindhia was not at Lahore when his son was married. 2 Capt. Wade to Resident at Delhi, 24th August 1830. 3 Government to Capt. Wade, 28th April 1831, and Murray,
Ranjit Singh, p. 162. * With regard to this interchange of letters, see the Persian Secretary to the Political Secretary at Bombay, 6th July 1830. That Ranjit Singh was jealous, personally, of Hari Singh, or that the servant would have proved a traitor to the living master, is not probable but Hari Singh was a zealous Sikh and an ambitious man, and Kharak Singh was always full of doubts and apprehensions with respect to his succession and even his safety. Ranjit Singh's anxiety with regard to the meeting at Rupar, exaggerated, perhaps, by Mr. Allard, may be learnt from Mr. Prinsep's account in Murray, Ranjit Singh, p. 162. Col. Wade has informed the author that the whole of :
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