Tempo:
HISTORY OF THE SIKHS
174 1831.
The meet ing at
Rup ar. 17tli
July
1831 31st
Oct.
1831
Ranjit Singh's anx.ety about Sind.
CHAP. VII
readily proposed a meeting, and one took place at Rupar, on the banks of the Sutlej, in the month of present of horses from the King October (1831). of England had, in the meantime, reached Lahore, by the Indus and Ravi rivers, under the escort of Lieut. Burnes, and during one of the several interviews with the Governor-General, Ranjit Singh had sought for and obtained a written assurance of perpetual friendship.' The impression went abroad that his family would be supported by the English Government, and ostensibly Ranjit Singh's objects seemed wholly, as they had been partly, gained. But his mind was not set at ease about Sind: vague accounts had reached him of some design with regard to that country; he plainly hinted his own
A
observed the Amirs had no efficient and that they could not be well disposed towards the English, as they had thrown difficulties in the way of Lieut. Burnes's progress.- But the GovernorGeneral would not divulge to his inquiring guest and schemes, and troops,
ally the tenor of propositions already on their way to the chiefs of Sind, confessedly lest the Maharaja should at once endeavour to counteract his peaceful and beneRanjit Singh may or may not have ficial intentions.'^ felt that he was distrusted, but as he was to be a party to the opening of the navigation of the Indus, and as the project had been matured, it would have better suited the character and the position of the British Government had no concealment been attempted. The scheme
The traveller Moorcroft had been impressed with
of opening
the use which might be made of the Indus as a channel of British commerce,^ and the scheme of navigating that river and its tributaries was eagerly adopted by the Indian Government, and by the advocates of material utilitarianism. One object of sending King William's presents for Ranjit Singh bv water was to ascertain, as if undesignedly, the trading value of the
the Indus to
commerce.
the Sikh chiefs were said by Ranjit Singh himself to be averse meeting with the British Governor-General. 1 Murray, Ranjit Singh, p. 166. - Murray, Ranjit Singh, p. 167. This opinion of Ranjit Singh about Sindian troops may not be pleasing to the victors of Dabo and Miani, although the Maharaja impugned not their courage, but their discipline and equipment. Shah Shuja's expedition of 1834, nevertheless, served to show the fairness of Ranjit Singh's conclusions. •Murray, Ranjit Singh, pp. 167, 168. The whole of the tenth chapter of Capt. Murray's book, which includes the meeting at Rupar, may be regarded as the composition of Mr. Prinsep, the Secretarj^ to Government, with the GovernorGeneral. 4 Moorcroft, Travels, ii. 338. to the
174 1831.
The meet ing at
Rup ar. 17tli
July
1831 31st
Oct.
1831
Ranjit Singh's anx.ety about Sind.
CHAP. VII
readily proposed a meeting, and one took place at Rupar, on the banks of the Sutlej, in the month of present of horses from the King October (1831). of England had, in the meantime, reached Lahore, by the Indus and Ravi rivers, under the escort of Lieut. Burnes, and during one of the several interviews with the Governor-General, Ranjit Singh had sought for and obtained a written assurance of perpetual friendship.' The impression went abroad that his family would be supported by the English Government, and ostensibly Ranjit Singh's objects seemed wholly, as they had been partly, gained. But his mind was not set at ease about Sind: vague accounts had reached him of some design with regard to that country; he plainly hinted his own
A
observed the Amirs had no efficient and that they could not be well disposed towards the English, as they had thrown difficulties in the way of Lieut. Burnes's progress.- But the GovernorGeneral would not divulge to his inquiring guest and schemes, and troops,
ally the tenor of propositions already on their way to the chiefs of Sind, confessedly lest the Maharaja should at once endeavour to counteract his peaceful and beneRanjit Singh may or may not have ficial intentions.'^ felt that he was distrusted, but as he was to be a party to the opening of the navigation of the Indus, and as the project had been matured, it would have better suited the character and the position of the British Government had no concealment been attempted. The scheme
The traveller Moorcroft had been impressed with
of opening
the use which might be made of the Indus as a channel of British commerce,^ and the scheme of navigating that river and its tributaries was eagerly adopted by the Indian Government, and by the advocates of material utilitarianism. One object of sending King William's presents for Ranjit Singh bv water was to ascertain, as if undesignedly, the trading value of the
the Indus to
commerce.
the Sikh chiefs were said by Ranjit Singh himself to be averse meeting with the British Governor-General. 1 Murray, Ranjit Singh, p. 166. - Murray, Ranjit Singh, p. 167. This opinion of Ranjit Singh about Sindian troops may not be pleasing to the victors of Dabo and Miani, although the Maharaja impugned not their courage, but their discipline and equipment. Shah Shuja's expedition of 1834, nevertheless, served to show the fairness of Ranjit Singh's conclusions. •Murray, Ranjit Singh, pp. 167, 168. The whole of the tenth chapter of Capt. Murray's book, which includes the meeting at Rupar, may be regarded as the composition of Mr. Prinsep, the Secretarj^ to Government, with the GovernorGeneral. 4 Moorcroft, Travels, ii. 338. to the
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