Tempo:
— CHAP. VII
NAVIGATION OF THE INDUS
175
stream,^ and the result of Lieut. Burnes's i83i. observations convinced Lord William Bentinck of its superiority over the Ganges. There seemed also, in his Lordship's opinion, good reason to believe that the great western valley had at one time been as populous as that of the east, and it v^^as thought that the judicious exercise of the paramount influence of the British Government might remove those political obstacles which had banished commerce from the rivers of AleIt was therefore resolved, in the current xander.language of the day, to open the Indus to the navigation of the world. Before the Governor-General met Ranjit Singh, proposal he had directed Col. Pottinger to proceed to Hydera- made to the sindians bad, to negotiate with the Amirs of Sind the opening of the lower portion of the river to all boats on the g^jfj^g*^^ payment of a fixed toll; ^ and, two months afterwards, or towards the end of 1831, he wrote to the Maharaja isth Dec. that the desire he had formerly expressed to see a i83i. steamboat, was a proof of his enlightened understanding, and was likely to be gratified before long, as it was wished to draw closer the commercial relations of the two states. Capt. Wade was at the same time sent to explain, in person, the object of Col. Pottinger's mission to Sind, to propose the free navigation of the Sutlej in continuation of that of the Lower Indus, and to assure the Maharaja that, by the extension of British commerce, was not meant the extension of the British power.' But Ranjit Singh, also, had his views and his Ranjit singh's suspicions.'' In the south of the Punjab he had wrought ^'^^^ ^"^ to do so by indirect means, as long as it was necessary suspicions. among a newly conquered people. The Nawab of Bahawalpur, his manager of the country across to Dera Ghazi Khan, was less regular in his payments than he should have been, and his expulsion from the Punjab classical
•'•
Proper would be profitable, and unaccompanied with danger, if the English remained neutral. Again, Baha^
Government
to
Col.
Pottinger,
22nd
Oct.
1831,
and
Murray, Ranjit Singh, p. 153.
-Government to Col. Pottinger, 22nd Oct.
1831.
[Afterwards Sir H. E. Pottinger, Bart., first Governor of Hong Kong. Ed. ] Murray, Ranjit Singh, p. 168. "Government to Capt. Wade, 19th Dec. 1831. It is admitted that the mission, or the schemes, had a political reference to Russia and her designs, but the Governor-General would not avow his motives. (Murray, Ranjit Singh, p. 168.) Ranjit Singh's attention was mainly directed to Sind, and a rumoured matrimonial alliance between one of the Amirs, or the son of one of them, and a Persian princess, caused him some anxiety. (Capt. Wade to Government, 5th Aug. 1831.) 5
•*
'•
NAVIGATION OF THE INDUS
175
stream,^ and the result of Lieut. Burnes's i83i. observations convinced Lord William Bentinck of its superiority over the Ganges. There seemed also, in his Lordship's opinion, good reason to believe that the great western valley had at one time been as populous as that of the east, and it v^^as thought that the judicious exercise of the paramount influence of the British Government might remove those political obstacles which had banished commerce from the rivers of AleIt was therefore resolved, in the current xander.language of the day, to open the Indus to the navigation of the world. Before the Governor-General met Ranjit Singh, proposal he had directed Col. Pottinger to proceed to Hydera- made to the sindians bad, to negotiate with the Amirs of Sind the opening of the lower portion of the river to all boats on the g^jfj^g*^^ payment of a fixed toll; ^ and, two months afterwards, or towards the end of 1831, he wrote to the Maharaja isth Dec. that the desire he had formerly expressed to see a i83i. steamboat, was a proof of his enlightened understanding, and was likely to be gratified before long, as it was wished to draw closer the commercial relations of the two states. Capt. Wade was at the same time sent to explain, in person, the object of Col. Pottinger's mission to Sind, to propose the free navigation of the Sutlej in continuation of that of the Lower Indus, and to assure the Maharaja that, by the extension of British commerce, was not meant the extension of the British power.' But Ranjit Singh, also, had his views and his Ranjit singh's suspicions.'' In the south of the Punjab he had wrought ^'^^^ ^"^ to do so by indirect means, as long as it was necessary suspicions. among a newly conquered people. The Nawab of Bahawalpur, his manager of the country across to Dera Ghazi Khan, was less regular in his payments than he should have been, and his expulsion from the Punjab classical
•'•
Proper would be profitable, and unaccompanied with danger, if the English remained neutral. Again, Baha^
Government
to
Col.
Pottinger,
22nd
Oct.
1831,
and
Murray, Ranjit Singh, p. 153.
-Government to Col. Pottinger, 22nd Oct.
1831.
[Afterwards Sir H. E. Pottinger, Bart., first Governor of Hong Kong. Ed. ] Murray, Ranjit Singh, p. 168. "Government to Capt. Wade, 19th Dec. 1831. It is admitted that the mission, or the schemes, had a political reference to Russia and her designs, but the Governor-General would not avow his motives. (Murray, Ranjit Singh, p. 168.) Ranjit Singh's attention was mainly directed to Sind, and a rumoured matrimonial alliance between one of the Amirs, or the son of one of them, and a Persian princess, caused him some anxiety. (Capt. Wade to Government, 5th Aug. 1831.) 5
•*
'•
©
2026
Lehal.net