Tempo:
HISTORY OF THE SIKHS
176 1831-2.
He
repels
the ::aud-
putras from the Loxwer
Punjab, 1831.
and declares his
superior
right to
Shikarpur.
Ranjit
Singh yields to the English
demands, 1832.
CHAP. VII
wal Khan was virtually a chief protected by the British Government on the left bank of the Sutlej, and Lieut. Burnes was on his way up the Indus. The Maharaja, ever mistrustful, conceived that the politcial status of that officer's observation would be referred to and upheld by his Government as the true and permanent one,^ and hence the envoy found affairs in process of change when he left the main stream of the Indus, and previous to the interview at Rupar, General Ventura had dispossessed Bahawal Khan both of his Lahore farms and of his ancestral territories on the right bank of the Sutlej.- Further, Shikarpur formed no part of the Sind of the Kalhoras or Talpurs; it had only fallen to the latter usurpers after the death of Muhammad Azim Khan, the wazir of the titular king, Shah Ayub, and it continued to be held jointly by the three families of Khairpur, Mirpur, and Hyderabad, Ranjit Singh considered as a fortuitous possession. that he, as the paramount of the Barakzais of the Indus, had a better right to the district than the Amirs of south-eastern Sind, and he was bent upon annexing it to his dominions.^
Such was Ranjit Singh's temper of mind when visited by Capt. Wade to negotiate the opening of the Sutlej to British traders. The Maharaja avowed himself well pleased, but he had hoped that the English were about to force their way through Sind; he asked how many regiments Col. Pottinger had with him, and he urged his readiness to march and coerce the Amirs.'* It was further ascertained that he had made propositions to Mir Ali Murad of Mirpur, to farm Dera Ghazi Khan, as if to sow dissensions among the Talpurs, and to gain friends for Lahore, while Col. Pottinger was winning allies for the English.-"^ But he perceived that the Governor-General had resolved upon his course, and he gave his assent to the common use of the Sutlej and Indus, and to the residence of a British officer at Mithankot to superintend the navigation;^ He did not 1 This view appears to have subsequently occurred to Capt. Wade as having influenced the Maharaja. See his letter, to Government, 18th Oct. 1836.
Wade to Government, 5th Nov. 1831. argument was continually used by Ranjit Singh. See, for instance. Capt. Wade to Government, 15th Jan. 1837. 4 Capt. Wade to Government, 1st and 13th Feb. 1832. ^Capt. Wade to Government, 21st Dec. 1831; and Col. Pottinger to Government, 23rd Sept. 1837. cSee Appendices XXVIII and XXIX. A tariff on goods was at first talked of. bj;t subsequently a toll on boats was preferred. From the Himalayas to tb'^ sea the whole toll was 2 Capt. 3 This
176 1831-2.
He
repels
the ::aud-
putras from the Loxwer
Punjab, 1831.
and declares his
superior
right to
Shikarpur.
Ranjit
Singh yields to the English
demands, 1832.
CHAP. VII
wal Khan was virtually a chief protected by the British Government on the left bank of the Sutlej, and Lieut. Burnes was on his way up the Indus. The Maharaja, ever mistrustful, conceived that the politcial status of that officer's observation would be referred to and upheld by his Government as the true and permanent one,^ and hence the envoy found affairs in process of change when he left the main stream of the Indus, and previous to the interview at Rupar, General Ventura had dispossessed Bahawal Khan both of his Lahore farms and of his ancestral territories on the right bank of the Sutlej.- Further, Shikarpur formed no part of the Sind of the Kalhoras or Talpurs; it had only fallen to the latter usurpers after the death of Muhammad Azim Khan, the wazir of the titular king, Shah Ayub, and it continued to be held jointly by the three families of Khairpur, Mirpur, and Hyderabad, Ranjit Singh considered as a fortuitous possession. that he, as the paramount of the Barakzais of the Indus, had a better right to the district than the Amirs of south-eastern Sind, and he was bent upon annexing it to his dominions.^
Such was Ranjit Singh's temper of mind when visited by Capt. Wade to negotiate the opening of the Sutlej to British traders. The Maharaja avowed himself well pleased, but he had hoped that the English were about to force their way through Sind; he asked how many regiments Col. Pottinger had with him, and he urged his readiness to march and coerce the Amirs.'* It was further ascertained that he had made propositions to Mir Ali Murad of Mirpur, to farm Dera Ghazi Khan, as if to sow dissensions among the Talpurs, and to gain friends for Lahore, while Col. Pottinger was winning allies for the English.-"^ But he perceived that the Governor-General had resolved upon his course, and he gave his assent to the common use of the Sutlej and Indus, and to the residence of a British officer at Mithankot to superintend the navigation;^ He did not 1 This view appears to have subsequently occurred to Capt. Wade as having influenced the Maharaja. See his letter, to Government, 18th Oct. 1836.
Wade to Government, 5th Nov. 1831. argument was continually used by Ranjit Singh. See, for instance. Capt. Wade to Government, 15th Jan. 1837. 4 Capt. Wade to Government, 1st and 13th Feb. 1832. ^Capt. Wade to Government, 21st Dec. 1831; and Col. Pottinger to Government, 23rd Sept. 1837. cSee Appendices XXVIII and XXIX. A tariff on goods was at first talked of. bj;t subsequently a toll on boats was preferred. From the Himalayas to tb'^ sea the whole toll was 2 Capt. 3 This
©
2026
Lehal.net