Tempo:
236
Punjab Monarchy and Imperialism
in and stated that the companions of Huzrat Sbuja-ul-Mulk had written some letters of their own accord and under their own seal to Sardar Fateh Khan Wazir; that as the messenger carrying those letters had been brought to him as a captive, therefore, be submitted those letters to the Noble Sarkar [Ranjit Singh]. It was written in them that the Noble Sarkar was all alone at that time in Lahore, that he had no troops with him, that if be [the Wazir] would send bis troops it would not be difficult to capture Lahore....' Ranjit Singh was not a man of quick temper but, once his wrath was aroused, his moods could be very black indeed. He asked for an explanation from Shuja and, when he was convinced that the Shah was lying, H had the men concerned arrested and 14 Shuja himself wrote to Ochterlooy admitting his complicity in the plan to betray his host by inviting bis erstwhile enemy Wazir Fat.eh Khan to invade che Punjab. The letter (PC 12 of 12.11.1813) ran as follows: 'Two montJ:is ago Mahmud Hussain Khan arrived here from my brother Mahmud with the intention of proceeding to you. When he arrived at Lahore, you will have heard the secrets were discovered by the interception of letters and Mahmud Hussain Khan in consequence put in confinement, where he remained about two months.· Mohammed Amir was sent to Ochterlony with a letter which read: 'As we worship the same God, it is our duty jointly to extirpate the tribe of infidels who are so many in the garden of Runjeet. As soon as the flame of war shall have been lit and troops under Wazir Fateh Khan put in motion against that quarter. God willing, we shall soon put them in confusion and disorder and then divide the Punjab between us.' The plan apparently was that, while the Lahore troops were busy against Wazir Fateh Khan, his brother Asim Khan, the governor of Kashmir, should invade the Puajab and sect1e the business of infidels in this city. On her anival at Ludhiana. Wafa Begam bad written several letters to the governor general detailing the circumstances in which she came to Lahore and pleading for intercession for her husband's release. In the first (Vol. 58A, Persian Letters, December 1814) she wrote: 'We had no treaty subsisting with Ranjeet Singh but when we took refuge in his domains, he procured the delivery of the King from the sons of Mukhtar-ul-Dowlah (i.e., Wazir Fateh Khan].' Neither in this nor in the second, where she complained of 1he seizure of her agent Balak Ram and her property, did she make any reference LO Raajit having wrongly ta.ken the Kob-i-noor. And in the 1hird she openly admitted the fact that her husband bad been plotting Ranjit's downfall while his guest in Lahore: 'His Majesty wished to meet
Punjab Monarchy and Imperialism
in and stated that the companions of Huzrat Sbuja-ul-Mulk had written some letters of their own accord and under their own seal to Sardar Fateh Khan Wazir; that as the messenger carrying those letters had been brought to him as a captive, therefore, be submitted those letters to the Noble Sarkar [Ranjit Singh]. It was written in them that the Noble Sarkar was all alone at that time in Lahore, that he had no troops with him, that if be [the Wazir] would send bis troops it would not be difficult to capture Lahore....' Ranjit Singh was not a man of quick temper but, once his wrath was aroused, his moods could be very black indeed. He asked for an explanation from Shuja and, when he was convinced that the Shah was lying, H had the men concerned arrested and 14 Shuja himself wrote to Ochterlooy admitting his complicity in the plan to betray his host by inviting bis erstwhile enemy Wazir Fat.eh Khan to invade che Punjab. The letter (PC 12 of 12.11.1813) ran as follows: 'Two montJ:is ago Mahmud Hussain Khan arrived here from my brother Mahmud with the intention of proceeding to you. When he arrived at Lahore, you will have heard the secrets were discovered by the interception of letters and Mahmud Hussain Khan in consequence put in confinement, where he remained about two months.· Mohammed Amir was sent to Ochterlony with a letter which read: 'As we worship the same God, it is our duty jointly to extirpate the tribe of infidels who are so many in the garden of Runjeet. As soon as the flame of war shall have been lit and troops under Wazir Fateh Khan put in motion against that quarter. God willing, we shall soon put them in confusion and disorder and then divide the Punjab between us.' The plan apparently was that, while the Lahore troops were busy against Wazir Fateh Khan, his brother Asim Khan, the governor of Kashmir, should invade the Puajab and sect1e the business of infidels in this city. On her anival at Ludhiana. Wafa Begam bad written several letters to the governor general detailing the circumstances in which she came to Lahore and pleading for intercession for her husband's release. In the first (Vol. 58A, Persian Letters, December 1814) she wrote: 'We had no treaty subsisting with Ranjeet Singh but when we took refuge in his domains, he procured the delivery of the King from the sons of Mukhtar-ul-Dowlah (i.e., Wazir Fateh Khan].' Neither in this nor in the second, where she complained of 1he seizure of her agent Balak Ram and her property, did she make any reference LO Raajit having wrongly ta.ken the Kob-i-noor. And in the 1hird she openly admitted the fact that her husband bad been plotting Ranjit's downfall while his guest in Lahore: 'His Majesty wished to meet
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