Tempo:
HISTORY OF THE SIKHS
198 1838.
Ran jit Singh dissatisfied;
but finally assents.
CHAP. VII
four months the scheme was adopted, and in May of that year Sir William Macnaghten was sent to Ranjit Singh to unfold the views of the British Government.^ The Maharaja grasped at the first idea which presented itself, of making use of the Shah at the head Pf his armies, with the proclaimed support of the paramount power in India; but he disliked the complete view of the scheme, and the active co-operation of his old allies. It chafed him that he was to resign all hope of Shikarpur, and that he was to be enclosed within the iron arms of the English rule. He suddenly broke up his camp at Dinanagar, leaving the British envoys to follow at their leisure, or to return, if they pleased, to Simla; and it was not until he was told the expedition would be undertaken whether he chose to share in it or not, that he assented to a modification of his own treaty with Shah Shuja, and that the triple alliance was formed for the subversion of the power of the Barakzais.2 The English, on their part, insisted on a double invasion of Afghanistan first, because the Amirs of Sind disliked a proffered treaty of alliance or dependence, and they could conveniently be coerced as tributaries by Shah Shuja on his way to Kandahar :
The proximate cause
of the resolution to restore Shah of course, the preference' given by Dost Muhammad to a Persian and Russian over a British alliance, and the immediate object of deputing Sir W. Macnaghten to Lahore was to make Ranjit Singh as much as possible a party to the policy adopted. (See, among other letters, Government to Capt. Wade, 15th May 1838.) The deputation crossed into the Punjab at Rupar on the 20th May. It remained some time at Dinanagar, and afterwards went to Lahore. The first interview with Ranjit Singh was on the 31st May, the last on the 13th July. Sir William Macnaghten recrossed the Sutlej at Ludhiana on the 15th July, and on that and the following day he arranged with Shah Shuja in person the terms of his restoration. 1
Shuja
was,
Two months before the deputation waited upon Ranjit Singh, he had visited Jammu for apparently the first time in his life, and the same may be regarded as the last- in which the worn-out prince tasted of unalloyed happiness. Gulab Singh received his sovereign with every demonstration of loyalty, and, bowing to the Maharaja's feet, he laid before him presents worth nearly forty thousand pounds, saying he was the humblest of his slaves, and the most grateful of those on whom he had heaped favours. Ranjit Singh shed tears, but afterwards pertinently observed that, in Jammu, gold might be seen where formerly- there was naught but stones. (Major Mackeson's letter to Capt. Wade of 31st March 1838.) 2 That Ranjit Singh was told he would be left out if he did not choose to come in, does not appear on public record. It was, however, the only convincing argument used during the long discussions, and I think Major Mackeson was made the bearer of the message to that effect.
198 1838.
Ran jit Singh dissatisfied;
but finally assents.
CHAP. VII
four months the scheme was adopted, and in May of that year Sir William Macnaghten was sent to Ranjit Singh to unfold the views of the British Government.^ The Maharaja grasped at the first idea which presented itself, of making use of the Shah at the head Pf his armies, with the proclaimed support of the paramount power in India; but he disliked the complete view of the scheme, and the active co-operation of his old allies. It chafed him that he was to resign all hope of Shikarpur, and that he was to be enclosed within the iron arms of the English rule. He suddenly broke up his camp at Dinanagar, leaving the British envoys to follow at their leisure, or to return, if they pleased, to Simla; and it was not until he was told the expedition would be undertaken whether he chose to share in it or not, that he assented to a modification of his own treaty with Shah Shuja, and that the triple alliance was formed for the subversion of the power of the Barakzais.2 The English, on their part, insisted on a double invasion of Afghanistan first, because the Amirs of Sind disliked a proffered treaty of alliance or dependence, and they could conveniently be coerced as tributaries by Shah Shuja on his way to Kandahar :
The proximate cause
of the resolution to restore Shah of course, the preference' given by Dost Muhammad to a Persian and Russian over a British alliance, and the immediate object of deputing Sir W. Macnaghten to Lahore was to make Ranjit Singh as much as possible a party to the policy adopted. (See, among other letters, Government to Capt. Wade, 15th May 1838.) The deputation crossed into the Punjab at Rupar on the 20th May. It remained some time at Dinanagar, and afterwards went to Lahore. The first interview with Ranjit Singh was on the 31st May, the last on the 13th July. Sir William Macnaghten recrossed the Sutlej at Ludhiana on the 15th July, and on that and the following day he arranged with Shah Shuja in person the terms of his restoration. 1
Shuja
was,
Two months before the deputation waited upon Ranjit Singh, he had visited Jammu for apparently the first time in his life, and the same may be regarded as the last- in which the worn-out prince tasted of unalloyed happiness. Gulab Singh received his sovereign with every demonstration of loyalty, and, bowing to the Maharaja's feet, he laid before him presents worth nearly forty thousand pounds, saying he was the humblest of his slaves, and the most grateful of those on whom he had heaped favours. Ranjit Singh shed tears, but afterwards pertinently observed that, in Jammu, gold might be seen where formerly- there was naught but stones. (Major Mackeson's letter to Capt. Wade of 31st March 1838.) 2 That Ranjit Singh was told he would be left out if he did not choose to come in, does not appear on public record. It was, however, the only convincing argument used during the long discussions, and I think Major Mackeson was made the bearer of the message to that effect.
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