Tempo:
— CHAP, viii
KARAKH SINGH
203
afterwards for the removal of Col. Wade. That officer 1839. had stood high with Ran jit Singh as a liberal construer of Sikh rights, or as one who would carefully show how a collision with the English was to be avoided; he had steadily refused to make Dhian Singh the medium of his communications with the old Maharaja; he had offended '^he heir-apparent by unceremoniously accusing him of machinations with Afghan chiefs; and in the eyes of the Sikhs he was pledged to Kharak Singh at all hazards, by the prominent part he had taken in the meeting at Rupar before noticed. His presence was thus disliked, and his interference dreaded, by men not inclined to wholly yield themselves to English counsels, and yet accustomed to see the suggestions of the Governor-General regularly carried into effect by ? '
the sovereign of Lahore. The privacy of the Maharaja's household was The favourudely violated by the prince and minister at daybreak rite, chet on the 8th of October 1839, and Chet Singh was awak- f"f^' ^"^ ened from his slumbers to be put to death, within a 3^^ oct.' few paces of his terrified master.^ The removal of Col. 1339. Wade was mixed up with the passage of British troops across the Punjab, and had to be effected in another
manner.
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'
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The Governor-General had designed that the mt. cierk Anglo-Indian army which accompanied Shah Shuja JJeuttcoi should return by way of Peshawar, instead of retracing wade as its steps through the Bolan Pass; and when his lord- Agent. ship visited Ranjit Singh at Lahore, the proposition ^^^^^^p"^^was verbally conceded, although not definitively set- 1840. tied by an interchange of letters.- In September 1839, Mr. Clerk was sent on a mission of condolence and congratulation to the new Maharaja, and to finally arrange about the return of Lord Keane with the stormers of Ghazni.^ The prince and minister were each conscious 1 Gulab Singh was perhaps the most prominent and resolute actor in this tragedy although his brother and Nau Nihal Singh were both present. Col. Wade was desired to express to the Lahore Court the regret of the British Gkivernment that such a scene of violence should have occurred (Government to Col. Wade, 28th Oct. 1839); and similarly Mr. Clerk had been directed to explain to Kharak Singh the disapprobation with which the English viewed the practice of sati, with reference to what had taken place at his father's funeral. (Government to Mr. Clerk, 20th Aug. 1839.) [For a detailed account of this sati the reader is referred to Latif, History of the Punjab, pp. 492-6 Ed.]. 2 Government to Mr. Clerk, 20th Aug. 1839. ^ [Kandahar had been eniered by the English and. Shah
Shuja proclaimed Amir on May 8th. 1839. Ghazni was stormed in July. Kabul was entered in August, and ii was then arranged
KARAKH SINGH
203
afterwards for the removal of Col. Wade. That officer 1839. had stood high with Ran jit Singh as a liberal construer of Sikh rights, or as one who would carefully show how a collision with the English was to be avoided; he had steadily refused to make Dhian Singh the medium of his communications with the old Maharaja; he had offended '^he heir-apparent by unceremoniously accusing him of machinations with Afghan chiefs; and in the eyes of the Sikhs he was pledged to Kharak Singh at all hazards, by the prominent part he had taken in the meeting at Rupar before noticed. His presence was thus disliked, and his interference dreaded, by men not inclined to wholly yield themselves to English counsels, and yet accustomed to see the suggestions of the Governor-General regularly carried into effect by ? '
the sovereign of Lahore. The privacy of the Maharaja's household was The favourudely violated by the prince and minister at daybreak rite, chet on the 8th of October 1839, and Chet Singh was awak- f"f^' ^"^ ened from his slumbers to be put to death, within a 3^^ oct.' few paces of his terrified master.^ The removal of Col. 1339. Wade was mixed up with the passage of British troops across the Punjab, and had to be effected in another
manner.
!
:
:
'
'
The Governor-General had designed that the mt. cierk Anglo-Indian army which accompanied Shah Shuja JJeuttcoi should return by way of Peshawar, instead of retracing wade as its steps through the Bolan Pass; and when his lord- Agent. ship visited Ranjit Singh at Lahore, the proposition ^^^^^^p"^^was verbally conceded, although not definitively set- 1840. tied by an interchange of letters.- In September 1839, Mr. Clerk was sent on a mission of condolence and congratulation to the new Maharaja, and to finally arrange about the return of Lord Keane with the stormers of Ghazni.^ The prince and minister were each conscious 1 Gulab Singh was perhaps the most prominent and resolute actor in this tragedy although his brother and Nau Nihal Singh were both present. Col. Wade was desired to express to the Lahore Court the regret of the British Gkivernment that such a scene of violence should have occurred (Government to Col. Wade, 28th Oct. 1839); and similarly Mr. Clerk had been directed to explain to Kharak Singh the disapprobation with which the English viewed the practice of sati, with reference to what had taken place at his father's funeral. (Government to Mr. Clerk, 20th Aug. 1839.) [For a detailed account of this sati the reader is referred to Latif, History of the Punjab, pp. 492-6 Ed.]. 2 Government to Mr. Clerk, 20th Aug. 1839. ^ [Kandahar had been eniered by the English and. Shah
Shuja proclaimed Amir on May 8th. 1839. Ghazni was stormed in July. Kabul was entered in August, and ii was then arranged
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