Tempo:
210
HISTORY OF THE SIKHS
chap, viii
regent for the expected offspring of Nau Nihal Singh; of Sher Singh as vicegerent, or as president of the council of state; and, 3rd, of Dhian Singh as wazir, or executive minister. The compromise was a mere temporary expedient, and Dhian Singh and Sher Singh soon afterwards began to absent themselves for varying periods from Lahore the one partly in the hope that the mass of business which had arisen with the English, and with which he was familiar, would show to all that his aid was essential to the government; and the other, or indeed both of them, to silently take measures for gaining over the army with promises of donatives and increased pay, so that force might be resorted to at a fitting time. But the scorn with which Sher Singh's hereditary claim was treated made the minister doubtful whether a more suitable instrurhent might not be necessary, and the English authorities were accordingly reminded of what perhaps they had never known, viz. that Rani Jindan, a favourite wife Dalip Singh's or concubine of Ranjit Singh, had borne to him a son birth and named Dalip, a few months before the conferences took pretensions made known. place about reseating Shah Shuja on the throne of Kabul.i The English The British viceroy did not acknowledge Mai remain Chand Kaur as the undoubted successor of her husneutral at band and son, or as the sovereign of the country; but the time. he treated her government as one de facto, so far as to carry on business as usual through the accredited Dost agents of either power. The Governor-General's Muhammad anxiety for the preservation of order in the Punjab Khan atwas nevertheless considerable; and it was increased by tempts the state of affairs in Afghanistan, for the attempts oC Kabul, but eventually Dost Muhammad and the resolution of meeting him surrenders with English means alone, rendered the dispatch of to the additional troops necessary, and before Kharak Singh's English. death three thousand men had reached Ferozepore on their way to Kabul.^ The progress of this strong brigade was not delayed by the contentions at Lahore; it 1840.
2ncl,
:
pursued its march without interruption, and on its arrival at Peshawar it found Dost Muhammad a prisoner instead of a victor. The ex-Amir journeyed through the Punjab escorted by a relieved brigade; and although Sher Singh was then laying siege to the 1 Cf. Mr. Clerk to Government, of dates between the 10th Nov. 1840, and 2nd Ja^. 1841, inclusive, particularly of the 11th and 24th Nov. and 11th Dec, besides those specified. It seems almost certain that the existence of the boy Dalip was not
before known to the British authorities.
- Government to Mr. Clerk, 1st and 2nd Nov. other letters to and from that functionary.
1840,
and
HISTORY OF THE SIKHS
chap, viii
regent for the expected offspring of Nau Nihal Singh; of Sher Singh as vicegerent, or as president of the council of state; and, 3rd, of Dhian Singh as wazir, or executive minister. The compromise was a mere temporary expedient, and Dhian Singh and Sher Singh soon afterwards began to absent themselves for varying periods from Lahore the one partly in the hope that the mass of business which had arisen with the English, and with which he was familiar, would show to all that his aid was essential to the government; and the other, or indeed both of them, to silently take measures for gaining over the army with promises of donatives and increased pay, so that force might be resorted to at a fitting time. But the scorn with which Sher Singh's hereditary claim was treated made the minister doubtful whether a more suitable instrurhent might not be necessary, and the English authorities were accordingly reminded of what perhaps they had never known, viz. that Rani Jindan, a favourite wife Dalip Singh's or concubine of Ranjit Singh, had borne to him a son birth and named Dalip, a few months before the conferences took pretensions made known. place about reseating Shah Shuja on the throne of Kabul.i The English The British viceroy did not acknowledge Mai remain Chand Kaur as the undoubted successor of her husneutral at band and son, or as the sovereign of the country; but the time. he treated her government as one de facto, so far as to carry on business as usual through the accredited Dost agents of either power. The Governor-General's Muhammad anxiety for the preservation of order in the Punjab Khan atwas nevertheless considerable; and it was increased by tempts the state of affairs in Afghanistan, for the attempts oC Kabul, but eventually Dost Muhammad and the resolution of meeting him surrenders with English means alone, rendered the dispatch of to the additional troops necessary, and before Kharak Singh's English. death three thousand men had reached Ferozepore on their way to Kabul.^ The progress of this strong brigade was not delayed by the contentions at Lahore; it 1840.
2ncl,
:
pursued its march without interruption, and on its arrival at Peshawar it found Dost Muhammad a prisoner instead of a victor. The ex-Amir journeyed through the Punjab escorted by a relieved brigade; and although Sher Singh was then laying siege to the 1 Cf. Mr. Clerk to Government, of dates between the 10th Nov. 1840, and 2nd Ja^. 1841, inclusive, particularly of the 11th and 24th Nov. and 11th Dec, besides those specified. It seems almost certain that the existence of the boy Dalip was not
before known to the British authorities.
- Government to Mr. Clerk, 1st and 2nd Nov. other letters to and from that functionary.
1840,
and
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