Tempo:
212
HISTORY OF THE SIKHS
CHAP. VIII
in vain urged some delay, or a suspension of hostilities; but on the 18th January Dhian Singh and most of the principal chiefs had arrived and ranged themselves on Chand Kaur one side or the other. A compromise took place; the yields, and Mai was outwardly treated with every honour, and Sher Singh large estates were conferred upon her; but Sher Singh proclaimed was proclaimed Maharaja of the Punjab, Dhian Singh Maharaja. was declared once more to be wazir of the state, and the pay of the soldiery was permanently raised by one The Sindrupee per mensem. The Sindhianwalas felt that they hianwala must be obnoxious to the new ruler; and Atar Singh family. and Ajit Singh took early measures to effect their escape from the capital, and eventually into the British territories; but Lehna Singh, the other principal member, remained with the division of the army which he commanded in the hills of Kulu and Mandi.^ Sher Singh had induced the troops of the state to The armymake him a king, but he was unable to command them becomes uncontrolas soldiers, or to sway them as men, and they took lable. advantage of his incapacity and of their own strength to wreak their vengeance upon various officers who had offended them, and upon various regimental accountants and muster-masters who may have defrauded them of their pay. Some houses were plundered, and several individuals were seized and slain. A few Europeans had likewise rendered themselves obnoxious; and General Court, a moderate and high-minded man, had to fly for his life, and a brave young Englishman named Foulkes was cruelly put to death. Nor was this spirit of violence confined .to the troops at the capital, or to those in the eastern hills, but it spread to Kashmir and Peshawar; and in the former place Mian Singh, the governor, was killed by the soldiery; and in the latter, General Avitabile was so hard pressed that he was ready to abandon his post and to seek safety in Jalalabad.- It was believed at the time, that the army would not rest satisfied with avenging what it considered its own injuries; it was thought it might proceed to a general plunder or confiscation of property; the population of either side of the Sutlej was prepared for an extensive commotion, and the wealthy merchants of Amritsar prophesied the pillage of their warehouses, and were claniorous for British protection. Sher Singh Sher Singh alarmed. shrank within himself appalled, and he seemed timorously to resort to the English agent for support against 1841.
1
See Mr. Clerk's letters, of dates from 17th
to 30th Jan.
1841.
2Cf. Mr. Clerk to Government, 26th Jan., 8th and 14th, Feb., 28th April, and 30th May 1841.
HISTORY OF THE SIKHS
CHAP. VIII
in vain urged some delay, or a suspension of hostilities; but on the 18th January Dhian Singh and most of the principal chiefs had arrived and ranged themselves on Chand Kaur one side or the other. A compromise took place; the yields, and Mai was outwardly treated with every honour, and Sher Singh large estates were conferred upon her; but Sher Singh proclaimed was proclaimed Maharaja of the Punjab, Dhian Singh Maharaja. was declared once more to be wazir of the state, and the pay of the soldiery was permanently raised by one The Sindrupee per mensem. The Sindhianwalas felt that they hianwala must be obnoxious to the new ruler; and Atar Singh family. and Ajit Singh took early measures to effect their escape from the capital, and eventually into the British territories; but Lehna Singh, the other principal member, remained with the division of the army which he commanded in the hills of Kulu and Mandi.^ Sher Singh had induced the troops of the state to The armymake him a king, but he was unable to command them becomes uncontrolas soldiers, or to sway them as men, and they took lable. advantage of his incapacity and of their own strength to wreak their vengeance upon various officers who had offended them, and upon various regimental accountants and muster-masters who may have defrauded them of their pay. Some houses were plundered, and several individuals were seized and slain. A few Europeans had likewise rendered themselves obnoxious; and General Court, a moderate and high-minded man, had to fly for his life, and a brave young Englishman named Foulkes was cruelly put to death. Nor was this spirit of violence confined .to the troops at the capital, or to those in the eastern hills, but it spread to Kashmir and Peshawar; and in the former place Mian Singh, the governor, was killed by the soldiery; and in the latter, General Avitabile was so hard pressed that he was ready to abandon his post and to seek safety in Jalalabad.- It was believed at the time, that the army would not rest satisfied with avenging what it considered its own injuries; it was thought it might proceed to a general plunder or confiscation of property; the population of either side of the Sutlej was prepared for an extensive commotion, and the wealthy merchants of Amritsar prophesied the pillage of their warehouses, and were claniorous for British protection. Sher Singh Sher Singh alarmed. shrank within himself appalled, and he seemed timorously to resort to the English agent for support against 1841.
1
See Mr. Clerk's letters, of dates from 17th
to 30th Jan.
1841.
2Cf. Mr. Clerk to Government, 26th Jan., 8th and 14th, Feb., 28th April, and 30th May 1841.
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