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Dreams of Sindh and the Sea
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the death of the Syed, the Barakzai chief, Dost Mohammed, who was in power at Kabul, took up the cry. He, like other members of his family, was adept in double-dealing: sometimes he acknowledged Ranjit Singh as his master 'almost like a father'; at other times he condemned him as an infidel who should be slain.
Sindh and the Punjab's Field of Cloth of Gold While the Punjabis were occupied with the jihad on their northwestern frontier, the British made their next move in Sindh and foreclosed any attempt by the Punjabis to expand in that direction. The possibility of opening up the Indus to English shipping was mooted in 1829 when Alexander Burnes attempted a reconnaissance of the river and the riparian states. His interest in the matter was, as he said, 'stimulated' by the commander-in-chief, Sir Thomas Bradford. Burnes' first expedition had to be postponed because of the suspicions of the Amirs. It was decided to send him out again under a guise which would facilitate his passage. The king of England had sent five massive dray horses to be presented to Ranjit Singh. The governor general agreed to a suggestion made by Colonel Pottinger, the agent in Sindh, that he (the governor general) should add a gift of his own. This was a large-sized coach, which, in the absence of proper roads, could be transported only by boat. The Amirs, it was felt, would not dare to obstruct the passage of these presents for fear of offending Ranjit Singh. After a few mishaps, the convoy of boats began its journey up the lndus in the month of March 1831. The boats were equipped with instruments to record data for future navigation. Burnes was also instructed to investigate the affairs of Sindh, its politics, the military strength of the Amirs, their views on opening up the river to English boats, and so on. 10 10 An official minute SC 4 of 14.10.1830 records 'The measure proposed from England of sending two dray horses by the Indus to Runjeet Sing is quite feasible as a prelext for examining the Indus to a certain extent, but it would perhaps be stiJI beuer to send, as Lt. Col. Pottinger proposes, a Jarge carriage which, from the size of the package, could
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the death of the Syed, the Barakzai chief, Dost Mohammed, who was in power at Kabul, took up the cry. He, like other members of his family, was adept in double-dealing: sometimes he acknowledged Ranjit Singh as his master 'almost like a father'; at other times he condemned him as an infidel who should be slain.
Sindh and the Punjab's Field of Cloth of Gold While the Punjabis were occupied with the jihad on their northwestern frontier, the British made their next move in Sindh and foreclosed any attempt by the Punjabis to expand in that direction. The possibility of opening up the Indus to English shipping was mooted in 1829 when Alexander Burnes attempted a reconnaissance of the river and the riparian states. His interest in the matter was, as he said, 'stimulated' by the commander-in-chief, Sir Thomas Bradford. Burnes' first expedition had to be postponed because of the suspicions of the Amirs. It was decided to send him out again under a guise which would facilitate his passage. The king of England had sent five massive dray horses to be presented to Ranjit Singh. The governor general agreed to a suggestion made by Colonel Pottinger, the agent in Sindh, that he (the governor general) should add a gift of his own. This was a large-sized coach, which, in the absence of proper roads, could be transported only by boat. The Amirs, it was felt, would not dare to obstruct the passage of these presents for fear of offending Ranjit Singh. After a few mishaps, the convoy of boats began its journey up the lndus in the month of March 1831. The boats were equipped with instruments to record data for future navigation. Burnes was also instructed to investigate the affairs of Sindh, its politics, the military strength of the Amirs, their views on opening up the river to English boats, and so on. 10 10 An official minute SC 4 of 14.10.1830 records 'The measure proposed from England of sending two dray horses by the Indus to Runjeet Sing is quite feasible as a prelext for examining the Indus to a certain extent, but it would perhaps be stiJI beuer to send, as Lt. Col. Pottinger proposes, a Jarge carriage which, from the size of the package, could
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