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Punjab Monarchy and Imperialism
a disciple of the fanatic Syed Ahmed, had been active in the town), it hesitated to take a step which might involve it in a conflict with the English. The hesitation proved fatal to the Punjab's ambitions in the south. The English made capital of the Durbar's neIVousness. The secretary to the governor general wrote: 'The government of India is bound by the strongest consideration of political interest to prevent the extension of the Sikh power along the whole course of the Indus. •b Wade was sent to Lahore to persuade the Durbar to give up its campaign in Sindb. He was instructed to use every means in his power 'shon of actual menace to keep His Highness at Lahore and to prevent the further advance of his army. ' 6 If the Durbar claimed that the expedition was punitive, it was to be told that the Amirs had formally placed themselves under British protection. The Durbar tried to outmanoeuvre the English. It entered into an agreement with Shah Shaja, undenaking to help him in yet another bid to recover his kingdom in return for the renunciation of his claim on Peshawar (which was already in Punjabi hands) and Shikarpur (which was not). The Durbar faced the English with a threefold argument. It had to punish the people who had instigated the Mazaris; Shaja, who had a valid title to Shikarpur, had passed it on to the Durbar; and by the treaty of 1809 the British had solemnly sworn not to interfere in the affairs of territories west of the Sutlej. The English agreed that the Puajabis had been wronged by the Mazaris, but refused to recognize their right to take Shikarpur, either as a prize or by virtue of an agreement with Shah Shuja. And as for the treaty of 1809, they replied ingeniously that the territories in question were not west of the Sutlej, but west of the Sutlej and the Indus, which was not the same thing. The Durbar was indignant. The ministers exhorted the Maharajah to make a finn stand, and if necessary go to war. They argued that a nation which had so often violated its solemn 5 The Lahore Durbar, p 141. 6 The I.,u.Jwrr Durbar, p. 140.
Punjab Monarchy and Imperialism
a disciple of the fanatic Syed Ahmed, had been active in the town), it hesitated to take a step which might involve it in a conflict with the English. The hesitation proved fatal to the Punjab's ambitions in the south. The English made capital of the Durbar's neIVousness. The secretary to the governor general wrote: 'The government of India is bound by the strongest consideration of political interest to prevent the extension of the Sikh power along the whole course of the Indus. •b Wade was sent to Lahore to persuade the Durbar to give up its campaign in Sindb. He was instructed to use every means in his power 'shon of actual menace to keep His Highness at Lahore and to prevent the further advance of his army. ' 6 If the Durbar claimed that the expedition was punitive, it was to be told that the Amirs had formally placed themselves under British protection. The Durbar tried to outmanoeuvre the English. It entered into an agreement with Shah Shaja, undenaking to help him in yet another bid to recover his kingdom in return for the renunciation of his claim on Peshawar (which was already in Punjabi hands) and Shikarpur (which was not). The Durbar faced the English with a threefold argument. It had to punish the people who had instigated the Mazaris; Shaja, who had a valid title to Shikarpur, had passed it on to the Durbar; and by the treaty of 1809 the British had solemnly sworn not to interfere in the affairs of territories west of the Sutlej. The English agreed that the Puajabis had been wronged by the Mazaris, but refused to recognize their right to take Shikarpur, either as a prize or by virtue of an agreement with Shah Shuja. And as for the treaty of 1809, they replied ingeniously that the territories in question were not west of the Sutlej, but west of the Sutlej and the Indus, which was not the same thing. The Durbar was indignant. The ministers exhorted the Maharajah to make a finn stand, and if necessary go to war. They argued that a nation which had so often violated its solemn 5 The Lahore Durbar, p 141. 6 The I.,u.Jwrr Durbar, p. 140.
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