Tempo:
244 1845.
HISTORY OF THE SIKHS
chap, viii
ernor of Multan. The prince was vain and of slender capacity, but his relationship to Ranjit Singh gave him some hold upon the minds of the Sikhs. He was encouraged by Gulab Singh, then safe in the hills, and
he was assured of support by the brigade of troops which had made Jawahir Singh a prisoner, when that chief threatened to fly with the Maharaja into the British territories. Jawahir iSingh had not heeded the value to the state of the prudence of the soldiers in restraining him; he thought only of the personal indignity, and soon after his accession to power he barbarMarch 1845;
who subbut put to death Aug.-Sept. mits,
1845.
The Sikh soldiery displeased
and distrustful.
ously mutilated the commander of the offending division, by depriving him of his nose and ears. Peshawara Singh felt himself countenanced, and he endeavoured to rally a party around him at Sialkot, which he held in fief. But the Sikhs were not disposed to thus suddenly admit his pretensions; he was reduced to straits; and in the month of June he fled, and lived at large on the country, until towards the end of July, when he surprised the fort of Attock, proclaimed himself Maharaja, and entered into a correspondence with Dost Muhammad Khan. Sardar Chattar Singh of Atari was sent against the pretender, and troops were moved from Dera Ismail Khan to aid in reducing him. The prince was beleaguered in his fort, and became aware of his insignificance; he submitted on the 30th August, and was directed to be removed to Lahore, but he was secretly put to death at the instigation of Jawahir Singh, and through the instrumentality, as understood, of Fateh Khan Tiwana, who sought by rendering an important service to further ingratiate himself with that master for the time being who had restored him to favour, and who had appointed him to the management of the upper Deraj'at of the Indus.^ This last triumph was fatal to Jawahir Singh, and anger was added to the contempt in which he had always been held. He had sometimes displayed both energy and perseverance, but his vigour was the impulse of personal resentment, and it was never characterized by judgement or by superior intelligence. His original design of flying to the English had displeased the Sikhs, and rendered them suspicious of his good faith as a member of the Khalsa; and no sooner had his revenge oeen gratified by the expulsion of Hira Singh and Pandit Jalla, than he found himself the mere sport and plaything of the army, which had only united 1 Cf. Major Broadfoot to Government, 14th and 26th July and 8th and 18th Sept. 1845.
HISTORY OF THE SIKHS
chap, viii
ernor of Multan. The prince was vain and of slender capacity, but his relationship to Ranjit Singh gave him some hold upon the minds of the Sikhs. He was encouraged by Gulab Singh, then safe in the hills, and
he was assured of support by the brigade of troops which had made Jawahir Singh a prisoner, when that chief threatened to fly with the Maharaja into the British territories. Jawahir iSingh had not heeded the value to the state of the prudence of the soldiers in restraining him; he thought only of the personal indignity, and soon after his accession to power he barbarMarch 1845;
who subbut put to death Aug.-Sept. mits,
1845.
The Sikh soldiery displeased
and distrustful.
ously mutilated the commander of the offending division, by depriving him of his nose and ears. Peshawara Singh felt himself countenanced, and he endeavoured to rally a party around him at Sialkot, which he held in fief. But the Sikhs were not disposed to thus suddenly admit his pretensions; he was reduced to straits; and in the month of June he fled, and lived at large on the country, until towards the end of July, when he surprised the fort of Attock, proclaimed himself Maharaja, and entered into a correspondence with Dost Muhammad Khan. Sardar Chattar Singh of Atari was sent against the pretender, and troops were moved from Dera Ismail Khan to aid in reducing him. The prince was beleaguered in his fort, and became aware of his insignificance; he submitted on the 30th August, and was directed to be removed to Lahore, but he was secretly put to death at the instigation of Jawahir Singh, and through the instrumentality, as understood, of Fateh Khan Tiwana, who sought by rendering an important service to further ingratiate himself with that master for the time being who had restored him to favour, and who had appointed him to the management of the upper Deraj'at of the Indus.^ This last triumph was fatal to Jawahir Singh, and anger was added to the contempt in which he had always been held. He had sometimes displayed both energy and perseverance, but his vigour was the impulse of personal resentment, and it was never characterized by judgement or by superior intelligence. His original design of flying to the English had displeased the Sikhs, and rendered them suspicious of his good faith as a member of the Khalsa; and no sooner had his revenge oeen gratified by the expulsion of Hira Singh and Pandit Jalla, than he found himself the mere sport and plaything of the army, which had only united 1 Cf. Major Broadfoot to Government, 14th and 26th July and 8th and 18th Sept. 1845.
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