1 Emycet’s
2 reasons for
3 wishing it*
4 208 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS.
5 that of the British ; but he could not he persuaded
6 to give up his views regarding Peshawur,which he
7 considered an integral part of the Affghan king¬
8 dom. In 1836, our intercourse with Dost Mohum-
9 mud was viewed with a jealous eye by the Maha¬
10 rajah, and when Captain Wade visited Lahore at
11 the end of that year, it was surmised that he was
12 about to proceed to Cabul, and the question was
13 even put to the author of this work by Runjecit
14 Singh, as to whether this was not the real motive
15 which induced the political agent to visit the Puri-
16 jab 1 At this period, an idea was entertained by the
17 British authorities, that the possession of Afghan¬
18 istan would open a wide field for traffic, while the
19 restoration of Shah Soojah was scarcely contem¬
20 plated as a measure in any way likely to forward
21 such an object. The chief motive for Captain
22 Wade’s visit to Lahore at the period alluded to,
23 was to induce the Maharajah to withdraw his
24 troops from the vicinity of Shikarpore, or, in other
25 words, renounce the conquest of Scinde; and
26 before this object was eventually obtained, the
27 Maharajah secured, what he considered of equal
28 importance, the safety of Peshawur by an arrange¬
29 ment whereby he should have to deal with .Shall
30 Sobjah instead of the Ameer Dost Mohummud,
31 who had already beaten his troops at J umrood.
32 Though Runjeet Singh had contented himself
33 with the capture and possession of Peshawur, tie
34 may have contemplated at one time the extension
35 of his victories beyond the Khyber Pass; but later