1 The Ranee
2 will not
3 entrust her
4 own and her
5 son’s safety to
6 the Sikhs,
7 220 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS.
8 Governor-general ; for on merit alone, did he rely
9 in his choice.
10 Notwithstanding this complete arrangement as
11 regarded the political management of Sikh affairs,
12 it was speedily seen by the Ranee that the only
13 power on which she could rely for the stability of
14 her son’s kingdom, and her own and his personal
15 safety, was the British army. The unruly Sirdars,
16 and still more unruly soldiers, might give a tacit
17 consent to the treaty which had been entered into,
18 and even promise to preserve order and rule; but
19 she knew well, from past experience, that if the
20 British troops were withdrawn, her safety and that
21 of the Lahore government would be endangered.
22 In fact, so convinced was she of this, that she
23 hesitated not to announce to the Governor-general,
24 that if he left her and her son to the mercy and
25 forbearance of the Sikhs, he had better at once
26 remove both to the left bank of the Sutlej, or
27 locate them in the Government-house in Calcutta !!
28 A little reflection was sufficient to convince the
29 Governor-general of the justice of the request on
30 the part of the Ranee; though he no doubt re-
31 gretted the necessity that existed for exposing
32 troops to the inconvenience of remaining several
33 months in Lahore, instead of returning to their
34 respective cantonments during the hot and rainy
35 seasons. There was no alternative, however; and
36 he must either annex the Punjab to the British
37 territories, which, as had been shown, he could not
38 possibly do without the risk of destroying his