1 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS. 253°
2 anticipate us in crossing the boundary line, and if
3 they ever believed that we meditated the subjuga- -
4 tion of their country, it was not a bad stroke of
5 counter-policy to resolve to effect a similar purpose
6 by annexing Hindostan to the empire of the Punjab.
7 The outbreak was not in reality, therefore, so
8 sudden as may have been supposed from the tone
9 assumed by the Sikhs and the futile attempt of .
10 their government to control them. It has been
11 said, that the cession of the Sikh states belonging
12 to the Lahore government on the left or British
13 side of the Sutlej had been demanded, and that
14 such a proposition had given dire offence. If the antegea cause
15 proposal were really made, it might have been %™™*™
16 expected, that a force capable of taking possession
17 of the states in question would have been in readi-
18 ness in case of refusal.
19 In resolving, therefore, to cross the Sutlej, the eae
20 least that the Sikhs could expect was the restora- Malwa Doab.
21 tion of their old boundary line, the Jumnah; in-
22 stead of yielding any territory to the British, they
23 were fully bent on regaining possession of all the
24 protected Sikh States on the left bank of the Sutlej,
25 as well as the small tract of country about: Feeroz--
26 pore, which had merged into our possession by the
27 death of the Sirdarnee, much to the annoyance of
28 the Lahore government.
29 The next feature in the campaign, ariely) the Desperate re-
30 sistance on the
31 desperate resistance on the part of the Sikhs, might part of the
32 have been expected. Had the Sikh army, however expected.
33 numerous its ranks may have been, met the British