1 Prejudice in
2 favour of the
3 cow.
4 The bupniahs
5 shut up their
6 shops.
7 280 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS.
8 in the act of endeavouring to restore peace and
9 order.
10 The ringleaders were seized. But what did that
11 amount to? Merely to a demonstration on the
12 part of the Lahore government, that it is ready to
13 redress any insult offered to the paramount power.
14 But does any one believe that Lal Singh, while
15 thus punishing the bunniahs and other disturbers
16 of the public peace, was annoyed at the occur-
17 rence? Quite the reverse: Lal Singh, with .Tej
18 Singh, Runjoor Singh, Chuttur Singh, Bhaee Ram
19 Singh, and Nooroodeen, the worthies who signed
20 the treaties, were rejoiced at an event, which could
21 in any way degrade a British officer; for while
22 with one hand they would deal out punishment,
23 with the other they would reward the offenders
24 for the attempt to bring disgrace on British autho-
25 rity. There is a well known prejudice in favour of
26 the cow among the Sikhs, and the same prejudice
27 extends to her offspring. It appears, that an
28 artillery-man, while on sentry duty, found two of
29 the latter in his way, and pushed them aside rather
30 rudely. On this the whole bazaar of Lahore is in
31 an uproar, and the shops are shut! The latter
32 proceeding is a favourite one on the part of these
33 bazaar bunniahs, or venders of grain, to mark their
34 contempt for the public authorities. It has occurred
35 in our ownazaars. At Loodianah, an occurrence
36 of the kind took place on the occasion of a horse-
37 dealer killing a cow for the purpose of supplying
38 fend, Vile onenete § "Mh anamal coa]e-élanghtaran