1 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS. 33
2 slew this promising lad. His death was regretted Bie death:
3 by all, and Dhyan Singh blamed the Scindinwalas
4 far an act of such cruelty to an unoffending boy,
5 but they knew that they could expect. little cle-
6 mency at his hand, if Dayan Singh should support
7 his claim to the throne of Lahore. Disappointed
8 in their hopes of Shere Singh, the powerful family
9 of Jummoo had determined to have a king of their
10 own making, and Dhuleep Singh was reared for
11 this purpose. His putative mother was, we be-
12 lieve, named Gulloo, and in her time made some
13 figure as a Nautch or dancing girl. Who the real
14 father of Dhuleep Singh was, is a doubtful point,
15 but it was sufficient for their purpose, that Gulloo
16 had been the wife of the Maharajah. The Sikhs,
17 and particularly Khurruk Singh and other branches
18 of his family, were very much disgusted at the
19 strong attachment shown to Gulloo by the Maha-
20 rajah, who was.then old and infirm. They used
21 every means to wean his affection from her, but
22 in vain; and in order to prevent further opposi-
23 tion to his wishes, he married her, much to
24 the disappointment of all. There seems some
25 reason to doubt, that Dhuleep Singh is a son of
26 Gulloo, and it seems more probable, that, like
27 Shere Singh and Tara Singh he was substituted for
28 political purposes by the wily Ranee and her
29 friends of Jummoo. The real lineage of Runjeet
30 Singh ceased with the death of Nonehal Singh.
31 Even Cashmeera Singh and Peshora Singh, though cashmeera
32 ; : «Singh and
33 styled princes, were in no way related to Runjeet peshora Singh.
34 ¥OL. IL. D