1 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS. 41
2 While these hostile proceedings were being Gootabsingt’s
3 enacted at Lahore, Goolab Singh demanded the “** Py
4 reason of the Sikh government breaking treaty
5 with the British ; and enquired, whether the latter
6 had given any cause of offence? To these ques-
7 tions, no satisfactory reply was returned, for none
8 could be given, since the British had behaved,
9 hitherto, with the utmost forbearance. Goolab
10 Singh knew well that the Sikhs would fail in their
11 endeavours to fight against the British ; but he was
12 not in a position to oppose the Sikh army himself,
13 and had he evinced any hostile disposition towards
14 it, their army might be turned against himself at a
15 time when he was unable to oppose the combined
16 force of the Sikhs. He therefore « made a virtue
17 of necessity,” and instead of opposing their views,
18 he actually ‘promised his support and agreed to
19 send supplies to Lahore, nay, more, he even con-
20 sented to join the Khulsa troops! This conduct
21 on the part of the Rajah completely deceived the
22 Sikhs, who, though unwilling to await his arrival,
23 firmly believed that they might rely on his support
24 and presence.
25 But had Goolab Singh believed that the Khulsa
26 troops could be successful over the British, he
27 determined to await the result of the struggle,
28 knowing well, that, whatever result followed, his
29 position was a safe one. If, as he really thought,
30 the Sikh army would be destroyed by their power-
31 ful opponent, ghen, he could safely step in as a
32 mediator between the Britich and the @bL. 2.3