1 TO THE PRESENT TIME. 4i
2 the wives and slaves of three of the murdered
3 men, burnt themselves on the occasion. Accord-
4 ing to one account, Heera Singh was betrayed by
5 his own followers; another represents that the
6 resistance was very fierce, and that upwards of
7 one thousand men fell on both sides, but this
8 must be an exaggeration. Jowahir Singh now
9 stepped into the place of the minister, but the
10 voices of the chiefs and army being in favour of
11 Lena Singh Majeetea (who was residing at Be-
12 nares), he was sent for, as well as Prince Peshora
13 Singh; the latter having a short time previously
14 taken refuge from the resentment of Heera Singh
15 at Ferozepore.
16 Prince Peshora Singh eagerly obeyed the sum-
17 mons sent him, and returned to Lahore on the
18 Ist January, 1845. He was well received by the
19 Ranee (the mother of the Maharajah) and by
20 some of the troops ; but the Sirdar Jowahir Singh,
21 no doubt looking upon him in the light of a rival,
22 succeeded very soon in persuading his sister not
23 to countenance him, on which a jageer (or estate)
24 was offered him. The Prince felt disinclined to
25 accept the offer, but as, on sounding the troops,
26 he did not find them disposed to sustain him in
27 the othce of minister, for the simple reason that
28 he could only make them promises, while the
29 Ranee’s rewards were immediate and substan-
30 tial, he returned to Seealkote. The first act of