1 THE DALIWALIA MISL. 321
2 the Governor-General, Lord Lawrence, addressed the raja, in Hindostani,
3 to the following effect :—
4 -“Raja Randhir Singh, Raja of Kapurthalla,—it is with much satisfaction
5 that I find myself empowered by Her Most Gracious Majesty, the Queen of
6 England, to confer on you so great a mark of her favour as that of the Star
7 of India. This honour has only been granted to those princes and chiefs
8 who unite high rank with great personal merit. It rejoices me to instal
9 you among the chosen number.
10 “Your grandfather, Sardar Fatteh Singh, was a chief of considerable re-
11 nown, He was the well-known leader of the Ahluwalia confederacy, and the
12 companion-in-arms of the great Mahardjd4 Ranjit Singh. Your father, Raja
13 Nehal Singh, was an old friend of mine, when you were yet a youth.
14 When he passed away, your highness succeeded to his duties and responsi-
15 bilities and have worthily discharged them. When the Mutiny of 1857
16 broke out, you were one of the foremost chiefs of this country to do your
17 duty, and ranged yourself on the side of the British Government. After
18 the fall of Delhi your highness headed your troops, conducting them to
19 Oudh, and there assisted in recovering that province. For these services
20 you received, at the time, much praise and liberal rewards; and now, to
21 crown all, you are about to obtain a most signal mark of honour from Her
22 Majesty the Queen of England and India. In the name, then, of the
23 Queen and by Her Majesty’s commands, I now invest you with the honour-
24 able insignia of the Star of India, of which most exalted order Her Majesty
25 has been most graciously pleased to appoint you to be a knight. I have
26 addressed you in Hindostani, in order that the princes and chiefs now
27 present may, the more readily, participate in this ceremony, and that your
28 relatives and friends may be more highly gratified ; otherwise I should have
29 spoken in English, for I know that you thoroughly understand my language.
30 This circumstance, no doubt, has operated as a bond of union between
31 your highness and my countrymen.”
32 The raj was_a good English scholar, and had long been desirous of
33 paying a visit to England. He accordingly left for England in March 1870,
34 but died at Aden on the 2nd of April, from an affection of the liver,
35 which had much impaired his health. His body was conveyed to Bombay,
36 and there received by his son, Kharak Singh. The cremation ceremonies
37 were performed at Nasik, the sacred city of the Hindus, and his ashes were
38 conveyed to Hardudr. Raja Randhir Singh was succeeded by his son,
39 Kharak Singh, who died a premature death, leaving a minor son.*
40 ' 6.-THE DALIWALIA MIS.
41 This misl was so denominated from the village Daliwal, near Dera
42 Baba Nanak, on the Ravi, east of Lahore, where the original founder,
43 Goldba, a Chhatri, resided. Having been initiated into the Péhal of the Guru,
44 and having changed his name from Goldba to Goldb Singh, he became,
45 like the rest, a robber, and the immense riches which he collected, enabled
46 him to maintain-a large body of cavalry with which he scoured the country
47 in search of plunder. In his acts of depredation he was joined by a
48 shepherd named Tara Singh, who received the nickname Gheba, from the
49 ingenious manner in which he conveyed his flocks across the mountain
50 glens. -He became Goldéb Singh’s chief associate, and, on his death, succeed-
51 ed him to the sardari of the mits. He joined the Bhangis in_their
52 expedition into Kastir and amassed a great{ fortune by the plunder of
53 * This prince, having attained his majority, is now the ruling sovereign of Kapurthalla.
54 + According to Rai Kanhia Lal, he acquired ornaments ort four lakhs of rupees, besides
55 cash and other valuable property.
56 21
57 The speech of Lord
58 Lawrence.
59 Death of Raja
60 Randhir Singh, 1870.
61 R4j4é Kharak Singh
62 succeeds.
63 His death.
64 One GolAba, a Chhatri,
65 founds the misl.
66 Tara Singh his asso-
67 ciate in his exploits.
68 He succeeds Golaba.
69 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com