1 The British envoy
2 leaves Amritsar,
3 What the British
4 Government desired
5 from the Cis-Sutlej
6 chiefs in return for the
7 protection extended to
8 them.
9 The relations of the
10 chiefs among them-
11 selves how regulated,
12 380 HISTORY OF THE PANJAB,
13 north-west ‘and south-west of his newly acquired dominions in the Panjab
14 roper, ‘ 2 thy Meee ate = F ‘
15 ; The treaty being concluded, the British envoy left Amritsar on Ist May,
16 1809. British officers on the frontier were warned to. watch the proceedings
17 of the Léhore ruler, and to see that the terms.of the treaty were hot in-
18 fringed. It is, however, to the credit of Ranjit Singh that he observed his
19 treaty with the British with fidelity until his dying day. This was due
20 mainly to the shrewd monarch’s well knowing the strength of the British
21 Government, and his personal conviction that that Power was sincere in its
22 professions of friendship and amity, and really desired to see him powerful
23 and prosperous, for the extinction of his sway would unmistakeably have
24 been followed by those convulsions, bloodshed and anarchy (on the. borders
25 of the British possessions) which had. long continued a source of disgrace and
26 misery, and a repetition of ‘which would have ruined the Mahardjd’s Govern-
27 ment. : ” he eg aoe
28 It would appear that the advance.ofColonel: Ochterlony in the direction
29 of the Sutlej was in strict conformity withthe solicitations earnestly made
30 by the chiefs of the Cis-Sutlej States. : The British Government, in-return for
31 this trouble, desired nothing more from the protected chiefs than the sta-
32 bility and duration of their power and internal peace and harmony. No
33 tribute was demanded and no.kind of contribution asked for to defray the
34 enormous charges incurred in conducting the negotiations with the Lahore
35 ruler, The relations between these chiefs and the paramount power under
36 whose protection they had now come, were defined:in a'separate treaty called
37 Iitilanémd,* executed on the 6th May, 1809, and duly promulgated to all the
38 chiefs concerned, who felt very grateful to the British Government for the
39 successful issue of their prayer, and’ vied with each other in’ showing their
40 deep sense of obligation to their patrons and protectors. Among themselves,
41 however, the relations of these chiefs were most-unsatisfactory. The more
42 powerful chief was inclined to usurp the possession of the weaker chief,
43 and feuds and quarrels, attended with much bloodshed and of loss of life, were
44 the order of the day. A third proclamation was, therefore, issued on 22nd
45 August, 1811, warning them that if any of the sardars had forcibly taken
46 possession of the estates of others, or otherwise injured the lawful owners, it
47 was necessary that, before the institution of any complaint, the proprietor |
48 should be satisfied. Should, however, delay occurin the restoration of such
49 property, and the interference of the British authority become requisite,
50 “the revenues of the estates,” said the proclamation “ from the date of ejec-
51 tion of the lawful owner, together with whatever other losses the inhabitants of
52 * Proclamation of protection to the Cis-Sutlej* Chiess against the State of Ldhore.
53 (After usual preamble) Be it known—
54 1, That the territories of Sirhind and Malwa had been taken under British protection, and
55 Ranjit Singh had bound himself by treaty to exercise in future no interference therein.
56 2. That it was not the intention of the British Government to demand any tribute from
57 the chiefs and sardars benefiting by this arrangement.
58 3. That the chiefs and sardars would be permitted to exercise, and were for the future
59 secured in the rights and authorities fhey possessed in their respective territories prior to, aud
60 at time of, the declaration of protection by the British Government. .
61 4, That the chiefs and sardars should be bound to offer every facility and accommodation
62 to British troops and detachments employed in securing the protection guaranteed or for
63 urposes otherwise connected with the general interest of the State, whenever the same might
64 e marched into, or stationed in their, respective territories.
65 5. In case of invasion or war the sardars were to join the British standard with their
66 followers, whenever called upon. |
67 _, Merchantsconveying articles, the produce of Europe, for the use of detachments at
68 Ludhiéné, or of any other British force or detachment, should not be subjected to transit duty,
69 but must be protected in their passage through the Sikh country.
70 : hae coun Y=
71 SriSa tops) AUS Sige T eel eS or the ree Wh RP TG ASPEN BSP ye ort ate ee