1 The war between the
2 Corkhas and the
3 British, 1815,
4 The Maharaja sym-
5 pathises with the
6 British,
7 The insurrection of
8 the chiefs of Rajauri
9 aud Bhimbar,
10 Ramgarhia posses-
11 sious seized.
12 Punishment of re-
13 fractory hill chiefs.
14 Pandit Ding Nath
15 Invited to Lidhore, 1315,
16 406 HISTORY OF THE PANJAB.
17 In the beginning of 1815, the British Government was engaged in a war
18 with the Gorkhds, who were commanded by Amar Singh, Thapd. Colonel,
19 afterwards General, Ochterlony took the field against the Nepal Commander,
20 who, for a period of six months, successfully baffled all the attempts of the
21 British General to reduce the hill country lying between the Jamna and
22 the Sutlej. The Mahardjé deputed Fakir Aziz-ud-din to Ludhidnd with offers
23 ofassistance, and sent Dewén Bhawani Das and Mohar Singh to the Governor-
24 General with presents of horses and valuables on a similar errand, but the
25 offer was declined with thanks. The Nepdl Agent, Prithi Bilds, reached
26 Léhore at the same time, to ask for help against the British; but, being
27 coldly received by the Maharaja, he had to return to his country disappoint-
28 ed. The British troops at last gained a complete victory over the
29 Nepalese, who were driven out of the country west of the Ghaghra, or,
30 Kali, river, This was highly favourable to the views of the Lahore ruler,
31 who began to enlist the Gorkh& men so well adapted for hill warfare, in
32 the army which he was raising for the hill campaign now in contemplation.
33 The Dasahra festivities being over at Lahore, orders were issued for the.
34 Sikh army to rendezvous at Sialkot, and a division was sent in advance, in
35 October, under Dewan Ram Dayal, Dal Singh and Dewa Singh, Ramgarhia,
36 to punish the refractory chiefs of Rajduri and Bhimbar and to devastate
37 the whole of the country this side of the Pir Panjdl, which had shaken off its
38 allegiance to the Lahore Darbar. The Maharaja himself followed by the
39 Wazirdbad route. At Nadaun, news having reached him of the death of
40 Jodh Singh, Ramgarhia, he sent for Wazir Singh, Mahtdb Singh and
41 Dewd Singh, cousins of the deceased, who had quarrelled among them-
42 selves over the estate left by him, the avowed object of the invitation being
43 a settlement of the dispute. On arrival at Nadaun, the sardars were re-
44 ceived, with great courtesy, in a reception tent, but, in the midst of con-
45 versation, the Maharajé suddenly left the tent, which was straightway
46 surrounded with troops, and the Ramgarhias were made prisoners. All
47 their vast possessions, including the fort of Ramgarh at Amritsar and other
48 small forts, upwards of a hundred in number, were seized. Rajduri was
49 next sacked by the Sikhs, who threw down the city walls and levelled
50 with the ground the edifices of the rajd, who fled to Kotli, leaving all he
51 had to be plundered by the invaders. After the reduction of Rajauri,
52 the Sikh troops stormed the fort of Kotli, and occupied it, together with
53 the neighbouring tract of country. Here an enterprising Rajput woman,
54 Mussammat Biwi, who was the holder of a jagir, offered her services to the
55 Maharaja, and, with her help, the Serochi fort was reduced. The forts of
56 Serochi and Kotli were then bestowed by the Maharaja on Rajd Sher Baz
57 Khan. Bhimbar was subjected toa similar fate, but Punch was saved
58 from a like visitation owing to its greater elevation, and the setting in of
59 the cold weather with its usual severity. Further operations were now
60 suspended, the experience of the last campaign having taught the Sikhs
61 how disastrous it was to attempt such operations during that season,
62 and in such a country, with troops unaccustomed to hill warfare. The
63 troops now marched to Noushera, and the Maharaja returned to Lahore about
64 the end of December. ;
65 The same year, Pandit, afterwards Raja, Dina Nath, whose father, Bakht
66 Mal, held a subordinate civil post at Delhi, was invited to Lihore by
67 Dewan Gangé Ram, a near relation of his, and then head of the State
68 Office at Léhore. The Pandit soon distinguished’ himself by his energy
69 and intelligence, and became privy seal, as well as head-of the civil and
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