1 MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH. 413
2 Ranjit Singh, was a mace-bearer (chobdar) in the service of Sardar Fatteh
3 Singh, Ahluwalia. The Mahardja presented him with a pair of gold
4 bracelets and a sheet of rich Kalabatwn (cloth made of twisted silk
5 and gold threads), and, on the news being confirmed through official sources,
6 “ great rejoicings were made at Lahore, which was the scene of festivities for
7 eight days. The Maharajé, having taken his seat on an elephant, moved
8 about the principal streets of Lahore, showering down rupees to be scrambled
9 for by the crowd. A large offering in money was sent to the Darbar
10 Sahib at Amritsar, asa thanksgiving for the victory won. The towns of
11 Amritsar and Léhore were brilliantly illuminated, and money was sent as alins
12 to every place of Hindu or Mahomedan worship at Lahore. The palace
13 was the scene of festivities for several days, and a large number of gold
14 bracelets, hanthas (necklaces) and shawls were sent by the Mahardja to
15 Multan for distribution among those sardars and jagirdars who had dis-
16 tinguished themselves in the action. In the midst, however, of these
17 rejoicings, and in strong contrast to his many acts of princely munificence,
18 -Ranjit Singh displayed, in one instance, a degree of avarice only too
19 characteristic of him, and showing that to his intense thirst for
20 conquest and territorial aggrandisement was added an equally intense
21 passion for the accumulation of wealth. He had always considered the
22 citadel of Multan a great repository of wealth, and had entertained
23 exaggerated notions of the riches of the town, His share of the spoil being
24 low beyond his expectations, he issued orders for the return of the whole
25 army to Léhore, with the exception of such portion, under Jodh Singh,
26 Kalsia, as was necessary to hold the place and conduct the administration of
27 the country. On the return of the army, he issued a proclamation
28 calling on all sardars, jdgirdars, officers and soldiers to surrender to the
29 State all they lad obtained at Multan by plunder, and stating that if any
30 one was found in possession of any article of spoil, or any money obtained
31 from the sack after a certain date, his punishment would be death. This
32 order brought into the treasury shawls, utensils, rich apparel, books, car-
33 pets, &., worth five lakhs of rupees, though the Multan plunder was estima-
34 ted at two millions sterling. Of the gold and silver in coin and jewellery,
35 and the precious stones plundered by the soldiers, little was returned. The
36 whole of the property surrendered by the troops was sent to the toshukhana
37 or jewel office, and appropriated to the State. The Maharaja felt proud that
38 his commands had not altogether been unheeded ; but he was never satisfied
39 with the result, and complained that he had got very little of the booty he had
40 expected. Yet the incident furnishes a proof of the awe in which Ranjit
41 Singh’s authority was held by his troops. The Civil Government of Multdn
42 was entrusted to Sukh Daydl, Khatri, who had taken the farm of Jhang,
43 and Babu Baj Singh was appointed killadar, or keeper of the fort. The théna,
44 or police post, of Jamadar Khushhdl Singh was established at Muzaffargarh, of
45 Sham Singh, son of Nehal Singh, Attariwala, in Khangarh, and of Fatteh Singh,
46 Ahluwalia, in Tolamba. Sarfardéz Khan, the nawdb’s eldest son, for whom his
47 father had procured a confirmation of the succession as nawab from the
48 court of Kabul, was carried a prisoner to Lahore by Dewa4n Chand, with his
49 wounded brother Zulfikar Khan. The Maharaja received Sarfaréz Khan
50 with due honour and sent him a 2tydfut of Rs. 2,500, through Dhuman Khan,
51 who was appointed to look after his personal comfort. <A jégir at Sharakpur
52 and Nowlakha, afterwards commuted to a cash pension, was assigned for his
53 subsistence, and a pension was given to Zulfikar Khan. Dal Singh, Nakheria,
54 Jodh Singh, Kalsi, Dhanna Singh and several other sardars were sent to
55 Multan, and the walls of the fort, the ditch and the city were repaired.
56 Rejoicings at
57 ore,
58 Ranjit’s passion tor
59 accumulating riches,
60 Arrangements for
61 the government of the
62 newly-conquered pro-
63 vince,
64 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh J i eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com