1 “MAHARASA RANJIT SINGH. 465
2 persons who had died from starvation. The Mahardjé ordered the
3 depository of corn in Fort Gobind Garh at Amritsar to be opened for the
4 benefit of the famished Kashmiris there, and Sardar Lahnd Singh and Mian
5 Samdu were specially ordered to alleviate the prevailing distress by a daily
6 distribution of flour and blankets among the emigrants, at the expense of
7 the State. Similara rrangements were made at Lahore under Misar Beli
8 Radm. The famine-stricken people, men and women, were lodged in the
9 mosque of Wazir Khan and in some Hindu temples and Musalmdn shrines,
10 where flour was distributed to them daily. Such a famine had not visited
11 the Kashmir valley for 200 years; and the many Kashmiri families now re-
12 siding in Léhore, Amritsar, Ludhidnd, Nurpur, Pathankot and Dera Babd
13 - Nanak, owe their existence there to the great scarcity of that period. The
14 Mahardjé recalled Jamadar Khushal Singh and Sheikh Ghulém Mohi-ud-din
15 from Kashmir, and sent General Mihan Singh as a deputy to Prince Sher
16 Singh, for the management of the affairs of Kashmir. The General did
17 much for the relief of the suffering population, and through his exertions
18 the distress was greatly alleviated. The Mabardjé was so much displeased
19 Relief arrangementa
20 made by the Maharfji.
21 General Mihan Singh
22 is deputed to Kashmir.
23 with Jamadar Khushal Singh for the excesses committed by himin Kdshmir |
24 that, for a period of one month, he was not admitted into his presence.
25 It was ordered about this time that Rd4jé Dhian Singh be addressed in
26 public correspondence as “ Rdjé Kaldn Bahadur,” or “ chief rajd, the cham-
27 pion of the State.” The Mahardjd was also at this period so pleased with the
28 manner and address of Captain Wade, the British Agent at Ludhidnd who
29 frequently visited Lahore on business and was the sporting companion of the
30 Maharaja in the field, that he conferred upon him the high title of “ Farzand-
31 isDil Band,” or “ well-beloved son.” Taré Chand, the son of Karm Chand,
32 having been created a Dewdn, was sent to Bannti to levy tribute from the
33 Khans and Maliks of that District. Rd&m Singh, the Karddr of Sujdnpur
34 having died and it having been reported that he had left twenty thousand
35 rupees with the bankers of Ainritsar, orders were issued to Fakir Im4m-ud-din
36 to confiscate the money forthwith and credit it to the State. The Court was
37 at Amritsar at the time, and confiscation and exactions were the order of
38 the day. Sheikh Ghuldm Mohi-ud-din was put in chains and a heavy mulct
39 was demanded from him. Miser Rup Ldl was sent to Hoshiarpur to seize all
40 the household property of the Sheikh there. The mode in which the hidden
41 treasure of the Sheikh was discovered in his private residence there is inter-
42 esting. A spacious tomb, said to be the burial-place of the Sheikh’s Pér,
43 or spiritual guide, was erected, and Mullahs surrounded it, reading the
44 Qurdn and burning benzoin, as on the tombs of the saints. It was reported
45 to the Miser that this so-called resting-place of the Pi was the depository
46 not of his holy ashes, but of gold and silver, and, the place having been dug
47 out, no less than nine anda half lakhs of rupees were found concealed in it.
48 This having been communicated to the Mahardj4, His Highness tauntingly
49 said to the Sheikh: “The ashes of your Pir have been converted into silver
50 and gold. He must undoubtedly have been a great saint.” The Sheikh in
51 vain swore that this was the money collected by his father, Sheikh Ujdld, in
52 the service of Sardar Bhup Singh. Ranjit Singh knew very well that Ujdlé
53 was no great Sardar and had never seena lakh of rupees in hislife. He
54 was sure that the money had been squeezed from the starving Kashmiris by
55 the Sheikh, while a lieutenant of Prince Sher Singh, The whole of the
56 money was confiscated to the State and a fine of Rs. 25,000 imposed besides,
57 Ranjit Singh had also an eye on General Ventura, whom he suspected of
58 gaining a great deal of money from his lease of Dera Ghdzi Khan; but
59 considerations of his good services and his excellent management of districts
60 Raja Dhian Singh ig
61 created “ Rdjd Kaldn,.”
62 The title of “ Far-
63 zand-i-Dil Band” con-
64 ferred on Captain
65 Wade.
66 Forfeitures and re-
67 sumptions by the State.
68 Sheikh Ghulam Mohi.
69 ud-din, late lieutenant
70 of Kashmir, subjected
71 toa heavy mulct,
72 General Ventura and
73 his lease of Dera Ghazi
74 Khan.
75 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com