1 MAHARAJA RANJ{[T SINGH. 467
2 make an effigy of gold, 51 tolahs in weight, and set it with rubies and sapphires.
3 This idol, they said, should be given in alms to a Brahmin of Benares or
4 Mathrd, who, being seated in a cart drawn by black she-buffaloes, should be
5 sent across the Bids and the Sutlej. Miser Beli Ram was ordered to have the
6 effigy made, and, this having been done on the fourth day, as required by the
7 pandits, a native Brahmin of the towns named was searched for. A Mathré
8 Brahmin being at hand, oil was rubbed over his body, which was then
9 blackened, after which he was clothed in black and made toride on the cart
10 drawn by the black she-buffaloes, with the golden image in his hands. A
11 present was also made to him of rupees 5,000 and gold earrings (ddlds),
12 together with a black horse, which had on its back a saddle covered with black
13 satin. Thus prepared, the Brahmin was sent across the Bids and Sutlej
14 under a guard of soldiers. Doctor Murray also came from Ludhidnd to see
15 the Mahardjd, who, however, soon after recovered from his sickness.
16 Harly in 1834, Dewdn Bhawdni Dds, the head of the Finance Depart-
17 ment, died. He had fought successively in the Multdn, Peshdwar and
18 Husafzai campaigns, and before that, as the chief dewdn of Prince Kharak
19 Singh, had taken a leading part in the reduction of the country of the
20 Ramgarhia Sardars about Amritsar and Gurddspur. He was an eminent
21 financier, and had once been charged with embezzlement by Miser Beli
22 Ram, the Treasurer, on which occasion Ranjit Singh, being highly incensed,
23 struck the dewdn with his sheathed sword in open darbdr, and imposed a
24 fine of a lakh of rupees upon him, He was then banished to a hill appoint-
25 ment, but, his services being too valuable to be spared, he was recalled and
26 reinstated in his post, after a few months. On his death, he was succeeded
27 by Pandit Dina Nath.
28 About this time the zemindars of Ghdri Dildsé Khan, in the Bannu Dis-
29 trict, raised the standard of revolt, Bakhshi Tdéré Chand and Sardars Shém
30 Singh, Jai Singh, and Jagat Singh, Attariwallas, besieged the mutineers in
31 the garhi, or mountain stronghold; but the besieged, some two thousand
32 in number, made a sudden sally, killing three hundred Sikhs with the fire
33 of their matchlocks and wounding five hundred more. The Sikhs were
34 compelled to raise the siege and retire to a distance of a kos from the
35 garht. The Mahardjd4, on receiving news of this, forthwith ordered Rajé
36 Suchet Singh to march to the scene of insurrection at the head of a force
37 for the relief of the Sikh army. He was, however, much irritated at
38 hearing of the disaster, Téré Chand had been created a dewdn a
39 short time before, and placed in charge of Bann, Ténk and Dera Ismail
40 Khan. On the present occasion, he had with him the flower of the
41 Sikh army, His force of eight thousand men and eight guns was led by
42 the Chiefs of Atdri, Nakka, and Batdla, and his ignominious repulse, with
43 the loss of so many brave men, was looked upon by the Mahardjé as a
44 disgrace on his official career and a stain on his military character. He
45 was highly indignant, and fined the dewdn and his brothers, Mangal Sen and
46 Ratan Chand, 1,25,000 rupees, Térd Chand also quarrelled with Rajd
47 Suchet Singh, who was at this time in charge of the Derajdt, and this
48 brought on his” subsequent ruin. Peace was, in the meanwhile, restored
49 on the borders of Bann, through the exertions of Rajd Suchet Singh.
50 __ The unsettled state of Peshdwar and the probability of its becoming
51 . tributary to Kébul under Dost Muhammad Khan, or Shah Shuj4, in the event
52 of a fresh war breaking out between the two for the sovereignty of
53 Afghanistdn, now induced Ranjit Singh to make an endeavour to annex
54 that province permanently to his dominions. -Soon after the Dasahra,
55 orders were issued to Sardar Hari Singh, Ndlwa, to proceed with all his
56 Death of Dewdn
57 Bhawani Das, 1834,
58 Pandit Dina Nath
59 succeeds him as
60 Head of Finance De-
61 partment.
62 Rising of the
63 Afghans on She borders
64 of Banuu, 1834.
65 Discomfiture of the
66 Sikh troops.
67 Raja Suchet Singh
68 ordered to the scene
69 ofaction. .
70 Peace restored.
71 Ranjit Singh
72 resolves on regularly
73 annexing Peshawar to
74 his dominions.
75 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary NamdhariEli@@ry@ gmail.com