1 PREFACE, Vv
2 lacked the polities’ foresight and wisdom that had characterized his
3 policy, and theirneapacity lost to the Sikhs a kingdom which it had
4 taken years of oil and persevering energy on the part of Ranjit Singh
5 to establish.
6 The ag,tessive policy adopted by the Sikhs towards the para-
7 mount Prwer of India, compelled the latter to take up arms against
8 them. Lhe country was conquered ; but, generosity prevailing over
9 policy the victors restored to the recognised heir to the throne
10 the ‘rritories which they were entitled to hold by right of con-
11 quest. The Sikh ministers and Darbar, however, violated the
12 jwaty; and the Khdlsé army, rising up in arms, waged a fierce war
13 zo destroy the benefactors of their race, whose clemency alone had
14 saved them from utter annihilation. The violators of the treaty were
15 punished, and the province was absorbed ito the British Empire,
16 under the administration of Lord Dalhousie. The conquered na-
17 tion, whose own acts had invited the conflict which thus terminated
18 in its downfall, was considerately, nay, generously, treated by the
19 victors. British statesmen respected the fallen fortunes of the Sikhs,
20 and, by a policy of combined vigour, and conciliation, achieved those-
21 great victories of peace which will ever reflect honour on the British
22 name. The names of the famous Lawrences, worthy choice of Lord
23 Dalhousie’s benevolent policy, are inscribed in characters of light on
24 the frontispiece of the History of India, among those of the illustri-
25 ous British heroes and statesmen to whose energy, talents and diplo-
26 matic skill, England owes its possession of her empire. The Law-
27 rences were ably assisted in their task by worthy successors, Sir
28 Robert Montgomery and Sir Donald McLeod, whose names became
29 deservedly great throughout the land. To these and other British
30 statesmen the Panjdb owes a debt of undying gratitude for their
31 services to the country ; and their memory will be held in lasting ho-
32 nour. They were the pioneers of the Empire founded by the British,
33 to whose subsequent success in the country they paved the way.
34 It is the history of a country so situated, thus acquired by the
35 British, and so governed by that nation, that I have attempted to
36 write in the following pages. The want of a complete History of
37 the Panjab has long been felt. The familiar and able works of
38 McGregor, Cunningham, Malcolm, and Prinsep are histories of the
39 Sikhs from the time of Baba Nanak. They treat of the origin of
40 the Sikh nation and sect, their habits and customs, and describe
41 how they rose to political significance and power. The history of
42 the reigning family of Lahore, by Major Carmichael Smyth, describes
43 the part which the Dogra family of Jammu played in the grand
44 drama of the Panjab. It aims at describing the secret history of
45 the Sikh court, and gives a vivid account of the intrigues which
46 resulted in the final collapse of the Sikh monarchy. The works
47 of Colonel Steinbach, the Panjéb adventurer, of Major H, M. L.
48 Lawrence, and The Court and Camp of Ranjit Singh, by Colonel
49 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com