1 Raj& Dhian Singh.
2 Prince Sher Singh.
3 The camp of the
4 Oommander-in-Chief,
5 The Maharaja.
6 His Sardars,
7 Interview between
8 the Maharaja and the
9 Commander-in-Chief.
10 Raja Hira Singh.
11 Numerous questions
12 asked by the Maharaja.
13 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary
14 4:76 HISTORY OF THE PANJAB,
15 mile on either side of the road. Both the prince and the officers of his
16 suite blazed with jewels and cloth of gold and silver. The most striking
17 ‘figure of the deputation was the Prime Minister, described as being the
18 most powerful man in the Panjab. He was dressed with the utmost magnifi-
19 cence and covered with jewels, which hung, row upon row, about his neck,
20 in his turban, on the hilt of his sword and dagger, and over the whole of
21 his dress; while a French cuirass shone upon his breast. He was mounted
22 on a large Persian horse, which curvetted and pranced, as if proud of his
23 noble rider. The saddle and bridle were embroidered with gold, the saddle-
24 cloth being of silver-tissue and extending to the horse’s tail; the legs, up to the
25 knees, and the lower half of the tail of the animal, were dyed red. Prince
26 Sher Singh, who is described as a handsome man, with a black beard, had
27 the most beautiful tiara of diamonds, emeralds, and rubies, some of the
28 emeralds, in particular, being of an enormous size and great value. As the
29 gorgeous procession passed the Fort of Gobindgarh, the repository of the
30 Maharaja's treasures, the: guns of the fort announced to the citizens the
31 arrival of the “jangi lord,” as the Commander-in-Chief was called. The
32 camp of His Excellency was formed at Mouza Kathdni, and at some distance
33 from it were the tents of the Mahardjd, each with a golden ball on the top,
34 and with scarlet screens surrounding it, and a line of, sentries drawn about it.
35 On his arrivalin the camp, Miser Ram Kishan, on the part’of the Mahardjd,
36 presented His Excellency with 2,100 budkis of gold and 500 trays of
37 sweetmeats, as a 2tydfat, after which the party withdrew.
38 At eleven o'clock the next morning (6th March), the meeting between
39 Ranjit Singh and the British Commander-in-Chief took place at the Maha-
40 réjé’s garden house in R&ém Bagh, The Mahardja’s party met the British:
41 General half way. His Highness and most of his Court were dressed in
42 yellow, and surrounded with a cloud of cavalry and infantry. The “Lion of
43 the Panjab” is described as being a diminutive, infirm-looking old man. His
44 dress was very plain, consisting of a green Kashmir turban, goat and gloves,
45 with single rows of large pearls down the breast. There was a single string
46 of very large diamonds round his arms, and his neck, arms and legs were
47 covered with rows of large pearls. The Mahardjd’s elephant was followed by
48 numerous others, in gorgeous trappings, on which were seated the sardars
49 of State, clad in cloth of gold and in yellow, green and crimson coloured silk,
50 presenting a profusion of gold, silver and jewels as far as the eye could see.
51 ‘When the two personages met, their elephants were brought side by side, and
52 Sir Henry, stepping from his own elephant on to that of the Mahardjd, gave
53 him a cordial English shake of the hand and took his seat beside him.
54 The meeting took place in front of the Mahardjd’s house, under a canopy
55 formed of beautiful Kashmir shawls, embroidered with silver and supported.
56 by silver poles. The floor was covered with rich Kashmir shawls. The
57 grandees and Omerahs of the State were seated on chairs of gold and silver,
58 each of which was inlaid with jewels to the value of several thousand
59 pounds. But the most superbly dressed of the Omerahs was the Prime
60 Minister’s son, a beautiful lad, and the reigning favourite of the day. He
61 was literally one mass of jewels; his neck, arms and legs were covered so
62 thickly with necklaces, armlets and bangles, formed of pearls, diamonds
63 and rubies, one above another, that it was difficult to discover anything
64 between them. As usual with him on such occasions, the Mahardja& put
65 numerous questions to the Commander-in-Chief about the composition of the
66 British regiments, from the colonel down to the privates, and the English mode:
67 of casting artillery and manufacturing other weapons of war. He asked
68 the number of. battles Sir Henry hed fs ught in, and A ee about the