1 508 ~ HISTORY OF THE PANJAB.
2 musicians discoursed sweet music. “Hat, drink, and be merry,” was the
3 maxim of the royal sage, Sardanapalus, of ancient celebrity, and the same
4 maxim might with truth have been attributed to the voluptuous Shér Singh.
5 Whether in the palace garden of Hazurif Bagh, or in the marble summer
6 house of Shaldmar with its luxurious baths, or the crystal palace of the Summan
7 Burj, or the favorite Barddari of Shah Bildwal, bands of musicians and
8 beautiful damsels were always in attendance upon him. His excesses were
9 not viewed with disgust- by a people who measured the physical powers
10 of a man by the quantity of liquor which he was able to consume at one
11 sitting, and at a time when debauchery in all its forms was the order of the
12 day, and, indeed, a mark of wealth and worldly distinction. Even for a
13 common soldier, indulgence in wine and women was considered a social matter.
14 It did not require any very great prophetic power to foretell the inevitable
15 result of this debauchery of the king and his subjects. Shortly afterwards
16 there commenced those civil feuds and broils which brought this corrupt and
17 decayed monarchy to an end.
18 Jawali Singh, the The crafty Raj& Dhidén Singh had his eye on the ambitious Jawdld
19 Seon gm “sentof Singh, once his rival, and a candidate for the premiership, whom, it will be
20 remembered, Sher Singh had promised to create his wazfr, should he suc-
21 ceed in obtaining the throne of Lahore through his instrumentality, and
22 without the aid of the Dogrd chief. Jawdld Singh was a rich sardar, who
23 exercised great influence over the Khdlsé troops. At the siege of Lahore,
24 when Dhidn Singh arrived in the city from his hill territory, and when Shér
25 Singh repented the ill-success of the campaign and ordered the cessation of hos-
26 tilities, Jawdld Singh, feeling that the decision of Dhidén Singh, would be law
27 for both the contending parties, and that his own services would not be taken
28 into account, saw his interest in continuing the war, the successful issue of
29 which, without the intervention of Dhidn Singh, would secure for him the
30 much-coveted and promised rank of wazir. He persuaded the troops to
31 stand firm in their resolution to obtain possession of the fort by force of arms,
32 and for twelve hours the orders of Shér Singh to cease firing were disregarded.
33 It was only by the combined efforts of Shér Singh and Dhidn Singh,
34 who personally appeared before the troops and explained matters to them,
35 that they were induced to desist by the offer of gifts. All these matters
36 The Maharaja begins Yankled in the revengful heart of Dhidn Singh, who poisoned the Mahardjd’s
37 to look upou him with ears against Jawdlé Singh to such a degree that he began to look upon his
38 old and zealous servant as a dangerous and crafty antagonist. Jawdlé Singh
39 kept aloof with 5,000 of his ghorcharhd cavalry, at the Shdldmdr Gardens,
40 aud, when ordered by the Maharajd to appear in his presence, hotly refused to
41 comply with the command. Upon this the Maharaja, attended by the minister,
42 sallied forth from the city, at the head of an army, to chastise his perverse
43 and disobedient agent, but Jawdlé Singh, hearing of-his approach, went
44 Jawali Singh isim- forward to receive his angry master and threw himself at his feet. Jawadld
45 tats Singh was brought into Lahore and at once heavily shackled. He was
46 thrown into a dark and deep dungeon in May 1841. While in prison, he
47 was flogged daily, after which he received his prison allowance of food,
48 which consisted of half a measure of flour and an equal quantity of salt,
49 mixed together. Hot irons were applied to the soles of his feet, as an
50 additional punishment. Under these tortures he lingered for forty days,
51 and expired in the fort of ShekhGpura, whither he had been removed ten
52 His cruel death. days previously to his death.
53 Disagreement be- Though the freedom of Chand Kour from a matrimonial tie with Shér
54 tween the Mnharaja : : : *
55 Rani Chand Kour, "Singh formed one of the stipulations on which peace had been concluded
56 Sri Satgbrawagiit Birghydebibranphe Mahardjégpeharibtbrari@ gmail.ginen up the