1 Factions formed at
2 the Court,
3 The Sindhianwél4
4 sardars restored to
5 favour.
6 Dhidn Singh becomes
7 jealous of their posi-
8 tion.
9 The policy of the
10 Sindhianwala sardars,
11 Lahné Singh and Ajit
12 bingh.
13 Their great j
14 Maharaja.
15 510 HISTORY OF THE PANJAB,
16 Singh supported the party of the Dogré chiefs and of Rajé Lél Singh, and
17 his family, while Bhai Gurmukh Singh and Missar Beli Ram were united in
18 their policy, and were the deadly foes of the Dogrd chiefs and Raja Lal
19 Singh. Shér Singh had put Lahnd Singh, the chief of the Sindhianwdle
20 family, in confinement, for the part he had taken against him before his
21 accession to the throne. His brother Attar Singh, and the nephew of Ajit
22 Singh, who were at large, had gone to live at Thanesar, across the Sutlej.
23 Ajit Singh was even reported to have visited Calcutta for the purpose of
24 laying his grievances before the British Governor-General. Shér Singh
25 possessed an open and generous heart, and, from his tender disposi-
26 tion, was at times ready to forgive his worst enemies, On the inter-
27 cession of Bhéi Ram Singh, but chiefly through female influence, as the
28 Bhai was secretly working on the favourite women of Shér Singh in his
29 holy character, the Sindhianwdlé exiled Sardars, Attar Singh and Ajit
30 Singh, were recalled, and Lahnd Singh was released from confinement.
31 Their confiscated estates were restored, and fresh favours and honours were
32 heaped upon them by the Mahardjd. Attar Singh returned to his jagirs,
33 but Lahnd Singh and Ajit Singh, uncle and nephew, took their accustomed
34 places at the Court. In the course of time the Sindhianwdld sardars
35 obtained stich an ascendancy over the mind of Shér Singh, that their advice
36 was sought in all matters, political or domestic. They were found with the
37 Mahardjé day and night, in public and private. They became his boon
38 companions; whatever they wanted was granted them, and nothing that they
39 disapproved was insisted upon. Dhidn Singh, to whom, in no small
40 degree, they owed their rise and fortune, naturally became jealous of the
41 unlimited power they exercised over their master, and the disregard which
42 was shown to him by the Mahardjé made him his secret and inveterate foe.
43 Gulab Singh was privately called from Jammu by the wazir, and, during his
44 short stay at the capital, the two brothers settled the line of policy which
45 they determined to pursue under the circumstances existing at the time.
46 Thenceforward the wazir began to show great consideration to the child
47 Dulip Singh, the reputed son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, then five or six
48 years of age. He treated the child as the legitimate and rightful heir to
49 the throne, and showed him great respect. He used frequently to send for
50 him and make a show of him as the issue of the great Mahardja& by his
51 highly-favoured queen, the Rani Jinddén. Such behaviour on the part of the
52 wazir was, of course, very annoying to the Maharajd, who strove in many
53 ways to reduce his power and get rid of him, but Dhidn Singh was too
54 strong to be crushed by even a man of Shér Singh’s undaunted courage.
55 The Sindhianwdlé sardars, who ever cherished a deep-rooted and secret
56 enmity towards the king, whom they considered an upstart and a usurper,
57 and his minister, and whose spirit of resentment was never softened by the
58 amends made by them, as had been amply evinced by their recent conduct,
59 carefully watched all these events. They were unmindful of the favours
60 which their master had shown them, and the confidence which he had
61 reposed in them. Equally were they forgetful of the kindness which the
62 prudent and favourite wazir had shown them, in arranging for their recall
63 from banishment, and in bringing them to the favourable notice of the
64 Maharaj4. They now thought that an opportunity presented itself of
65 wreaking their vengeance on both the Mahardja and the wazir, who were
66 divided in opinion and hated each other, and of doing something for
67 their own aggrandizement at the expense of both.
68 gual J aggt SingMinahalaVsardars was FAYKG-OMAhEQME festive
69 felied Geant The familiarity and feigned courtesy which existed between the Maharaja
70 he! “SASat aliarary es Vamednamblip ih ‘