1 And attaches his seal
2 to it,
3 The minister signs
4 the death-warrant of
5 the Maharaja.
6 Sri Satguru J agjit
7 ’
8 512 HISTORY OF THE PANJAB.
9 understood to be undertaken in the interests of the reigning family. It
10 was then agreed that the Sindhianwalé sardars should retire for a while
11 to their jagirs in Rijd& Sansi, near Amritsar, and afterwards return with
12 a body of their troops, all well armed and equipped, whom they were to draw
13 up for inspection before the. Mahardjdé at Shah Bildwal, better known as
14 the Hazri, the usual place for reviews and manceuvres of troops. These
15 troops were to be ready with matchlocks and ammunition to perform their
16 evolutions fully accoutred before His Highness, who was to call Raj4 Dhidn
17 Singh and give him orders for their inspection. The rdjdé and his son, Hird
18 Singh, were then to be suddenly surrounded by the troops and shot.
19 Having made these preliminary arrangements and secured the posses-
20 sion of the document giving authority for the assassination of the wazir,
21 the Sindhianwdldé brothers went at once to Rdjd Dhidu Singh, and,
22 the preliminaries being over, they showed him his death-warrant, sign-
23 ed by the Mahardjé himself. The Rdj& was too shrewd to accept at
24 once, as a fact, what the Sindhianwdlds narrated to him, or to believe.
25 in the genuineness of the document. He expressed his inability to be-
26 lieve that Shér Singh, his own protegé, whatever seeming difference might
27 have existed between them, could act with such ingratitude towards him.
28 He, in short, gave the sardars to understand that, unless both the seal
29 and the signature of his master were attached, he would refuse to believe that
30 he entertained designs agaiast his life, Lahnd Singh and his nephew lost no
31 time in obtaining the Mahardjd’s own seal to the document. Rdjd Dhidn
32 Singh, on seeing this, was incensed in the highest degree. Availing
33 themselves of the effect produced on his mind, the cunning Sindhianwdlé
34 sardars suggested to him that, as a just punishment for his ungrateful
35 conduct, the Maharaja should himself be treated in the manner in which
36 he desired them to treat the innocent Rdjd; that they shrank from
37 polluting their hands with the blood of so wise, upright and innocent a
38 minister as Dhidn Singh, and that they thought they would be only
39 doing their duty to their countrymen if they were to put an end to the
40 shameful career of a usurper and debauchee who was at once unacceptable
41 to the people and quite unworthy of the high office to which he had been
42 raised, mainly through the instrumentality of the prudent wazfr whose life
43 he was now anxious to destroy. These sycophantic expressions made a deep
44 impression on the Rajé’s mind, and he gave his full consent to the assassina-
45 tion of his master, promising the Sindhianwdlds great rewards in the
46 eyent of their successfully carrying out their mission. They had a document
47 executed by Dhidn Singh, authorising them to put an end to the Mahardjd’s
48 life, and obtained his signature on it just as they had done on that
49 authorising the wazir'smurder. This being over, arrangements were entered
50 into with Dhidn Singh to post such a number of troops about the palace,
51 on the day appointed for the tragedy, as would tend to expedite the work in
52 hand. The Sindhianwdlds then, taking leave of the minister, marched for
53 Rajé Sansi. Thus the Sindhianwdlds played their double game so well
54 that they insinuated themselves into the confidence of both the Mahardjé
55 and his wazir, and, without the knowledge of either, arranged to destroy
56 them both. The game was-devised so that the Mahardjé and his minister
57 were made the unconscious murderers of each other. Hach of them believed,
58 in his turn, that the blow was intended for his adversary, and finally it fell
59 upon both of them,
60 Rajé, Dhidn Singh now feigned illness, and retired to his private residence
61 in the city. Friday was the day appointed for the execution of the tragedy,
62 and it i atae to be the first day of the Hindu month. Shér Singh left
63 ingh Ji eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com