1 DULIiP SINGH. 529
2 of tutor to Dhidn Singh’s sons. Hird Singh himself was nothing more than
3 a tool in the hands of his designing and unprincipled priest and tutor,
4 Pandit Jélla. This individual exercised such influence over him that all his
5 ministerial measures, whether private or public, were dictated to him by this
6 accomplished intriguer. The unlimited power which he still exercised, in
7 the face of repeated remonstrances on the part of the Khdlsd, gave rise
8 to bitter jealousy and feelings of intense hatred against him. Prompted
9 by arrogance, he tried to crush every chief, even the most powerful and
10 respected among the sardars and nobles, without showing the slightest
11 respect to any of them. The attitude assumed by him was offensive and
12 insulting to everybody, and injured the feelings of all, high and low.
13 Lahna Singh, Majithia, an able sardar, quitted the Panj4b in March 1844,
14 under the pretence of performing a pilgrimage to Hardwar, and the only
15 sardar who exercised any degree of influence, was Lal Singh, a Brahmin
16 like J&ll&é himself, who owed his position, not to the wazir, or his favourite,
17 the Pandit, but to the favours lavished upon him by the Queen Jinddn,
18 mother of the young Mahardjdé. The Pandit habitually treated Jawdhir
19 Singh, brother of the Rani, with contempt, and, in his arrogance, ventured
20 to use expressions of disrespect towards the Rani herself In the mean-
21 while Jawdhir Singh, by his timely withdrawal from Lahore and his
22 residence at Amritsar, the holy city of the Sikhs, was enabled effectually to
23 sow the seed of disaffection towards the Lé&hore Darbér, as then constituted,
24 among the Bhdis, Akdlis, Béwds, Gurus and other fanatics. On his return
25 to Lahore he received promises of support from the sardars, the Khdlsé
26 troops and their deputies, who were all tired of the ascendancy of the Dogra
27 family.
28 The treasurer, Lal Singh, was the principal creature of Raj& Dhidn Singh,
29 to whom he owed his splendid position in the darbdr. He was always in the
30 society of Hird Singh, and was his trusted and valued friend. Heand Pandit
31 Jallié had exchanged turbans in token of true amity. The cunning Rénf
32 Jindén and her lover, Lél Singh, entered into a conspiracy to overthrow
33 the power of the Dogrd element, and with it the ascendancy of the Misser
34 Jallé. Hfra Singh and his idol, Jallé, were quite unconscious that a creature
35 of their own would, in the garb of a friend, contribute materially to their
36 destruction. Jawdhir Singh was supplied with money to allure the Vihangs
37 and other fanatics to embrace his cause. In due time all the discontented
38 regular troops were attached to his party.
39 It was the first day of the month, and Rdéni Jinddn, as was usual with
40 her on such a day, was distributing golden butkis as alms to the poor, to
41 secure her son, the young Mahardjé against misfortune, when Pandit Jélld,
42 in a most insolent and abrupt manner, threatened and grossly abused her,
43 The incensed queen and her injured brother appealed to the children of the
44 Khdlsé, whose rage at this uncalled-for and unwarranted insult to this rela-
45 tive of the great Maharaja, knew no bounds. Early one morning, at a
46 review of troops on the parade ground opposite the fort, Jawdhir Singh,
47 placing himself at the head of the troops that had openly embraced his
48 cause, formally asked Rajdé Hira’ Singh to deliver over to him the per-
49 son of Jallé Pandit. This he positively refused to do. An open rup-
50 ture was, however, avoided, and both parties withdrew in peace, though
51 secretly remaining enemies. Radja Hird Singh and Pandit Jdll4 now saw
52 that their rule was fast drawing’ to a close, and that to remain at the
53 capital any longer would in all probability cost them their lives. The
54 Rajé at once made preparations for flight to the Jammu hills, and plac-
55 ing all his valuables on elephants, left his private residence in the town
56 His arrogance,
57 The procecdings of
58 Sardar Jawahir Singh
59 at Amritsar,
60 A plot formed to do
61 away with the Dogra
62 ascendancy,
63 The treason of Lal
64 Singh,
65 Pandit Jala gtves
66 fresh cause of annoy-
67 ance to the soldiers.
68 The flight of Raja
69 Hira Singh and Pandit
70 Jala from Lahore
71 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com