1 THE WAZIRAT OF JAWAHIR SINGH, 5383
2 Jawdhir Singh now brought Guldéb Singh to account for his recent conduct
3 in the hills, Gulab Singh deemed it prudent to avoid a rupture, seeing that
4 the wind had ceased to blow in his favour, and was anxious to leave Léhore,
5 He agreed to pay, in all, a fine of Rs. 68,00,000 to the darbér, to give
6 up nearly all the territories which had belonged to his brother, Suchet Singh,
7 and which the darbdr claimed as theescheated property of a feudatory
8 without male heirs of his body, as well as the property of his nephew,
9 Hird Singh. In short, he reserved only his own proper fiefs. The lease
10 for the salt mines between the Jhelum and the Indus was also renewed,
11 Fine imposed on
12 Guldb Smgh,
13 which deprived Guléb Singh of a large income, as also of his power over .
14 the Rohtds hills. Thus shorn of much of his real power, Guléb Singh
15 left Lahore for his country about the end of August, after a sojourn of
16 three or four months,
17 Sdwan Mal, the able and popular Governor of Multdn, was assassinated
18 in September, 1844, by a ruffian who was charged with marauding, and his
19 son Mulrdj was permitted to succeed him, The Ahélsé demanded of him an
20 increased term, or contract, which was evaded by the new governor. He also
21 objected to the payment of a large nazrdéndé which, on his accession to the
22 office of his father, he was required to pay. Displeased with his conduct, the
23 darbar resolved upon sending a force against Multan; but the new go-
24 vernor, hearing ofits warlike preparations, was induced to yield, and remitted
25 to Court asum of Rs, 1,80,000 as a fine or nazrdénd, which satisfied all
26 demands, though some petty districts which he originally held, were taken
27 away from him. ;
28 Peshora Singh, the reputed son of the old Mahardjd, who, after the assas-
29 sination of his brother Kdshmfra Singh, had been re-instated in his jdgirs
30 at Gujrduwdlé on conditions of leading a quiet and retired life, was now
31 again persuaded to renew his claims to the throne of Léhore. He was
32 encouraged by Guléb Singh, then safe in his hill country, who, at this.
33 juncture, played a double game, for, on the one hand, he promised his full
34 support to the prince,—a vain person of inadequate capacity, with nothing
35 but his relationship with the great Maharaja to recommend him,—and, on
36 the other hand, he instigated Jawdhir Singh to exile him, or to put him
37 out of the way as best he could, as he was his only foe and the rival of
38 his young nephew. Peshora Singh, having received assurances of support
39 from the troops, who had put in confinement Sardar Jawdhir Singh, on
40 that chief declaring his readiness to take protection in British territory with
41 the young Maharaja, repaired to Lahore, where he was received by military
42 deputations with great pageantry. At the Rdni’s invitation, he also
43 attended the darbdr, and was received with open arms and treated with
44 honour as the equal of Dulip Singh, her own son. This engendered jealousy
45 in the mind of the wazir, Her Highness’ brother, who received the prince
46 with coldness, and also showed him some slight in the darbar. The prince,
47 disgusted at this treatment, withdrew from the town and put up in the
48 house of General Avitabile, on the summit of Budhu-kd-dwd, outside
49 the city, where his friends had advised him to take up his position, in the
50 superstitious belief that some good fortune attached to it, as being the
51 place where Sher Singh had been saluted by the Khdlsdé soldiery as king
52 of Lahore. Peshora Singh was here surrounded by the panches of the
53 army, who offered him their aid, which made him sanguine of success. The
54 minister, on receiving these tidings, took immediate steps to confirm his
55 authority and consulted his sister in the matter. The brother and sis-
56 ter having both agreed upon a line of policy, the most liberal promises were
57 made to the troops’to induce them to abandon the cause of the prince, the
58 Mul Raj succeeds his
59 father Séwan Mal at
60 Multan, September
61 eT
62 And agrees to pay a
63 heavy nazreénd, 1845.
64 The pretensions of
65 Prince Peshora
66 Singh. ,
67 He repairs to Lahore,
68 Ts saluted by the
69 deputies of the army,
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