1 FRONTIER DEFENCES, O11
2 such political and ‘administrative wisdom and generous views. His farewell
3 to the citizens of Lahore was thus worded :—
4 And now, gentlemen, I will bid you farewell. You have always received me with
5 kindness. You have judged my conduct with indulgence, and have never withheld your
6 generous appreciation of the endeavours of my Government to do its duty. As long
7 us I live, L shall always retain a most affectionate recollection of the brave and high-
8 minded races of the Panjib, with so many of whose chiefs and leading men I have
9 formed ties of personal friendship, May every blessing that Providence has in its
10 gift rest upon you and yours for many a generation.
11 No words could have been more-touching ; and Lord Dufferin proved by
12 his actions that his were not empty words, but that his desire to advance
13 the interests of the people of the country and to foster’ all their just and
14 legitimate aspirations was most genuine.
15 On his return from Léhore, His Excellency, accompanied by Sir James
16 Lyall, paid a visit to Patidld, where the festivities on the occasion of His
17 Highness the Mahardja’s marriage were most imposing. To commemorate
18 the Viceregal visit, the-Mahardjd established a Zendnd& Hospital in the
19 capital of his State. The hospital is te be built at a cost of thirty thousand
20 rupees, and ten thousand rupees is to be set aside by the State as the annual
21 cost of its maintenance. A public darbdy was held in honour of the Vice-
22 roy’s visit, at which an eloquent speech was delivered by the Governor-
23 General, in which His Excellency congratulated the Maharaja on the auspi-
24 cious occasion of his marriage, and wishing him and his house all the happi-
25 ness and prosperity this world can bestow. He then presented His Highness
26 with a magnificent necklace and presents valued at thirty thousand rupees,
27 including a fine sword of Damascene work, a gun and rich cloths; also five
28 thousand rupees, as an equipment for the elephant and horse, which were not
29 presented. “ When His Highness coines into the possession of power,” said
30 Lord Dufferin, “I feel convinced that he will worthily maintain the honour
31 of his ancestral house, and take a high place among the Princesof India as a
32 loyal and brave feudatory of Her Majesty the Queen-Empress, as well as
33 a conscientious and enlightened ruler.”
34 His Highness has since been invested with full powers over his exten-
35 Lord Dutferin’s fare-
36 well to the Panjab.
37 Patidla festivities.
38 The Maharaji estab-
39 lishes a Zenda Hospi-
40 tal in his capital.
41 sive dominions, and it is gratifying to know that he has proved himself,
42 thoroughly worthy of the confidence reposed in him by the talented Viceroy
43 of India.
44 In 1885, when war between Iingland and Russia seemed imminent, the
45 ruling princes of India, in both the south and the north, in a spirit of loyalty
46 unparalleled in history, came forward to place at the disposal of the Impe-
47 rial Government the entire resources of their states. War was happily
48 averted ; but the feelings displayed by the chiefs not only made a very favour-
49 able impression in England, but produced a most desirable effect in other
50 countries. Again, in the year of the Jubilee of Her Most Gracious Majesty
51 the Queen-Empress, the princes of India availed themselves of the oppor-
52 tunity for a fresh display of loyalty, and made very liberal offers to contri-
53 bute towards the frontier defences of the empire. Foremost among the
54 ruling chiefs on both occasions were those of the Panjdéb, whose forces had
55 on different previous occasions fought side by side with British troops to
56 maintain British prestige in the East. The Government of India, knowing
57 well the sincerity of the motives which had prompted the chiefs to make
58 these loyal offers, and appreciating their sense of duty to the paramount
59 Power in matters involving their common interest, devised a scheme by
60 which their offers might be turned to advantage. The Darbar of Patidld
61 seemed to the Governor-General to afford a fitting opportunity for the public
62 inauguration of that scheme which was made in the following terms :—
63 Government scheme
64 for utilizing the offers
65 of the native Princes
66 for co-operation in the
67 frontier defeuces,
68 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary NamdhariEligsary@ gmail.com