History of the Sikhs (J. D. Cunningham)

J. D. Cunningham · 1849 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

1Preface

2To

3The First Edition*

4Towards the end of the year 1837, the Author received,

5through the unsolicited favour of Lord Auckland, the

6appointment of assistant to Colonel Wade, the political agent

7at Loodiana, and the officer in charge of the British relations

8with the Punjab and the chiefs of Afghanistan. He was at the

9same time required as an engineer officer, to render Feerozpoor

10a defensible post, that little place having been declared a

11feudal escheat, and its position being regarded as one of

12military importance. His plans for effecting the object in view

13met the approval of Sir Henry Fane, the Commander-in-

14Chief; but it was not eventually thought proper to do more

15than cover the town with a slight parapet, and the scheme

16for reseating Shah Shooja on his throne seemed at the time

17to make the English and Sikh Governments so wholly one,

18that the matter dropped, and Feerozpoor was allowed to

19become a cantonment with scarcely the means at hand of

20saving its ammunition from a few predatory horse.

21The Author was also present at the interview which took

22place in 1838, between Runjeet Singh and Lord Auckland. In

23* Published in 1 vol. 8vo, 19th March, 1849.