1 CHAPTER VII.
2 BIRTH AND PARENTAGE OF DULLEEP SING.
3 Though the unfortunate Kurruck Sing was, as is believed,
4 the only true son of Runjeet Sing, there were several others
5 whom he permitted to use that designation, though it was well
6 known they were not his children. Thus, Shere Sing, who after-
7 wards came to the Guddee, and who was a reputed son of the old
8 Maharajh by Metaub Kour, was in reality the son of a dhobee,
9 or washerman, who afterwards rose to be mooktear to the
10 princess. Tara Sing, again, said to be a twin brother of Sheer
11 Sing, was the son of a carpenter. Multana Sing was the son
12 of a slave-woman in the service of Mai Nekeen, the wife
13 of Runjeet and mother of Kurruck Sing, his father being a
14 farash or attendant on the Zenana. Lahora Sing was also the
15 child of a slave-woman, and as was supposed of Boodh Sing
16 Scindawalla. These two were imposed upon Runjeet by Neet
17 Kour, widow of Cheyt Sing, former chief of Lahore, whom
18 Runjeet on her hushand's death had taken into his Zenana,
19 but who, for her profligacy, he afterwards discarded. It was
20 on this occasion that for the purpose of obtaining from him a
21 better provision than she could otherwise have claimed, she
22 brought forward these children as those of the Maharajh and
23 herself. Peshora Sing and Cashmera Sing were also the sons
24 of two slave-women in attendance on the widow of Sahib
25 Sing, their fathers being Joy Ram, a buneah, and the other
26 a munass, a caste of Rajpoot about Jummoo, and then
27 were adopted by the youngest Ranee as her offspring, when
28 Runjeet gave them Seealkote as a jageer.