1 140 SECRET HISTORY OF THE LAHORE DURBAR.
2 elephant and conveyed under a strong escort to the Summun
3 Boorj, where he was well received by the Ranee. After the
4 interview he was requested to take up his abode in the palace
5 of the late Kurruck Sing, but the Punches said that they,
6 being security for his safety, would not allow any one to
7 be about him but themselves, and that when the Ranee desired
8 an interview with him, he should be escorted by them to and
9 from the durbar, where neither Jewahir Sing nor any other
10 chief should be allowed to appear armed while he was present.
11 On his first visit to the durbar Goolaub was received with
12 the greatest respect and cordiality by the Ranee, and many
13 compliments passed betwixt them. Her Highness even went
14 so far as to express a wish that he should undertake the
15 office of Wuzeer, which had not yet been formally bestowed
16 upon Jewahir Sing\ These evidences of partiality greatly
17 alarmed and enraged the chief last named, and had it not
18 been for fear of the troops, he would certainly have compassed
19 the death of his rival. However, he managed by his intrigues
20 so to undermine the Dogra in the Ranee's favour, as well as
21 in that of the army, that he secured his own installation in the
22 Wuzeerut. Thus firmly established, he brought Goolaub to
23 account for his recent contumacy, and after much discussion,
24 it was settled that he should pay to the state thirty-five lakhs
25 of rupees, also that he should give up the territories which had
26 belonged to his brother Suchet Sing and the property of his
27 nephew Heera Sing. Having paid the first instalment of
28 his fine, or whatever it may be called, the Rajah received per-
29 mission to retire to Jummoo, of which, however, he did not
30 avail himself until two attempts on his life, instigated probably
31 by Jewahir Sing, warned him that Lahore was no longer a
32 safe place of residence for him. He then, after a sojourn of four
33 months, left the capital and returned to Jummoo, whence a few
34 months afterwards he was recalled to take charge of the state,
35 at the critical moment of a rupture with the British Government.