A history of the reigning family of Lahore, with some account of the Jummoo rajahs, the Seik soldiers and their sirdars; with notes on Malcolm, Prinsep, Lawrence, Steinbach, McGregor, and the Calcutta Review

Smyth, George Carmichael · 1847 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

1THE WAR WITH THE BRITISH. 1G9

2Government, to whom as they now formally declared, the coun-

3try belonged. Dewan Denanauth also intimated to the

4council that great disturbances existed in Cashmere, Peshawar,

5&c., and that for a long time not a rupee of revenue had been

6paid in by the Kardars. Having thus excited the alarm and

7concern of the assembly, the wily Dewan went on to remind

8them that their sovereign was but a child, that there was no

9recognised head of the state, and that unless arrangements were

10made for the government of the country, ruin must speedily

11ensue. He then informed them that it was the wish of the

12Ranee that Rujah Lall Sing should be Wuzeer, and Sirdar

13Teja Sing Commander-in-Chief, and that she was willing to

14sanction the march of the army across the Sutlej for the

15protection of the national honour, and would, if they thought

16proper, order all the necessary preparations to be made.

17All she wanted, said her representative, was the advice of

18the assembly for the guidance of her conduct at this criti-

19cal juncture of affairs. Hereupon the council unanimously

20and by acclamation confirmed Her Highness's choice of Rajah

21Lall Sing as Wuzeer, and of Sirdar Teja Sing as Commander-

22in-Chief, declaring that the wishes of the Ranee were to

23them commands that must be obeyed. On this Rajah Lall Sing

24thanked the assembly for his appointment, promising to do

25all in his power for the good of the Khalsa ; and when he sat

26down, Sirdar Teja Sing rose and made a similar speech. De-

27wan Denanauth now intimated to the assembly, that the Ranee

28would appoint a certain day on which they should all assemble

29at the mausoleum of Runjeet Sing, there formally to install the

30new Wuzeer and Commander-in-chief in their respective offices.

31He also announced, that on the day appointed, it would be

32settled when and whither each division of the army was to

33march, and that the necessary orders would then be issued.

34This meeting at Shalimar took place in the beginning of

35November, and two or three days after the Maharajh and his