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 ↗

1WUZEER ZOROVEROO. 199

2alike the temptations of presents from himself and bribes

3from others. Zoroveroo was quickly raised from one appoint-

4ment to another, until he became Governor, with almost irres-

5ponsible power, over all Kussal and Kistowar. In this office

6he was strict even to cruelty; so much so, that the people

7of the country dreaded him even more than they did his

8master, Goolaub Sing\ It was, moreover, useless for them

9to complain to the Rajah, who invariably confirmed his decisions

10and in fact refused to interfere in any thing' which he had

11done.

12Eventually Zoroveroo received the title and office of Wuzeer,

13with full power to levy and direct forces as he pleased for the

14conquest of the independant states around. Not long* after

15this new dignity and power had been conferred on him, Goolaub

16Sing* heard that his Wuzeer had conquered and seized a

17large tract of fine fertile country belonging to Chumba;

18and soon after this, he learnt that the valley of Iskardo had

19in like manner come under his rule. The victorious leader

20seldom wrote to the Rajah to tell him of his successes, he

21knew it would be more pleasing to his master to learn the

22results of his expedition by the loads of spoil which almost

23daily arrived at Jummoo j and it was chiefly in this very

24agreeable and unmistakable manner, that Goolaub traced the

25progress of his General.

26Zoroveroo had studied the character of his patron to good

27purpose. He knew that his master-passion was avarice,

28and in all things he sought, by the gratification of this

29ruling passion, to secure and extend his credit with the

30Rajah. Hence it was that he refused all presents and even

31all pay from his master ; hence it was that he sent to that

32master all the bribes and presents that were offered to himself;

33and hence it was that instead of boastful despatches, he

34sent loads of booty to announce his conquests. In all this

35he simply bartered wealth for power, as, according to his hopes