1 XX INTRODUCTION.
2 was then quite a young man.* It was to bring forward all
3 these facts, that chiefly induced me to undertake this Histo-
4 ry of the Punjaub ; for since Mr. Prinsep's " Life of Runjeet
5 Sing/' no work of importance has appeared except Major Law-
6 rence's a Punjaub Adventurer/' which, although it gives, gener-
7 ally speaking, a very correct account of the Seiks, still, as
8 will be seen by the Appendix to this work, it contains a
9 few errors, and it was written before all the disgraceful scenes
10 of slaughter had taken place, of which I profess to give the true
11 version. My work also includes the History of the Dogra
12 family and their iniquities, with which but few people are
13 acquainted ; though, after the account given in these pages
14 of Goolaub Sing's atrocities, the public will, I dare say, be
15 greatly surprised at the British Government entering into a
16 treaty with such a monster ; f but, when a political measure
17 is to be carried out, I verily believe we would make friends
18 with the Old Gentleman himself, — for I have now been twen-
19 ty-six years in India, and during the whole of my sojourn
20 in the East, I have never heard of so infamous a miscreant
21 as the Rajah of Jummoo,t though I am acquainted with the
22 * The Calcutta Review for August, 1844, states, that Sheer Sing, actually consulted
23 with Mr. Clerk regarding his opposing no less a person than Kurruck Sing, the only
24 son of the old Maharajh.
25 + It has been generally asserted, that making Goolaub Sing a Maharajh was a
26 mockery, and giving him Cashmeer, was in keeping ; that the justice of the act and
27 the policy were on a par. The " Rose-water " Rajah's life has been spent in the
28 enjoyment of very different feasts to " the feast of Roses," and he would soon
29 reduce " the sweetest that Earth ever gave" to the state to which Cabul's hundred
30 gardens were reduced by our " Incendiary Generals, " as Lord Brougham called
31 them.
32 All those who have heard, and " oh ! who has not heard of the Vale of Cash-
33 meer," must have observed that every traveller who has visited that place since
34 it fell into the hands of Runjeet Sing, has heard the unfortunate inhabitants cry
35 out against the oppression of the Seik chieftain, and now their falling into the
36 power of Goolaub Sing is like escaping from Scylla into Charybdis.
37 t See " Punjaub Adventurer," Chap. XIII. p. 75, Note 1st.—" Goolaub Sing is the
38 elder brother, and, in the family pact, he has charge of their conquered territories
39 in the hills : while he manages those of Dhyan Sing, he yearly adds to his