1 SECRET HISTORY
2 OF THE
3 LAHORE DURBAR.
4 Some years prior to Runjeet Sing's death, or rather from the
5 date of Heera Sing's birth, Raja Dehan Sing, by means of the
6 wiliest insinuation had so well worked himself into the old Lion's
7 favor, that he may be said to have held the reins of government
8 entirely in his own hands. Thus established as the only, or at
9 all events the chief, favorite of the one-eyed monarch, he
10 unremittingly employed every endeavor to get rid of the old
11 Seik Sirdars, and so weakened their authority that there soon
12 remained not one among them all who possessed either the
13 power or the courage to oppose him in any of his wishes. So
14 far even did his influence extend, that no Sirdar, however
15 high in rank, even though he were the king's son, was allowed
16 to enter the presence of the Sovereign without the minister's
17 sanction being first received. Frequent instances have been
18 known of Kurruck Sing and Shere Sing being obliged to wait
19 for hours together, and to bribe the gate-keepers and court
20 attendants to procure them permission to go and pay their
21 respects to the old King. About this time he succeeded in
22 forcing on Runjeet the opinion that his only son Kurruck
23 Sing was not of sound or proper mind, and consequently unfit
24 to govern, as he would be expected to do. In support of this
25 assertion care was taken that by the insufficiency of means placed
26 at his disposal, the greater part of the expeditions on which
27 he was sent should either partially or entirely fail, and accord-
28 ingly he was regarded as being incapable of command. But