Gazetteer of the Ludhiana district

· 1888 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

120 CHAP, If, —HISTORY,

2Chapter, ™sp above referred to ay attached to the Settlement Report shows

3— whence the various parts of the district, as it is now constituted, were

4cistory. acquired. A fall account of the treatment of the petty chiefs whose

5haste aac territories were not annexed will be found at pages [86-200 of the

6annexation at the = Punjab Rajas.” The police powers and the right to levy trausit

7CleSutle) country, duties were taken away from them at once; and, when the whole

8Punjab became ours in 1849 they lost all civil, eriminal and

9fiscal Jurisdiction, a cash demand being at the same time sub-

10stituted for their right to an undefined share of the produce,

11Thereafter they were “ considered as no more than ordinary sub-

12jects of the British Goverament, in possession of certain excep.

13tional privileges.” A cash commutation was also fixed in place of

14the lovies which they were bound to furnish for the service of the

15paramount power. |

16History from 1846 =f’ stthe work of conquest succeeded that of settling the

17fe asaT.: dministration of our new possessions. In passing we may men-

18tion the calamity which occurred to the 50th British Regiment

19shortly after its return to cantonmenta It had suffered severely

20in the battles about Forezepore and by sickness during the: cam-

21paigo, and was enjoying a well-earned rest, when in a dust storm

22one of the principal emma buildings fell, crushing to death 210

23men, women and children, When in 1840 the Punjab was annexed,

24Ludhiana ceased to be of any importance asa inilitary station,

25The cantonments wore finally abandoned in 1854 and since that

26time the only troops permanently poste have been a portion of

27some nitive regiment as a garrison for the fort. During the teu years

28succeeding the Sutlaj campaign Ludhifina is to be pronounced happy

29os having no annals, 'The work of administration progressed steadily,

30and the resources of the country developed ragdly under the

31security given by our rule. A autumary assessment in [S46-47 of

32the new acquisitions was followed in 1849-53 by a Regular Settle.

33ment of the whole district. Cultivation increased, and trade be.

34gan to flourish in consequence of the removal of the transit duties,

35the improvement of communications, and the security to life and

36property which resulted from our rule. |

37The Motiny (1857), Although Ludhidina had ceased to be a ¢antonment at the time

38of the outbreak of the Mutiny, it Iny on the route to Delhi of the

39Punjab mutineers, and also of the muccours sont by Sir J. Lawrences :

40and thare were busy aul anxious times for the Deputy Commis.

41sioner, Mr. G. H. Ricketts, and his assistant, Mr. Thornton,

42The following account of the cvents of 1957 is taken from

43the Punjab Mutiny Report. Mr. Ricketts, the Deputy Commis-

44sioner of this district, had a most difficult part to play, oud ably did

45he ae himself The town of Ludhiana commands the high

46road from Delhi to the Punjab. It stands on the bank of the

47Sutley atthe head of the bridge-of-boats connecting Hindustan

48with the Punjab proper, It is filled with dissolute, Lawless,

49mixed population of Kabul nsioners, Kashmiri shawl-workers,

50Gujars, Baurias and other: ricadoe races. There is a fort without

51“uropeans to guard it, w city without regular troops to restrain it, a

52district vine Eats in every direction, joining the seven com-

53mercial towns which form the exporia of its trade, and situated ou