1 372 HIS SUCCESSOR.
2 days before his death.* As soon as he had
3 ceased to breathe, the chief sultana took the
4 hand of Dhian Singh, the vizier, and inserting
5 it into that of Kharak Singh, the new sove-
6 reign, she placed them in that position on the
7 breast of the corpse, and made them swear to
8 be faithful to One another, and to the late
9 Maharaja’s wishes. I-think it was on the day
10 following his decease that the body was burned,
11 and, melancholy to relate, no less than four of
12 * Ranjeet Singh being the only person’ in the Sikh
13 nation who was well disposed towards his allies in the ex-
14 pedition, his death before that part of it was carried out
15 which depended on their co-operation was a serious and
16 embarrassing event, as it encouraged the hopes of the dis-
17 affected, both among Afghans and Sikhs, of our failure.
18 Its first effect was to create a desire on the part of Nao
19 Nihal Singh, and the Sirdars and troops with him, to
20 hasten back to Lahore, where parties struggling for
21 ascendancy were beginning to form their intrigues. They
22 hesitated for a time between their inclination and duty,
23 but the latter prevailed. No sooner, however, had the
24 Shah Zada advanced than the whole of the reserve broke
25 up their eamp at Attok and marched in haste to Lahore ;
26 but the contingent, the command of which had now de-
27 volved on a Mahomedan officer, viz., Sheikh Bassowan, a
28 colonel and brigadier in the French legion, remained
29 faithful to its post.