1 112 KHURUK Singh's MOTHER DISGRACED. A. D. 1816.
2 Koonwur KnuRUK Singh, was accused of scandal-
3 ous improprieties, and particularly of too notorious and
4 close an intimacy with Bhya Ram Singh, the Koon-
5 wur's Dewan. Runjeet Singh had lavished much
6 territory in Jageer upon the heir-apparent, and the
7 management was undertaken by his mother and the
8 Dewan, upon the usual condition of maintaining an effici-
9 ent contingent of horse, for service with the Sikh army.
10 Complaint, however, was loud and frequent, that the
11 "Jageers were the scene of extortion and mismanagement,
12 while the condition and equipment of the Koon war's con-
13 tingent was deemed by Runjeet highly discreditable.
14 He first endeavoured to procure a reform by exciting the
15 pride of his son, who was of age to take an interest in
16 such things, but the influence of the mother and Dewan
17 preventing any amendment, the Sikh ruler was at length
18 compelled to interfere more authoritatively. The Dewan
19 Ram Singh was thrown into confinement, and ordered
20 to account for his stewardship of the Jageers, and the
21 Koonwur's mother was directed to fix her residence in
22 the fort of Shekhoopoor. Khuruk Singh was repri-
23 manded for allowing such proceedings ; and Bhooanee
24 Das of Peshawur, was assigned to him as a new Dewan.
25 Several lakhs of rupees and some valuable jewels were
26 extorted from Ram Singh, whose banker Ootum
27 Chund of Umritsur, was also called to account, and
28 made to refund what he held for the cx-Dewan.
29 After the Dussera in October, Runjeet Singh's
30 first journey was into the hills, where he paid a visit to
31 Raja SuNSAR Chund at Nadoun, and collected his
32 yearly tributes ; thence returning, he eflected the confis-
33 cation of the Jageers and territories of Beer Singh