1 A. D. 1765 to 1773. SIKH ASSOCIATIONS. 29
2 according to the degree in which he might have contri-
3 buted to the acquisition. The associations were called
4 31isuls, implying that they were confederacies of equals,
5 under chiefs of their own selection. The chief was to
6 lead in war, and act as arbiter in peace : he was respected
7 and treated with deference by the inferior Sirdars, but
8 these owned no obligation to obey, beyond what they
9 might consider to be for their own reciprocal benefit, or
10 for the well being of the Misul. The confederacies had
11 each their distinguishing title, and at this period there
12 are twelve principal Misuls enumerated, which together
13 could bring into tiie field about 70,000 horse. The fol-
14 lowing is a recapitulation of them.
15 yumber of Hor$f>
16 1st. "TheBhungee 3Iisul, at the head of which
17 were the chiefs Huree Singh, Jhundee
18 Singh and Ghunda Singu, originally three
19 Jat cultivators of the Dooab. The Misul de-
20 rived its name from the extraordinary addiction
21 of its members to the use of BJiung, an intoxi-
22 cating smoking material, prepared from the
23 leaves of the Hemp plant. Its possessions are
24 now incorporated iu the Labor dominions, 10,000
25 2nd. The Ramgurheea Misul, taking its name
26 from a village east of Labor, of which the chief,
27 JuSA Singh, was originally a Thoka or carpen-
28 ter. Its possessions are also incorporated in
29 RuNJEET Singh's dominions, 3,000
30 3rd. The Ghunneya Misul, headed by Jy
31 Singh, a Jat of Ghunuee, which lies also east
32 of Labor. Its possessions have likewise been
33 seized by RuNJEET Singh, 8,000