1 A. D. 1807. BIRTH OF SHEER SINGH. 63
2 ascertained, arrived to demand a surrender of treasures,
3 and to enforce a resumption of the chiefs territory. After
4 a slight resistance, the family was compelled to submit, and
5 though the sous at first received a small provision for
6 subsistence, they were soon deprived of even this means
7 of support, and have since lived in indigence. On his
8 route back from Nurayungurh, Runjeet Singh seized
9 Moonda, south of the Sutlej, from the son of Dhurum
10 Singh, and sold it to the Jhecnd Sirdar : and Bhulolpoor
11 and Bhurtgurh were similarly taken from B HUG HA EEL
12 Singh's widow. In December, Runjeet Singh re-
13 turned to Lah6r, and was presented by his wife, Mehtab-
14 KooNWUR, with twins. The boys were named Sheer
15 Singh and Tara Singh, but Runjeet has never fully
16 acknowledged themashisown offspring. Mehtab-Koon-
17 wur's fidelity had for some time been suspected by her
18 husband, and she had, in consequence, been living with her
19 mother, Suda Koonwur. The report ran, that the boys
20 were procured by the latter from a carpenter and weaver,
21 and were produced as born to her daughter, the public
22 having for some time previously been prepared for the
23 birth, by reports circulated of Mehtab being with child.
24 Sheer Singh has latterly been honored with military
25 commands and a Jageer, and was fortunate in having
26 been the leader of the expedition, wherein the Mohum-
27 medan pretender, Seyud Ahmed was slain in 1831 ; but
28 neither before nor since this event, has he ever been
29 recognized by Runjeet as his own son, and Tara
30 Singh is treated with uniform neglect.
31 The commencement of 1808 was marked by the seizure
32 of Pathun Kot, under the Kangra hills, belonging to
33 J YMUL Ghunea, and by exactions from chiefs in the hills