1 20 HISTORY OF THE PUNJAUB FROM
2 found less calculated to occupy the place of Ruii-
3 jeet Singh than his successor, Kurruck Singh.
4 Naturally of very weak intellect, his education
5 also totally neglected, he soon proved himself
6 wholly incompetent to hold the reins of govern-
7 ment. Some years previous to his death Runjeet
8 Singh had taken into his especial favour the Dogra
9 family of his minister, the Bajah Dhyan Singh,
10 consisting of the minister's son, the Bajah Heera
11 Singh, and his two brothers, the Rajahs Goolab
12 Singh and Soochet Singh ; upon all of whom he
13 conferred the title of Rajah, with princely jagheers
14 (lands) for their maintenance. These men, al-
15 though of good family, were at one time so poor
16 as to have served in the Maharajah's irregular
17 cavalry as common dragoons upon a rupee a day.
18 The three brothers, however, though almost un-
19 educated, soon proved themselves men of such
20 ability, that they rapidly rose in Runjeet Singh's
21 favour, and, latterly, scarcely any affair of im-
22 portance was undertaken by Runjeet that was
23 not entrusted to one of them. For a long time
24 after the death of Runjeet their paramount influ-
25 ence over public affairs, added to their prodigious
26 wealth, enabled them almost to hold the destinies
27 of the Punjaub in their own hands. They were,
28 however, more feared than liked, and looked upon
29 with great jealousy by the other sirdars. They
30 were all singularly handsome and well-mannered