Ranjit Singh

Sir Lepel Henry Griffin · 1892 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

1LATER CONQUESTS 21 1

2overwhelmed by a gathering of the Yusafzais, five

3times as numerous as the Sikh force, whom he de-

4feated after a most stubborn and gallant fight. To his

5assistance Sirdar Budh Singh Sindhanwalia, a splendid

6soldier, was despatched. This cousin of the Mahar6j4

7had become suspect, and Ranjit Singh sent him to

8the frontier in the hope that the chances of frontier

9service would prevent his return to Court. The

10origin of his disgrace was this. In 1825, *>he Maha-

11raja was ill at the Bimbagh, in Amritsar, and his

12physicians had given him up. Budh Singh, one of

13the most powerful chiefs, with his reckless brothers

14Attar Singh and Lehna Singh, determined to be pre-

15pared for the worst, and attempted to surprise the

16fort of Govindgarh at night, rightly thinking that the

17possession of this fortress would give an immense

18advantage to its holder in the scramble for territory

19and power which would follow the death of the

20Maharajd. He heavily bribed the officers in charge,

21and forged an order in the Maharaja's name for the

22surrender to him of the fortress ; but the comman-

23dant, Jamadar Khushhal Singh, suspected treachery,

24and declared that he would not open the fort gates at

25night to the Maharaj& himself. So the plot failed;

26and the Maharajd recovering and hearing the story,

27a change of air to Hazara was considered advisable

28for Budh Singh. Here he did excellent service. At

29Akora he fought Syad Ahmad Shall and defeated him,

30but lost five hundred men. The next day he advanced

31to Jagira, where he was joined by the Dogra chiefs

32o %