1 Decline of the Sikh Monarchy. 141
2 and he was crushed to death beneath the debris.
3 According to some, but a single beam fell, killing the
4 Maharaja and the son of Ghulab Singh, who was
5 riding on the same elephant. Others assert that it
6 was the brick parapet of the gateway which collapsed,
7 and others that the crowding of the elephants over-
8 strained and brought down the whole structure.
9 Whatever the truth may be, the minister was rid of
10 Nao Nihal Singh, and the Sikh people were bereft of
11 a gallant and promising ruler.
12 The most important features of Nao Nihal's
13 regency were the military operations carried out by
14 General Ventura and by Raja Ghulab Singh. The
15 former led an expedition into the mountainous country
16 to the north of the Simla hills, where he overcame
17 the Raja of Mandi, annexing his state, together with
18 the domains of other hill chieftains, including the
19 district of Suket. The latter, who had for some
20 years been extending the boundaries of Kashmir,
21 completed the subjugation of Ladak with its capital
22 Leh, and the district of Baltistan, or Little Tibet.
23 Dhian Singh, as soon as he knew that the Maharaja
24 was really dead, sent intelligence of the disaster to
25 Sher Singh, the nearest approach to a son of Ranjit
26 Singh that remained, urging him to hurry to Lahore
27 and establish his claim to the vacant throne. Sher
28 Singh, who was then at Batala, lost no time in
29 following the minister's advice. He reached the
30 capital on the 7th of November, and the same day
31 was proclaimed ruler of the Punjab. Unfortunately,
32 however, Sikh custom demanded that during the
33 days of mourning, twelve in number, he should take