1 Anarchy. 157
2 Kashmira Singh, and still more that of the revered
3 Baba, told heavily against him. The regiments held
4 responsible for the " murders " were styled gurumdrs,
5 or "slayers of the guru," and were for a long time
6 boycotted by the rest of the army.
7 The minister had, indeed, swept two of his rivals
8 from his path ; but the third, and the most dangerous
9 one, had yet to be dealt with. Jowahir Singh, after
10 his release from confinement (effected through the
11 interposition of the army), had retired to Amritsar,
12 where, for months past, he had been secretly laying
13 his plans for the destruction of the entire Jammu
14 family. During this time he had secured the support
15 of the Akalis and the chief bais and gurus, as well
16 as of many of the sirdars and military officers who
17 from time to time resorted to the holy city. He now
18 returned to Lahore, to sow the seeds of disaffection
19 among the numerous regiments by which the capital
20 was occupied.
21 Hira Singh was not personally unpopular ; but his
22 government, or rather that of his favourite, the
23 pandit Jalla, was thoroughly obnoxious to the whole
24 Sikh community. Able enough in many ways, Jalla
25 altogether failed to appreciate the Sikh character.
26 He recognized as fully as his patron the necessity for
27 conciliating the soldiery ; but, in order to furnish
28 himself with the funds indispensable for this purpose,
29 he had recourse to the doubtful expedient of plunder-
30 ing the Sikh sirdars. His wholesale sequestration of
31 fiefs and jdgirs procured him enemies in every part of
32 the country ; while the army, though willing enough
33 to swallow his bribes, deeply resented his arrogance