1 160 A Short History of the Sikhs.
2 chance of a temporary solution of this twofold
3 problem presented itself. In the previous October
4 an estrangement had arisen between the minister and
5 his uncle Ghulab over the possession of the estates of
6 Suchet Singh and Dhian Singh, and the breach had
7 been widened by the action of the Jammu chief in
8 supporting a second attempt by Peshora Singh to
9 secure the sovereignty of the Punjab. Eventually,
10 however, a more or less amicable settlement had been
11 arrived at, by which Ghulab had agreed to share his
12 brothers' estates with Hira Singh, withdrawing at
13 the same time his support from Peshora Singh, who
14 fled for safety to the south of the Sutlej. On the
15 downfall of the ministry, Jowahir Singh, in pursuance
16 of his determination to extirpate the entire Dogra
17 family, set to work to rekindle the quarrel. This
18 was an easy task ; for the Panches were ready to
19 jump at any opportunity likely to provide employ-
20 ment for the troops, while the latter welcomed with
21 enthusiasm the prospect of plundering so rich a city
22 as Jammu ; and hence, before the end of February,
23 the forces of the Khalsa were on the march for the
24 Dogra capital.
25 Aware that his own soldiers were unable to cope
26 with those of the Khalsa, Ghulab Singh decided to
27 rely on the arts of diplomacy, in which he knew that
28 he was more than a match for Jowahir Singh. He
29 succeeded in opening negotiations with the advancing
30 army ; and, on its arrival before Jammu, he went
31 boldly amongst the troops, assuring them of his
32 loyalty to the Khalsa, and distributing presents with
33 so lavish a hand that he came to be known as the