1 The First Sikh War. 167
2 Whilst internal anarchy had been sapping the
3 vitality of the state, the attitude of the troops
4 towards their British neighbours had grown more
5 and more hostile ; and, by the beginning of the
6 year 1845, the invasion of British India was a
7 constant theme of discussion at the assemblies of
8 the panchayats. This hostility, as we have said
9 before, was not the outcome of racial antipathy,
10 but was due to the belief of the Sikhs that the
11 settled policy of the British was territorial aggran-
12 dizement, and that they were only awaiting a favour-
13 able opportunity to add the Punjab to their dominions.
14 During the previous five years various circumstances
15 had contributed to strengthen this belief. The an-
16 nexation of Sind in 1843 was taken as evidence
17 of the desire of the British to extend their power,
18 and the troops sent to occupy the province were
19 regarded as a direct menace to the district of
20 Multan. The chastisement by Sir Charles Napier
21 of a band of Sikh marauders, who in the early
22 part of 1845 raided the newly acquired province,
23 still further strengthened this misconception. In
24 a similar manner, the establishment of a garrison
25 at Firozpiir and the strengthening of sundry posts
26 on the Sutlej frontier, undertaken as a precaution
27 against an irruption of the turbulent Sikh army
28 into British territory, were looked upon as prepara-
29 tions for the march of an army on Lahore. At
30 the same time, rumours were in constant circulation
31 of the intention of the British to take possession
32 of the Sikh territories on the left bank of the
33 Sutlej ; and letters purporting to be from the kdrddrs