1 188 A Short History of the Sikhs.
2 in-law of the Maharaja), Diwan Dina Nath, the
3 finance minister, and Fakir Nur-ud-din, a brother
4 of Ranjit Singh's favourite adviser, Azziz-ud-din.
5 The dismissal of her favourite and accomplice was
6 a great blow to the Rani. With the support of
7 Dina Nath, she proposed that she herself should be
8 placed at the head of the administration ; but the
9 sirdars, the only class in the country genuinely
10 anxious for the restoration of law and order, stoutly
11 opposed such a step. Nay, more ; so alarmed were
12 these men at the difficulties of the task which
13 confronted them, the task not only of establishing a
14 strong and permanent government, but of combating
15 the intrigues of the court and suppressing the
16 dangerous temper of the troops, and that without a
17 British force to support them — for the time for
18 the withdrawal of the army of occupation was
19 at hand — that they decided to ask the British
20 Government to take entire control of the administra-
21 tion of the state until the Maharaja should attain his
22 majority.
23 On December 15, Lord Hardinge, who the
24 day previous had arrived at Bhairowal, a few
25 marches from Lahore, received a deputation of the
26 sirdars, and made known to them the terms on which
27 he was prepared to grant their request. To these the
28 sirdars gave their unanimous consent, and on the
29 16 th the Treaty of Bhairowal was signed. Its main
30 provisions were as follows : — That a British Resident
31 at Lahore should be appointed by the Governor-
32 General ; that the administration of the country
33 should be conducted by a council of regency, com-