Gazetteer Of The Ambala District 1892-93

· 1892 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

1Ambala District.]

2CHAP. II.—THE HISTORY. 27

3exercise political functions, and the Commissioner was appbint- Chapter Ir.

4ed the sole referee in disputes between the chiefs. The final Histo =

5step necessitated By the march of events was taken in 1852 ca

6when the revenne settlement begun for British villages in 1847 The Denes of

7was extended to the villages of the chiefs. Théreafter the ees

8chiefs have ceased to retain any relics of their former power

9except that they are still permitted to collect direct from their

10villages the cash assessment of revenue as fixed at regular

11settlement. They have sunk to the position of jagirdars, but

12as such retain a right to the revenue assigned to them in

13perpetuity, subject only to lapse on failure of heirs who are

14unable to trace descent as collaterals from the original holders

15of 1809 or such other year as may have been determined under

16the special circumstances of the family as the basis from

17which status shall be derived.

18The following account of the course of events in 1857 is taken The mutiny.

19from the Punjab Mutiny Report. The proximity of the Cis-

20Sutle} States to the focus of the revolt rendered it a very

21difficult matter to uphold in it British authority as supreme.

22The inhabitants cf a part of it were to a certain extent one with

23the rebels of Dehi in race, in feeling, and in creed; there is no

24natural boundary to separate the Punjab from the North-

25Western Provinces ; and this undividedness of country, joined

26with the care entailed on the authorities by the imperative

27necessity for holding the Grand Trunk Road, made this division

28@ very anxiouscharge. But Mr. Barnes, the Commissioner, and

29his District Officers nobly and successfully exerted themselves

30to put down all discontent and crime, and to show that we still

31had power and the means to keep it. The feudal chiefs were

32ordered to furnish their quotas of horse and foot, and the

33revenue they -had hitherto paid in commutation was remitted.

34The folfowing extract from Mr. Barnes’ report will show the

35inestimable value of the services rendered to us also by the

36chiefs of the protected Sikh States ; the first stroke towards

37securing their allegiance was taken by Mr. Forsyth, Deputy

38Commissioner of Ambala, in calling on the Raja of Patiala, at

39the very firat émeute, to send in his troops, thus leading him at

40once to take a decided part, from which he has never since

41swerved. Mr. Barnes says :—

42“ The station of Ambala was left with four weak companies (about 250 men)

43of the 2nd Bengal Fusiliers, the 5th Regiment Native Infantry, and some six-

44pounder guns, to man which we had only native artillerymen. A redoubt was

45erected with the church in the centre, and the remaining residents were

46concentrated in the hofses around. A militin was formed of .uncovenanted

47Officers; and the magazine, the treasure, and the commissariat stores were all

48lodged in the redoubt, which was garrisoned by a company of the Fusiliers.

49Owing to the defection of the Nassiri Battalion, there was no available

50escort for the siege train or forthe ammunition so urgently needed by the

51army. I offered, however, to furnish political escorts, 8nd accordingly the siegee

52train came down from Phillour under a guard of horse and foot furnished by the

53Nébha Radja, and accompanied by a detachment of the 9th Irregulars under

54Lieutenant Campbell. The ammunition was conveyed by 8 party of the Distriot

55police, and so, throughout the campaign, the most important military stores were

56constantly sent down under the charge of contingents furnished by the chiefs of

57the Ois-Sutle} States. Their troops protected our stations and patrolled the