CHAPTER XXIV.

A.D. 1845 AND 1846.

THE subversion of the Raja Saheb's power, which, resting upon no solid foundation, had fallen to pieces by a slight touch, was accomplished with far more facility than the erection of a new fabric of government, for which no adequate provision seems to have been made. The avenue to the vuzeerat was open to Jowahir Singh, and the Mae (or Rani) Chunda proposed that her brother should be nominated minister; but the troops rejected the proposal, and, with a strange inconsistency or perversity, caused letters to be written to Lena Sing, Majethia, then at Benares, and to Peshora Singh, residing at Ferozepore, both of whom they had made exiles, inviting the former to accept the post of minister, and the latter that of commander-in-chief of the army. The prince, the least qualified person of the two for the post

tendered to him, eagerly embraced the offer, and arrived at Lahore on the 1st January, 1845. He was well received by the troops, and upon his appearance at the durbar, he unbuckled his sword and placed it at the feet of the Maharaja. But this token of submissiveness did not disarm the jealousy of the Rani Chunda and her brother, who had sufficient influence to baulk his ambition, and he was honourably exiled, with a jagir of 4,000l. per annum, in the neighbourhood of Sealkote. The prince, it is said, secretly sounded the troops, who at first manifested an inclination to uphold his pretensions; but finding that he had nothing to give them, whilst the Rani was prodigal of jewels and bracelets, they recommended "patience" to the prince, who proceeded to his estate. Lena Singh, with less ambition or more discretion, declined the glittering bait, and, notwithstanding urgent messages, remained in his secure retreat at Benares.

Meanwhile, the evils of a dissolution of authority were not slow to appear. On the 23rd December, a grand durbar was held, at

which the sirdars congratulated each other upon the emancipation of the state from the oppressions of the Dogur family, and issued their summons to Golab Singh to appear at Lahore and account for the treasures he had abstracted during the rule of Dhean Singh and Heera Singh. The recal of the European officers was likewise ordered, with a view of commencing military operations against the potent Raja of Jummoo. But these demonstrations were altogether futile in the existing state of the troops, who acted as if they were the real depositaries of the sovereign power, and absolved from all responsibility, abusing, beating, imprisoning, and expelling their officers, and maltreating all who shewed the slightest inclination to contravene their will. In one of their excesses, Jowahir Singh brought the young Maharaja before them, and endeavoured to soothe them, and by reasoning and admonition restore them to subordination; but they paid no mark of respect to the prince, and told the sirdar that he had better retire, adding, that they were determined to have only those whom they pleased to rule and lead them.

Jowahir Singh seems very soon to have fallen into complete disgrace with the army, who threatened to banish him from the city.

All military operations were now undertaken by the sole direction of the army authorities, namely, the punchayets, or regimental committees; and these operations were dictated by a desire for plunder rather than by a regard for state policy, or the safety of the country. Meean Jowahir Singh, the younger brother of Heera Singh, upon the first news of the late revolution, hastened to Jesrowta, the capital of the family possessions in the hills, where their valuables were deposited, a large portion of which he removed to the fortress of his uncle at Jummoo. The army despatched a force under Sham Singh, Atareewala, to get possession of Jesrowta, which was accomplished by the usual treachery, the troops offering to place the Meean in the office of vuzeer, upon condition that he paid down a certain sum, and engaged to raise their pay.

Young Jowahir

believing this offer to be as

sincere as it was

characteristic, fell into the snare, and admitted

a party of the troops into the fort; but, soon

discovering his error, he fled to Jummoo. The army plundered the place, as well as all the villages subject to the Dogur family in the neighbourhood, the zemindars and inhabitants flocking to Jummoo to implore the protection of Golab Singh.

The details of the administration were at this time carried on (subject to the wishes of the army) by the Rani Chunda, Jowahir Singh, and Bhae Ram Singh, the guardian of the Maharaja, a man of character and energy. The Rani was a person of some accomplishments for a Sikh lady, being skilful in the use of her pen, whereby, it is supposed, she was able to arrange and combine the means of Heera Singh's overthrow; but, belonging to no high family (being the daughter of a respectable zemindar), she possessed no family influence. She presided in person in the council, within a purdah (curtain), outside of which sat the boy Maharaja. Her brother was a man of no talents, uneducated, and addicted to low dissipation. The Rani's party was strengthened by the recal of the Sindawala chiefs, who had been banished after the revolution