ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>BENGAL AND INDIA SECRET LETTERS</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="BENGAL,AND,INDIA,SECRET,LETTERS"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279BENGAL AND INDIA SECRET LETTERS, also known as Letters received from India and Bengal or merely Secret Letters to the Secret Committee, preserved at the India Office Library, London. This correspondence is arranged in two series : the first covers the period 1778-1859 and the second 1817-1857. Relevant Enclosures to Secret Letters on the events and matters of India policy, from 1778 to 1859, are huge in bulk-over 20, 000 bound volumes. Some of these Secret Letters have been printed in the Blue Books, presented to British Parliament, viz. Sh&#257h Zam&#257n's apprehended invasion of India-1806-XV (11) ; Afghanistan-1839-XI, XXV (30); Sind-1843-XXXIV; and the Sikh Wars-1846, XXI.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The letters of 1804 throw light on the transactions of Lake and Ochterlony in the cis-Sutlej region, and those of 1805 on Holkar's intrusion into the Punjab. As the British interest increased in the affairs of the Sikhs, the Secret Letters became more detailed, especially about Sh&#257h Zam&#257n's invasion of the Punjab and the first British mission to the Sikh court (1798); the Metcalfe Mission to Lahore (1808); the imagined Sikh-Mar&#257&#7789h&#257 intrigues (1810); and the warlike preparations of Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh. The Enclosures to this correspondence include important documents such as Metcalfe's Minute on the British policy towards the Sikh-Scind&#299a tangle (1830); Trevelyan's report on the Indus Navigation Scheme (1831), and the Ropar meeting between Lord William Bentinck and Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh (1831). Secret Letters of later period deal with Auckland's policy towards Afghanistan and the Sikhs (1838), Punjab affairs and the Sikh co-operation during the first Anglo-Af<u>gh</u>&#257n war (1841-42). A number of letters written during the years 1842-44 describe the uncertain political state in Lahore. Events leading to the Anglo-Sikh war of 1845-46, and the details of military operations at Mudk&#299, Baddov&#257l, 'Al&#299w&#257l and Sabhr&#257o&#7749 are given (1846). They also give an account of L&#257l Si&#7749gh's administration and the rebellion in Kashm&#299r which led to the treaty of Bharov&#257l. A full account of the uprisings at Mult&#257n and H&#257z&#257r&#257 and particulars of the military operations against Mult&#257n, besides the actions at Chel&#299&#257&#7749v&#257l&#257 and Gujr&#257t are also provided (1848 and 1849).</p> </ol><p class="CONT">B. J. Hasrat<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>