ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>HISTORY OF THE PUNJAB </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 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">&#65279<i>HISTORY OF THE PUNJAB</i> (and of the Rise, Progress and Present Condition of the Sect and Nation of the Sikhs) is an anonymous work in two volumes ascribed variously to T.H. Thornton (Catalogue of the Sikh Reference Library, Amritsar), H.T. Prinsep (Catalogue of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 College, Amritsar), and William Murray (Catalogue of Dwark&#257 D&#257ss Library, Cha&#7751&#7693&#299ga&#7771h). Completed on 11 May, 1846 and first published in 1846 by Allen and Co., London, and reprinted in 1970 by the Languages Department, Punjab, Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, the book is the first detailed history of the Punjab and the Sikhs. The bulk of the work (chapters VI to XVI) is based on <i>Origin of the Sikh Power in the Punjab</i> by Prinsep who had himself made extensive use of the papers of Murray, whereas the last nine chapters (XVII to XXV) are based on the Ludhi&#257&#7751&#257 Agency Records and other contemporary sources. The first volume, comprising eleven chapters, deals with the hydrography of the Punjab (Ch. I), topography of the Punjab and its socio-economic <i>milieu</i> (Ch. II) and early and medieval history of the Punjab (Chs. III and IV). The author identifies the Sikhs with the ancient tribes of the Scythian Getes and also describes various Sikh sects and institutions such as Ud&#257s&#299s, Suthr&#257sh&#257h&#299s, R&#257m R&#257&#299s, Nirmal&#257s, <i>gurmat&#257</i>, Ak&#257l&#299s, etc. Sikh history from 1708-91, with special reference to the military exploits of Band&#257 Si&#7749gh Bah&#257dur, his arrest and execution, invasions of Ahmad Sh&#257h Durr&#257n&#299 and the establishment of the <i>misls</i> is dealt with in chapters VII to IX. The remaining two chapters deal with Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh's occupation of Lahore and his subsequent conquests. Volume II, comprising chapters XII to XXV and appendices I to VIII, covers the reigns of Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh and his successors, the first Anglo-Sikh war, submission of the Lahore Darb&#257r and the post-war settlement. The book echoes the official version of the war favouring the British. About Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh, it says : "Humanity, indeed, or rather a tenderness for life, in spite of some acts of harshness, was a tr&#257it in the character of Runjeet Singh: There is no instance of his having wantonly imbrued his hands in blood" (pp. 180-81). Further : although totally illiterate, Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh could dictate orders on State business with natural intelligence (p. 176) ; he possessed a sharp intellect and retentive memory, and audited all the revenue accounts (p. 177) ; his passion for horses amounted almost to insanity; he took great delight in military parades and display; neither a bigot nor unconcerned in matters of religion, he was scrupulous in the performance of the rules of Sikhism (p. 184); a regiment of amazons (nautch girls) of superb beauty entertained him in his hours of relaxation (p. 182); his conduct towards the British was "marked with sagacity" (p. 198). The book contains a firsthand account of Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh-Auckland meeting at F&#299rozpur (November 1838). In the preparation of this work the author seems to have made use of all the sources in English then available, but none in Punjabi or Persian. The chapters on the rise of Sikhs and their religion, and their institutions are primarily based on Malcolm and the author repeats the errors made by him.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Darshan Singh, <i>Western Perspective on the Sikh Religion</i>. Delhi, 1991<BR> <li class="C1"> Fauja Singh, <i>Historians and Historiography of the Sikhs</i>. Delhi, 1978<BR> <li class="C1"> Khurana, Gianeshwar, <i>British Historiography on the Sikh Power in Punjab</i>. Delhi, 1985<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Bhagat Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>