ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>PUNJAB IN 1839-40 THE</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>PUNJAB IN 1839-40, THE</i>, edited by Ga&#7751&#7693&#257 Si&#7749gh and published by the Sikh History Society, Amritsar/Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, 1952, is a compilation of selections from the Punjab <i>A<u>kh</u>b&#257rs</i>, Punjab intelligence reports, etc., reproducing stray newsletters of interest from Lahore, Pesh&#257war, K&#257bul, Kashm&#299r, etc., and extracts from the Punjab intelligence reports pertaining to certain events in the Punjab. The <i>A<u>kh</u>b&#257rs</i>, originally written in Persian and translated into English for the benefit of British officers, contain vital information on events in the Punjab during the historic seventeen months they relate to. Besides, they provide sidelights on the administrative system of the Sikhs, the social and economic conditions in the Punjab and on the lives and style of the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257s and their courtiers. References also exist to a number of European officers employed by the Lahore Darb&#257r.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The period covered includes the last three and a half months of the life of Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh, who emerges from these papers as a ruler of liberal vision, firm in his religious faith but treating all his subjects Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs &#8212 alike. His illness and death are reported and he is said to have distributed during his last days one crore of rupees in charities in cash and kind. His successor, Kha&#7771ak Si&#7749gh, is depicted, contrary to the rumour spread by his enemies, as a humane and conscientious ruler, who discouraged excessive drinking by government officials and forbade any injury by the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 troops to cultivation. The widening rift between him and his son Ka&#7749var Nau Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh is attributed to the scheming of R&#257j&#257 Dhi&#257n Si&#7749gh supported by Bh&#257&#299 R&#257m Singh and Bh&#257&#299 Gobind R&#257m "who recommended Koonwur Now-Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh to possess himself of the administration."</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The newsletters relate some minor incidents which reveal how relations between the Sikhs and the British had become strained during the first Anglo-Af<u>gh</u>&#257n war. They give information about Col Wade's march to Pesh&#257war with Shahz&#257d&#257 Taim&#363r, Sh&#257h Shuj&#257's eldest son, at the head of an auxiliary force and the disturbed state of affairs in that region. There is also interesting information regarding the prevalent prices of foodgrains in Kashm&#299r and Der&#257 Ism&#257'&#299l <u>Kh</u>&#257n in 1839. In Kashm&#299r&#299 currency of which 15 rupees were equivalent to 100 N&#257naksh&#257h&#299 rupees, the rice sold at 48 <i>seers</i> per rupee, wheat 60 <i>seers</i> and barley 90 <i>seers</i>. However, at Mult&#257n, during the same period, wheat was priced at 8 <i>seers</i> a rupee and at &#7693er&#257 Ism&#257'&#299l <u>Kh</u>&#257n the maximum rate was 21 <i>seers</i> a rupee.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The activities of Ka&#7749var Nau Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh are reported by the news-writers. In March 1839, he was sent to Pesh&#257war to see Col Wade's force across the <u>Kh</u>aibar Pass in fulfilment of the Tripartite treaty. Upon the death of Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh he issued a <i>parw&#257n&#257</i> seeking deferment of the ceremony for this father's installation until his arrival in the capital. He hastens to Lahore and makes all the <i>sard&#257rs</i> sign a document, confrming him as Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Kha&#7771ak Si&#7749gh's successor and his own <i>mu<u>kh</u>t&#257r</i>. He is offered 'a <i>j&#257g&#299r</i> worth 15,00,000 rupees per annum in the north west, but he insists that the whole of the Do&#257b&#257 territory or Mult&#257n should be assigned to him. Ka&#7749var Nau Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh objected to the growing power of Kha&#7771ak Si&#7749gh's favourite, Chet Si&#7749gh, and desired his dismissal.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The <i>A<u>kh</u>b&#257rs</i> also furnish stray information on the various parts of the kingdom &#8212Pesh&#257war, Kashm&#299r, the &#7693er&#257j&#257t and the tributary hill states. Intelligence from hills refers to the insurgency of M&#299&#257&#7749 Ratan Chand in 1840, and measures taken by Lah&#7751&#257 Si&#7749gh Maj&#299&#7789h&#299&#257 to quell the revolt. The warlike activities of Waz&#299r Zor&#257war Si&#7749gh, the &#7692ogr&#257 deputy in Isk&#257rd&#363 in June 1840, are reported in <i>Kashm&#299r News</i>. The names are mentioned of some of the feringhee officers in the service of Lahore government &#8212 Ventura, Court, Avitabile, Steinbach, Cortlandt and others. Avitabile's rule at Pesh&#257war was firm, but harsh. "General Avitabile had thrown down a sepoy from a rock and had another sepoy stoned to death." Court was honoured with the rank of General in October 1839. Allard was a commander of Sikh artillery at Pesh&#257war, while Cortlandt was a battalion commander there. Martin Honigberger was promised a <i>j&#257g&#299r</i> for curing Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh. Ventura conducted a successful expedition against the R&#257j&#257 of Ma&#7751&#7693&#299 in 1840. He issued a general order prohibiting the sale of hill children and women into slavery. In recognition of his services, the administration of the hill tract of Suket and Kulu was entrusted to him. Other matters of interest to which these news-letters refer are : the description of Sikh flag, the Sikh <i>d&#257k</i> couriers; punishments for various crimes, the Lahore arsenal, and the existence of a State Library under Munsh&#299 <u>Kh</u>ushwaqt R&#257i at Lahore.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1">Fauja Singh, ed., <i>Historians and Historiography of the Sikhs.</i> Delhi, 1978<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">B. J. Hasrat<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>