Lehal Library

191 Maharajah of the Punjab After settling the affairs of Lahore, Ranjit Singh led an expedition against the Raja ofjamma, who had promised help to the Afghans. On the way to the hills, he took Vairowal, Narowal, and Jassowal, and with rapid marches came to a halt within four miles ofJammu. The Raja submitted and paid a tribute. After Jammu, Ranjit Singh turned his attention to Gujarat. He was constrained to raise the siege on the intervention of Sahib Singh Bedi.6 But he attached the estate of the chief of Akalgarh, who had gone to the help of the Bhangi chief of Gujarat. Overtures by Shah Zaman and the British Ranjit Singh came back to Lahore and found Shah Zaman's messengers waiting for him. He learned that a number of Punjab chiefs, including the Bhangis, who were hostile to him, had entered into correspondence with Zaman and promised him support. Raajit Singh accepted Zaman's gifts and compliments and dismissed the envoys with even richer gifts and more flattering compliments. The result was exactly as Ranjit Singh had anticipated. The news of his not-too-secret alliance with Zaman caused dismay among his enemies, who had looked forward to the Afghan invasion as a means of getting rid of Ranjit. It caused grave concern even to the British. In April 1800 the governor general decided to counteract the influence of Shah Zaman with Ranjit Singh, and issued instructions that 'a native agent appropriately qualified for the occasion should be immediately dispatched to the Court of Ranjit Singh with suitable instructions for impressing that chief with a just sense of the danger to which he would expose his interests and those 6 Sohan Lal gives a graphic description of the scene: 'The Exalted One (Ranjit) untied his sword from his waist and placed it on the ground before Baba Sahib Singh (Bedi). All the Sardars, Jodb Singh, Dal Singh, and Sahib Singh did the same. For one hour the swords lay on the ground and the Sardars did not say anything. Afteiwards, the said Baba Sahib Singh Lied the sword round the waist of the Exalted One and said that within a short time aJJ his opponents would be extirpated and his rule would be established throughout tl1e country.' (Da.ftar u, 49)