The Famine Produced Its Natural Result,
A Pestilence, Which Swept Away Many Thousands Of The People; An
Eclipse Also Added To Their Terror, And Storms Of Rain Followed By
Floods Carried Away All The Bridges.
In the year 1752, the country passed from the possession of the Mogul
throne, and fell under the rule of the Duranees, and during many
years was convulsed by a series of wars and rebellions, and subject
to numerous different governors.
In A.D. 1801, Runjeet Singh began to
come into notice, and, having consolidated the nation of the Sikhs,
had, in the year 1813 become one of the recognised princes of India. In
that year Futteh Shah entered into a treaty with him for a subsidiary
force for the invasion of Cashmere. The price of this accommodation
was fixed at 80,000L. yearly; but, before the expiration of the second
year, the Lion of the Punjab, on pretence of the non-fulfilment of
the treaty, invaded the valley on his own account at the head of a
considerable army. He was repulsed, however, and forced to retreat to
Lahore with the loss of his entire baggage. In A.D. 1819, encouraged
by recent successes against Moultan, Runjeet Singh collected an army
"as numerous as ants and locusts," and invaded the valley a second
time, and being successful, the country again fell under the sway of
a Hindoo Sovereign.
It, however, remained for some time afterwards in a disturbed state;
and for signal services against the rebellious frontier chiefs, who
were averse to Runjeet Singh's rule, Gulab Singh (the late Maharajah)
obtained possession of the territory of Jumoo, now included in the
kingdom of Cashmere.
Runjeet Singh, dying in 1839, was succeeded by his son and grandson,
successively, both of whom died shortly after their accession; and
the state of anarchy and confusion which ensued among the Sikh Sirdars
was terminated by Shere Singh being installed as Maharajah of Lahore.
Under his rule, in 1842, Gulab Singh further brought himself into
notice by reducing the kingdom of little Thibet with the army under
Zorawur Singh, and on the termination of the Sikh Campaign of the
Sutlej - Duleep Singh being established on the throne of Lahore -
he was admitted, "in consideration of his good conduct," to the
privileges of a separate treaty with the British Government.
The result of these privileges was, that he was shortly afterwards
put in possession, for "a consideration," of the entire kingdom
of Cashmere.
As indemnification for the expenses of the Sikh Campaign, the British
Government had demanded from the Lahore State the sum of a crore and
a half of rupees, or 1,500,000L. The whole of this amount, however,
was not forthcoming, and it was agreed by Article 4 of the treaty
of 9th March, 1846, with the Maharajah Duleep Singh, that all the
hill-country between the rivers Indus and Beas, including the province
of Cashmere, should be ceded to the Honourable East India Company,
in perpetual sovereignty, as an equivalent for one million sterling.
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