A history of the Sikhs, from the origin of the nation to the battles of the Sutlej.

250

HISTORY OF THE SIKHS

CHAP. VIII

1842. Col. Lawrence1 enabled a portion of the Lahore troops
to share in that retributive march, as they had before
shared in the first invasion, and fully shown their fitness
for meeting difficulties when left to do so in their own
way.
Discussions The proposition of conferring Jalalabad o.n Gulab Singh
regarding was taken up in a modified form by the new GovernorJaldldbad,
and the General, Lord Ellenborough. As his lordship's views
limits of became formed, he laid it down as a principle that neither
Sikh dominion. the English nor the Sikh Government should hold dominion
beyond the Himalayas and the ' Safed Koh' of Kabul;
and as the Durrani alliance seemed to be severed, there was
little to apprehend from Jammfi and Barakzai intrigues.
It was, therefore, urged that Gulab Singh should be required
by the Maharaja to relinquish Ladakh, and to accept
Jalalabad on equal terms of dependency on the Punjab.2
The Sikhs were sufficiently desirous of adding to their
dominion another Afghan district; but the terms did not
satisfy Gulab Singh, nor did Sher Singh see fit to come to
any conclusion until he should know the final views of the
English with regard to the recognition of a government in
Kabul.3 The death of Shah Shuja and his suspicious proceedings were held to render the re-occupation of the country
unnecessary, and the tripartite treaty was declared to be
at an end; 4 but the policy of a march on the Afghan
capital was strongly urged and wisely adopted.5 There
1 Lieut.-Col. Lawrence to Major Mackeson, 23rd Aug. 1842. Lieut.Col. Lawrence's article in the Calcutta Review (No. III, p. 180) may
also be advantageouslyreferred to about the proceedings at Peshawar
under Col. Wild, Sir George Pollock, and Raja Gulab Singh.
2 Government to Mr. Clerk, 27th April 1842.
3 Mr. Clerk to Government, 18th May 1842.
4 Government to Mr. Clerk, 27th May and 29th July 1842. In the
treaty drafted by the Sikhs to take the place of the tripartite one,
they put forward a claim of superiority over Sind, and somewhat
evaded the question of being parties only, instead of principals, to
the acknowledgement of a ruler in Kabul. The treaty, however,
never took a definite shape.
5 Even the Sikhs talked of the impolicy, or, at least, the disgrace, of
suddenly and wholly withdrawing from Afghanistan in the manner
proposed. (Mr. Clerk to Government, 19th July 1842.) Mr. Clerk
himself was among the most prominent of those who at first modestly
urged a march on Kabul, and afterwards manfully remonstrated