Page:The Earl of Auckland.djvu/82

76 soon became needful to employ the methods commonly adopted by the strong against the weak. Along the line of march our political agents were carrying out with a high hand the coercive measures entrusted to their charge. Even the friendly Nawáb of Bháwalpur, a little state bordering the Sutlej and the Indus, was bullied and lectured into furnishing the requisite supplies, while Burnes was engaged in teaching the Amírs of Khairpur in Upper Sind a lesson of prompt obedience to the demands of their new allies.

Towards the princes and people of Sind yet stronger measures had to be applied. It was no time to stand upon vulgar scruples, to respect either the prejudices of Native rulers or the faith of treaties which the needs of the moment had rendered obsolete. Colonel Henry Pottinger, the Resident at Haidarábád, was bidden by Lord Auckland to inform the Sind Amírs that the article in the treaty of 1832, which forbade our using the Indus for the conveyance of military stores, 'must necessarily be suspended during the course of operations undertaken for the permanent establishment of security to all those who are a party to the treaty.' The Amírs were threatened with the loss of their independence and even of their rule, in the event of resistance to our 'just and necessary' demands, or of any further intrigue with the Sháh of Persia. Pottinger himself, who had seen nothing serious in the civilities lately exchanged between Teherán and Haidarábád, and who had his own scruples about breaking faith on doubtful pretexts,