Page:Viscount Hardinge and the Advance of the British Dominions into the Punjab.djvu/152

148 than 8000 or 9000 men, saw at once that his cause was hopeless before the expedition had entered the passes leading into Kashmír. He hurried down to tender his submission in person, and proceeded to make disclosures which involved Lál Singh in his downfall. It appeared that he had long been wavering between Ghuláb Singh's offer to confirm him in his government with a salary of one lakh of rupees (£120,000 a year), and Lál Singh's bribe of a receipt in full for his past accounts. He now showed letters from Lál Singh ordering him to oppose the transfer of Kashmír.

Lál Singh was forthwith put upon his trial on the charge of having treacherously violated the Treaty of Lahore, to which his own signature had been appended. The trial took place in public, before a court of British officers, composed of Sir John Littler, Currie, the two Lawrences, and Colonel Goldie. They recorded their unanimous opinion that the charge of treachery was established. The deposition of Lál Singh was accordingly demanded. To this the other members of the Darbár gave an equally unanimous assent. The great Sikh chieftain, who had first crossed swords with us at Múdkí and Firozsháh, was now, despite the ravings of the Lahore Messalina, deported to British territory, leaving a name remarkable only for intrigues and excesses of every shade of iniquity.

It was argued at the time in some quarters that the Kashmír insurrection arose from the aversion of the