the entrenchments of the enemy. Tej Singh fled; but the aged Shám Singh, in white garments, devoted himself to death as a martyr for the Guru, and fell at length on a heap of his slain countrymen. Many thousands of Sikhs gallantly fell at their posts; and it was not till after two hours' fierce fighting at close quarters that the shattered remnants of the Khálsá army fled in helpless confusion across the Sutlej, under the deadly fire of the British artillery.

Three days later (February 13, 1846) the whole British army crossed the Sutlej; and, on February 14, Sir Henry Hardinge issued a proclamation announcing the intentions of the British Government, which were singularly moderate. An interview was accorded to Guláb Singh, the chosen representative of the Khálsá, and the leading Síkh chiefs, at Kasur; and ultimately the young Dhúlíp Singh personally made his submission, the citadel of Lahore was occupied by the British troops, and the country submitted on the terms imposed by the conquerors. Sufficient treasure for the payment of all the war expenses was not forthcoming, so Kashmír and Hazára were retained; and ultimately Kashmir was formed into a feudatory State under Guláb Singh of Jammu, who in return paid one million sterling towards this indemnity.

§ 2. Social Reforms.-After all these great and bloody wars, in which the armies of Sind, of Gwalior, and of the Sikhs had been successively annihilated, India enjoyed peace for nearly two years; and Lord Hardinge was able to apply himself to those humane efforts for the suppression of cruel customs with which his name is honourably connected. The horrible crimes of thuggee, infanticide, satí, and human sacrifices were still prevalent in many parts of India (see Introduction, § 93). Of the last the most famous were the Meriah sacrifices in Gumsar, amcngst the Kandhs and other non-Aryan tribes of Orissa, Gondwana, and the hills and forests of Central India. These were now suppressed. Free trade was at this time promoted by the

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abolition of octroi duties; that is, of taxes paid for importing food and other merchandise into some of the large towns of India.

Lord Hardinge left Calcutta early in 1848. During his short administration he had gained the affections of all classes; and his name will always be remembered with respect as that of a skilful and gallant soldier and a no less able and beneficent politician.

CHAPTER XXXII.

LORD DALHOUSIE-THE SECOND SÍKH WAR.

A.D. 1848-1856.

§ 1. The Second Sikh War. § 2. The Annexations of Pegu, Nagpur, and Oudh. § 3. Social Progress in India under Lord Dalhousie's rule.

§ 1. The Second Sikh War.-The Earl of Dalhousie was appointed to succeed Lord Hardinge, in the hope that he would be able to secure peace to India after the recent bloody wars. His administration lasted from 1848 to 1856, and is chiefly famous for the vast additions made to the British Indian Empire, by the annexations of the Punjab, of Pegu, in Burma, of Oudh, of Tanjore, of Nágpur, of Satára, and of Jhansi. The policy of increasing the British Empire in India by annexing other States, though not originated by Lord Dalhousie, was carried to the greatest extent by him. This policy was generally adopted out of pity for the oppressed inhabitants of the States annexed; but it has long been abandoned by the Government.

The turbulence of the Sikhs soon made it clear to the new Governor-General that another Síkh war was inevitable; and he determined to prosecute it with vigour, and to take possession of the Punjab, so as to render it im. possible for the Síkh soldiery again to disturb the peace of India. The speech which he is said to have made on

coming to this conclusion is a famous one: 'I have wished for peace; I have longed for it; I have striven for it. But if the enemies of India desire war, war they shall have; and, on my word, they shall have it with a vengeance ! *

The outbreak of the Sikhs began in Multán, where two British officers were assassinated and preparations made for defending the fortress; and the flame of insurrection soon spread throughout the Punjab. A young Englishman named Lieutenant Edwardes (afterwards Sir Herbert Edwardes), who was stationed near Multán, immediately collected some troops and prepared to attack Multán; and soon the Commander-in-Chief of the British army, Lord Gough, was in the field with a large force. Multán was taken by storm, and after a bloody and indecisive battle at Chillianwallah, Lord Gough succeeded in utterly defeating the Síkh army in the victory of GUJARAT (February 1849), which is a small town in the Doáb between the Chenáb and the Jhelam. The Sikhs had been joined by a powerful body of Afghán cavalry, who had been sent to help them by Dost Muhammad, the old foe of the English. The battle of Gujarát was remarkable, because it was won almost entirely by the tremendous fire of the English artillery. For two days a terrific storm of cannon-balls and shells pounded the Síkh lines and cut down the brave Sikhs by thousands; till at last the whole Síkh army fled before the English troops. All that. remained were at last compelled to give themselves up at various places in the Punjab as prisoners to the English. Amongst those who surrendered was Sher Singh, the chief Síkh commander; and a brave English general named Gilbert, who was one of the best of the leaders under Lord Gough, chased Dost Muhammad's Afghán cavalry across the Indus and as far as the entrance to the Khaibar Pass.

Lord Dalhousie determined to annex the Punjab to the British Indian Empire, now that the Sikhs were thoroughly defeated; for he saw that that brave people, as long as they were ill-governed, would be a continual source of

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trouble both to the Punjab and to Hindustan. The Mahárájá Dhúlíp Singh signed a treaty in full Darbár, by which he gave up the sovereignty to the English, receiving in return a large pension; and he has since lived a quiet and useful life in England as an English landowner. The Punjab was put under the rule of a Board of English Commissioners, of whom Sir Henry Lawrence was the chief, and his brother, John Lawrence (afterwards Lord Lawrence, and Governor-General of India), was the second. Ever since that time it has been well and justly governed; the Sikhs have been some of the most loyal subjects of the British Crown, and the Punjab has rapidly grown in wealth and importance.

§ 2. The Annexations of Pegu, Nágpur, and Oudh.Other annexations soon followed that of the Punjab. The second Burmese War, which broke out in 1852, was caused by the arrogance of the King of Ava, who was so foolish as to think that he might insult and injure British subjects with impunity; and the result was that all the maritime provinces of Burma (called Pegu, which is now a part of the flourishing Chief Commissionership of British Burma) were conquered and annexed in 1852 to the other provinces that had been ceded to the English in the First Burmese War. In the following year, 1853, Nágpur was also annexed, because the Mahratta Rájá had died without heirs and without having adopted a son.

In 1856 the great and populous kingdom of Oudh was also annexed. By the treaty of 1801 it had been placed under the protection of the British, and the King had been guaranteed security as long as he ruled well and peaceably. But the government had gone from bad to worse; and the anarchy and oppression in Oudh had been such as to endanger the peace of the surrounding British districts. The sufferings of the people themselves were terrible, and the British guarantee prevented their rising in insurrection with any prospect of success. Every dictate of humanity and prudence was in favour of annexation; Lord Dal

housie advised it, with the unanimous consent of his Council. The Home Government ordered that the province should be annexed; and the ex-king was transferred to Calcutta with a pension.

3. Social Progress.-A wonderful degree of progress marks the administration of Lord Dalhousie, both in civilisation and material prosperity. The first Indian railway was opened in 1853; and railways and telegraph-lines began rapidly to spread over the whole country. Vast schemes of education were set on foot; Universities were ordered to be founded; and the Presidency College in Calcutta was established in 1855. Gigantic schemes of Public Works, too, of a useful kind—such as great public buildings, roads, and canals-were planned, and large sums of money borrowed for them. The crime of extracting evidence from accused persons by torturing them was stringently put down, and earnest endeavours were made to do full justice to all classes. Indeed, during the brilliant and vigorous administration of Lord Dalhousie, which lasted eight years, from 1848 to 1856, was thoroughly inaugurated that equitable and honourable system of governing India with a single view to the happiness and prosperity of the people which has been conscientiously followed up by every succeeding Governor-General.

Lord Dalhousie left Calcutta on the 6th of March 1856. His health was utterly broken down by his labours and anxieties, and he died within a few years; but his fame will always endure as one of the greatest of the GovernorsGeneral of British India.