Machine transcription
— 103 —
cal shapes; and Macnauton, therefore, was appointed with a delega-
tion to see Ranjit Singh at Adaninagar ( 31 st. May 1838. A. D. )
During this meeting, Macnauton said that he had heard that a treaty
had been signed between Ranjit Singh and Shahshuja; and asked
whether it would not be to the benefit to the whole scheme, if a
third party-the English-could not join the confederation. Ranjit Singh,
replied that it was tantamount to adding sugar to the milk; thus sugar
and milk were added together; but as a result, neither the milk of
Shahshuja was sweetended, nor the Sikhs benefitted by the product
thereof; but the land of Afghanistan was drenched with blood, and
the hatred of the people against Shahshuja was increased very con-
siderably; and then Shahshuja met his fatal end; and the English had
to sustain moral and material losses. After the death of Ranjit Singh,
the English pushed their influence on the western sides of the Indus
river. In any case prior to the time when the Tripartite Treaty
could be hammered into shape; both Sikhs and the English made a
long discussion regarding the size and the strength of the expedi-
tionary force. The English wanted that in the actual progress of
aggression to push the Sikhs to face the dangers of battle, and they
themselves only give money as their share of the bargain; but the
Sikhs, who had seen the warlike skill of the Afghans; asked the English
to give a fighting force. Atlast on the fateful day of 26th of June
1838. A. D. (23rd of Rabee-us-Sani 1253. A. H.) the articles of
alliance on the part of the Sikhs and the English was signed, and
it devolved upon Shaashuja, the refugee and abandone former ruler,
who had no right to append his signature to the document. Shah-
shuja Saduzi, for his personal aggrandisement signed this shamful
treaty. Its text is contained in 18 clauses, which has been taken
from a handwritten manuscript giving details of the time and affairs
of Shahshuja's reign.
In as much as between the governments of high placed Khalsa
Jai, and the Government of the Lord of the earth Shahshuja ul Mulk
a treaty has been evolved four times; and for some reasons had
been postponed: now as per Mr. The Honourable William G. Manc-
nanton, the fully accredited agent of His Honour the Governor Gneral
Lord Ackland, as a mark of friendship had also been attested; the
Roughly two thirds of characters agree with a modern printed edition of the same text. Much of the disagreement is editorial, not misreading. Treat the transcription as a finding aid and read the page image before quoting. How this was measured.
