. The best of his
local governors was Diwan Sawan Mal, who ruled the South-West Panjab
with much profit to himself and to the people. After 1820 the three
Jammu brothers, Rajas Dhian Singh, Suchet Singh, and Gulab Singh, had
great power.

~Successors of Ranjit Singh.~--From 1839 till 1846 an orgy of bloodshed
and intrigue went on in Lahore. Kharak Singh, the Maharaja's son, died
in 1840, and on the same day occurred the death of his son Nao Nihal
Singh, compassed probably by the Jammu Rajas. Sher Singh, and then the
child, Dalip Singh, succeeded. In September, 1843, Maharaja Sher Singh,
his son Partab Singh, and Raja Dhian Singh were shot by Ajit Singh and
Lehna Singh of the great Sindhanwalia house. The death of Dhian Singh
was avenged by his son, Hira Singh, who proclaimed Dalip Singh as
Maharaja and made himself chief minister. When he in turn was killed
Rani Jindan, the mother of Dalip Singh, her brother Jowahir Singh, and
her favourite, Lal Singh, took the reins.

[Illustration: Fig. 62. Maharaja Kharak Singh.]

[Illustration: Fig. 63. Nao Nihal Singh.]

[Illustration: Fig. 64. Maharaja Sher Singh.

(_From a picture book said to have been prepared for Maharaja Dalip
Singh._)]

~The First Sikh War and its results.~--In 1845 these intriguers, fearing
the _Khalsa_ army which they could not control, yielded to its cry to be
led across the Sutlej in the hope that its strength would be broken in
its conflict with the Company's forces. The valour displayed by the Sikh
soldiery on the fields of Mudki, Ferozeshah (Pherushahr), and Sobraon
was rendered useless by the treachery of its rulers, and Lahore was
occupied in February, 1846. By the treaty signed on 9th March, 1846, the
Maharaja ceded the territories in the plains between the Sutlej and
Bias, and in the hills between the Bias and the Indus. Kashmir and
Hazara were made over by the Company to Raja Gulab Singh for a payment
of 75 lakhs, but next year he induced the Lahore Darbar to take over
Hazara and give him Jammu in exchange. After Raja Lal Singh had been
banished for instigating Shekh Imam ud din to resist the occupation of
Kashmir by Gulab Singh, an agreement was executed, in December, 1846,
between the Government and the chief Sikh _Sardars_ by which a Council
of Regency was appointed to be controlled by a British Resident at
Lahore. The office was given to Henry Lawrence.

~The Second Sikh War.~--These arrangements were destined to be
short-lived. Diwa