SOBRAON.

The Governor-General of India to the Secret Committee.

Camp, Kenha Cuchwa, Feb. 19, 1846.

The immediate result of the victory of Aliwal was the evacuation by the Sikh garrisons of all the forts, hitherto occupied by detachments of Lahore soldiers, on this side of the river Sutlej, and the submission of the whole of the territory on the left bank of that river to the British Government.

The Sikh army remained in its entrenched position; and, though on the first intelligence of the victory of Aliwal, and at the sight of the numerous bodies which floated from the neighbourhood of that battle-field to the bridge of boats at Sobraon, they seemed much shaken and disheartened, and though many were reported to have left them and gone to their homes, yet after a few days, the Sikh troops seemed as confident as ever of being able to defy us in their entrenched position, and to prevent our passage on the river.

The Commander-in-Chief was not in a state to take advantage of the enemy's defeat at Aliwal, by an attack on his entrenched position, at Sobraon, until the troops under Major-General Sir Harry Smith should have rejoined his Excellency's camp, and the siege train and ammunition should have arrived from Delhi. The first portion of the siege train, with the reserve ammunition for 100 field guns, reached the Commander-in-Chief's camp, on the 7th and 8th instant. On the latter day, the brigades which had been detached from the main army for the operations in the neighbourhood of Loodiana, rejoined the Commander-in-Chief. Within forty-eight hours from that time, the enemy's entrenched camp was carried by storm, his army almost annihilated, sixtyseven guns captured, and during the night of the 10th, on which this glorious victory was achieved, the advanced brigades of the British army were thrown across the Sutlej. Early on the 12th our bridge was completed, and on the 13th the Commander-inChief, with the whole force, excepting the heavy train, and the

division left to collect and bring in the wounded to Ferozepore, with the captured guns, were encamped in the Punjaub, at Kussoor, sixteen miles from the bank of the river opposite Ferozepore, and thirty-two miles from Lahore.

For the details of these important and decisive operations, I must refer you to the enclosures of this despatch.

I cannot, however, refrain from expressing briefly the pride and gratification with which I communicate to you these results, so eminently evincing the energetic decision of the Commanderin-Chief's operations, and the indomitable courage of the British Indian army under His Excellency's command and which will, I am convinced, be met with a corresponding feeling by the Home Government and the British public.

I returned to Ferozepore from the field of Sobraon, on the afternoon of the 10th, within a few hours after the action had ceased, to superintend the passage of the Sutlej by our troops.

I joined the camp of the Commander-in-Chief at Kussoor on the morning of the 14th.

On the arrival at Lahore of the news of the complete victory of Sobraon, the Ranee and Durbar urged Rajah Gholab Singh to proceed immediately to the British camp, to beg pardon in the name of the Durbar and the Sikh Government for the offence which had been committed, and to endeavour to negociate some arrangement for the preservation of the country from utter ruin.

The Rajah first stipulated that the Durbar and the chief officers of the army, as well as the members of the Punchayets, should sign a solemn declaration that they would abide by such terms as he might determine on with the British Government. This is said to have been immediately acceded to; and, on the 15th, Rajah Gholab Singh, Dewan Deena Nath, and Fakeer Noor-ooddeen, arrived in my camp at Kussoor, with full credentials from the Maharajah, and empowered to agree, in the name of the Maharajah and the Government, to such terms as I might dictate. The Rajah was accompanied by the Barukzie Chief, Sooltan Mahomed Khan, and several of the most influential Sirdars of the nation.

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I received the Rajah in Durbar as the representative of an offending Government, omitting the forms and ceremonies usually observed on the occasion of friendly meetings, and refusing to receive, at that time, the proffered Nuzzurs and complimentary offerings.

I briefly explained to the Rajah and his colleagues that the offence which had been committed was most serious, and the conduct of the chiefs and the army was most unwarrantable,-that this offence had been perpetrated without the shadow of any cause of quarrel on the part of the British Government, in the face of an existing treaty of amity and friendship,—and that, as all Asia had witnessed the injurious conduct of the Sikh nation, retributive justice required that the proceedings of the British Government should be of a character which would mark to the whole world that insult could not be offered to the British Government, and our provinces invaded by a hostile army, without signal punishment.

I told the Rajah that I recognised the wisdom, prudence, and good feeling evinced by him in having kept himself separate from these unjustifiable hostilities of the Sikhs, and that I was prepared to mark my sense of that conduct in the proceedings which must now be carried through. I stated, in the most marked manner and words, my satisfaction that he who had participated in the offence, and whose wisdom and good feeling towards the British Government were well known, had been the person chosen by the Durbar as their representative for negotiating the means by which atonement might be made, and the terms on which the Sikh Government might be rescued from impending destruction, by a return to amicable relations between the British Government and the Lahore State.

I told the Rajah and his colleagues that Mr. Currie, the Chief Secretary to Government, and Major Lawrence, my agent, were in full possession of my determination on the subject; that they were in my entire confidence; and I referred the chiefs to those officers, that they might learn from them the principles and details

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of adjustment which I had determined to offer for their immediate acceptance.

The chiefs remained the greater part of the night in conference with Mr. Currie and Major Lawrence; but, before they separated, a paper was signed by them to the effect that all that had been demanded would be conceded, and that arrangements would be immediately made, as far as were in the power of the chiefs, to carry out the details that had been explained to them.

The terms demanded and conceded are, the surrender, in full sovereignty, of the territory, hill and plain, lying between the Sutlej and Beas rivers, and the payment of one and a half crores of rupees as indemnity for the expenses of the war,—the disbandment of the present Sikh army, and its re-organization on the system and regulations with regard to pay which it obtained in the time of the late Maharajah Runjeet Singh, the arrangement for limiting the extent of the force to be henceforth employed, to be determined on in communication with the British Government, the surrender to us of all the guns that had been pointed against us,-the entire regulation and controul of both banks of the river Sutlej, and such other arrangements for settling the future boundaries of the Sikh State, and the organization of its administration, as might be determined on at Lahore.

It was further arranged that the Maharajah, with Bhaee Ram Singh, and the other chiefs remaining at Lahore, should forthwith repair to the camp of the Governor-General, and place themselves in the hands of the Governor-General, to accompany his camp to Lahore.

I had prepared, for circulation on my arrival at Kussoor, a Proclamation declaratory of my present views and intentions with regard to the Punjaub,-a translation of which was given to Rajah Gholab Singh and his colleagues, and a copy of which is enclosed for your information.

It was determined that the Maharajah should meet me at Lulleana on the 18th (yesterday), when the camp arrived at that

place. On the afternoon of the 17th, it was announced to me, that the Maharajah, with Bhaee Ram Singh and other Chiefs had instantly, on receiving the summons from Rajah Gholab Singh, hastened from Lahore, and that they had arrived at Rajah Gholab Singh's camp, pitched about a mile beyond our picquets, and that His Highness was ready at once to wait upon me.

I considered it right to abide by the first arrangement, and I directed that it should be intimated to the Maharajah and the chiefs, that I would receive His Highness, on the day appointed, at Lulleana, eleven miles in advance, on the road to Lahore.

Yesterday afternoon the Maharajah, attended by Rajah Gholab Singh, Dewan Deena Nath, Fakeer Noor-ood-deen, Bhaee Ram Singh, and ten or twelve other chiefs, had an interview with me in my Durbar tent, where the Commander-in-Chief and Staff had been invited by me to be present to receive them.

As on the occasion of Rajah Gholab Singh's visit, I omitted the usual salute to the Maharajah, and curtailed the other customary ceremonies on his arrival at my tent, causing it to be explained that, until submission had been distinctly tendered by the Maharajah in person, he could not be recognised and received as a friendly prince.

Submission was tendered by the minister and chiefs, who accompanied the Maharajah, and the pardon of the British Government was requested on such conditions as I should dictate, in the most explicit terms; after which, I stated, that the conditions having been distinctly made known to the minister, Rajah Gholab Singh, and the chiefs accredited with him, it was unnecessary to discuss them in that place, and in the presence of the young Maharajah, who was of too tender an age to take part in such matters; and that, as all the requirements of the British Government had been acquiesced in, and their fulfilment promised in the name of the Maharajah and Durbar, I should consider myself justified in treating the young Maharajah from