KASHMIR VALLEYS 239 



in power, he neglected to pay tribute, hoarded 

 treasure, and gave himself up to the delights of 

 torturing Hindus. Ranjit Singh was again appealed to. 

 This time he came in person with his army, accompanied 

 by the Rajah of Jammu and Poonch, also a Sikh, and 

 the governor fled before him. Moti Ram was left in 

 possession, and did much towards the pacification and 

 improvement of the people, but he was succeeded by less 

 able and energetic men, and famine and sickness ravaged 

 the land. Finally, Mian Singh, a fine soldier, was sent, 

 and governed wisely and well. In 1843 the country was 

 disturbed by the turbulent tribe known as the Bombas, 

 an alien people, their leader having been entrapped 

 and imprisoned. They rose, raided, and plundered. 

 The Jammu Rajah, Gulab Singh, sought to intervene, 

 and appointed a Mahomedan governor. Then for a time 

 anarchy prevailed, but finally the country, having been 

 ceded to British Government as part of the indemnity 

 claimed from the Sikhs, we decided to hand it over to 

 Jammu. The Mahomedan governor then objected, and 

 it was not till a British army had made its appearance 

 that the country finally and absolutely passed into 

 Hindu hands, the Maharajah Gulab Singh being of 

 Dogra race. 



Here I will put in a short explanation of the word 

 " Dogra," which will leave most people, so far as under- 

 standing it goes, very much where they began, for the 

 vagueness of Indian terms is only to be equalled by the 

 assurance with which they are used! Dogra was 

 originally applied to the people dwelling between 

 Siroensar and Mansar two lakes and they claimed 

 Rajput origin. Now there are many castes and many 

 sects among these people. To one and all the term 



