1854.] A Sketch of the Mahomedan History of Cashmere. 457 



during the three months of its continuance, the shocks at first were 

 not less than 100 per diem, after which they gradually diminished : 

 the inhabitants lived entirely in tents. At this time the Epjah of 

 Mosafferabad revolted, but was defeated and made prisoner by 

 Keerpa Earn. This governor was very fond of display, but was 

 nevertheless a good ruler. At length he excited the jealousy of 

 Eajah Dhian Singh, the minister of Eunjeet, who brought about his 

 recall, (A. D. 1830 ;) the order summoning the governor to appear 

 at the Lahore durbar and give an account of his stewardship, took, 

 him entirely by surprize ; it arrived during a nocturnal fete, which 

 he was enjoying with his suite at the Lank island, in the city lake, 

 (locally, the dhull,) which he had illuminated for the occasion. 

 This sudden disgrace, arriving thus in the hour of revel, greatly 

 disconcerted the unfortunate Keerpa Earn, who nevertheless obeyed, 

 and proceeded to Lahore, where he was imprisoned for a short time 

 on the plea of embezzling the public money : subsequently his own and 

 his father Motee Eam's estates being confiscated to make good the 

 pretended deficit, he was released, and, soon after, resorted to that 

 refuge of all disgraced Punjab functionaries, a pilgrimage to Hurd- 

 war, where his subsequent poverty was the best argument for his 

 innocence of the peculation attributed to him. He was succeeded 

 (A. D. 1830,) as governor by Bumma Singh, in whose single year of 

 power, disturbances occurred between the Shiahs and Soonees. 



A. D. 1831. — Prince Shere Singh (afterwards Maharajah) now 

 assumed the government of Cashmere, and appointed Bisakur Singh 

 his Dewan, who attended to the affairs of the country, whilst the 

 Prince took his pleasure in field sports, to which he was much 

 addicted. The Prince himself was an easy ruler, but neglected his 

 charge, and allowed his Dewan to extort money on his own account. 

 A great famine also at this time added to the miseries of the people, 

 thousands of whom died, and many fled the country to Hindustan 

 and the Punjab, where their wretched condition attracted the notice 

 of Eunjeet, who forthwith despatched Jemadar Kooshial Singh, with 

 Bhae G-oormukh Singh, and Sheikh Golaum Mohy-ood-deen, as a sort 

 of committee to collect the revenue, and watch Shere Singh and his 

 Dewan Bisakur Singh. Kooshial Singh (A D. 1832,) on arrival, 

 assumed the control of the finances from the Dewan, but the Prince 



3 p 



