3 Review(s)

The book, first published in 1870, highlights the history of the princely chiefs of a number of small states located in the composite Punjab and their political relations with the British Empire during the British colonial rule in India. It gives a connected account of the political relations of the British Government with the Independent States of the Punjab from the commencement of the 19th century. Along with the biographical and genealogical details of the prominent princely chiefs, called Rajas, it includes their territorial control, military strength, and their political relations with British. With the British Government, the relations of the Cis-Satlej States had been more or less intimate from the time of the conquest of Delhi by Lord Lake in 1803; and it is the history of these relations, and the policy which the British Government had adopted towards its feudatories, which this book is here chiefly desired to record. The history of princely chiefs of Punjab has been presented in considerable detail and without reserve, except with reference to events of contemporary dates regarding which, obvious political and personal reasons of the author forbade the expression of opinion or detail in relation. This book is one of the earliest accounts on the concerned topic and is treated as a reference material by many historians of Punjab and Sikh history. The author who served as undersecretary of the British Government of Punjab had an intimate knowledge of the prominent ruling families of Punjab.