Singh, of Jínd, that Ranjít Singh, on the 26th of July, 1806, crossed the Sutlej with a large force, with the object of settling serious disputes which had arisen between that chief and the Mahárájá of Patiála. The English viewed his approach with some anxiety, and strengthened their garrison at Karnál; but he was too cautious to offend them, and contented himself with seizing the town and district of Ludhiána and Ghumgrána, which he divided among his friends. The Ludhiána family was of ancient descent, Muhammadan Rájputs, and it was represented by two widow ladies, whom Ranjít Singh plundered of all their possessions without remorse.
The next year, about the same time, he returned to Patiála with a large army under the command of Diwán Mokham Chand, and effected a settlement between the Rájá Sáhib Singh and his wife, the famous Ráni Aus Kour, much to the advantage of the latter, who had bribed him highest. On this occasion he seized on his return march many estates, Náráingarh, Wadni, Morinda, Zíra and others, chiefly in the Firozpur district, and distributed them among his adherents.
The Cis-Sutlej chiefs now perceived that by inviting Mahárájá Ranjít Singh to intervene in their disputes they had, like Frankenstein, created a monster whom they could in no way control. So in March, 1808, the Rájá of Jínd, the Bhai of Kaithal, Lál Singh, a very influential chief, with the agent of Rájá Sáhib Singh of Patiála, visited Delhi to ascertain from Mr. Seton,
