The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-10-07
RULED THE sIkHs
Al American Who Became Gov
erncr of Gujarat, In India.
A REAL SOLDIER OF FORTUNE
Picturesque Career of DR.. Harlan of
Philadelphia, Who For Years Was
the Power Behind the Throne Of Ran
tit Singh, King OF the Punjab.

the Power Behind the Throne OF RAN
lit Singh, King OF the Punjab.
The Sikhs Of lpdia are religious
sect that have come to be really dis
tinct race and have developed into a
military people. They are brave and
stalwart soldiers and have the reputa-
ton Of being absolutely fearless in
battle.
1t is interesting to know that an
American was once ruler over these
people, as governor under RanJit
Singh, the great Sikh king of the Fun
jab. This American was DR.. Harlan
Of Philadelphia, and his career in In
dia was surely as picturesque as that
of any adventurer who ever set forth
from the United States to win fame
in far distant lands.
In the year 1925 DR.. Harlan sailed
from Boston as surgeon apothecary III
one of the old East Indian ships. he
arrived in India at the time of the first
Burmese war, when surgeons were
badly needed for the British expedi-
tionary force. and he jumped Mt the.
! chance to see something of a little
known country.
At the end of the campaign he was
discharged. That offended his sense of
justice and perhaps moved him to take
the side of the Indian princes in their
conflicts with the British. 1t was the
period of the downfall of the Mognl
Empire and the carving up of it into
several Independent Kingdoms. There
were big chances for man of adyen-
turous spirit, so Harlan went up coun-
try and offered his services to Ranjit
Singh, the Sikh king of the PunJab.
Ranjit Singh had confederated the
Sikh states into a single nationality
under his power at Lahore. organized
well trained army under some of Ma
poleons former French officers, and
was bent on extending his sway over
most of the crumbling Mogul empire.
II was at this moment that Harlan
turned up In Lahore. 1t Is said he
cured the Sikh king of some illness
and won his friendship.
Be that rs it may, by the year 1927
Harlan had risen to such high favor
that he was appointed governor of the
great province of Gujarat. There for
ten years he ruled but at last lie came
to n parting of the ways with Ranjit
Singh. either because he had quarreled
with the king over his severity in pun
lshing criminals. or because the Brit
ish interests in India did not approve
OF an American in so important an
office, and automatically suggested his
removal AT ali events, he resigned
and made for Kabul. in Afghanistan.
There Dost Mobammed. the ameer,
was preparing for war with the Brit
sh.
The Journey was perilous one in
those days. but Harlan made it sue
cessfully and either by reason of his
Impressive appearance or the informa"
tion he could give Dost Mohammed
he soon came TO stand high in the
ameer's confidence.
But when war actually broke out
Dost Mohammed showed u complete
ncapacity TO conduct it intclligently.
lie seems to have taken Harlan for q
regenade Englshman. whose advice
could not be safely trusted, He failed
TO take the precaution of fortifying the
Boian pass as Harlan urged. and the
British marched through it to enter
Kabul.
Dost Mohammed's stupidity seems to
have disguised Harlan with the Asiat-
les. for he is next found as the friend
and guest of Sir Henry Lawrence. high
commissioner Of the Pun1ab. Whilo
visiting Sir Henry one of the servants
stole 100 rupees from him. Harlan told
Sir Henry and asked permission to be
allowed TO get IT back in his own way
50 Sir Henry consented, but stipulated
that he should not injure any Of the
servants. a
Giaran had all the servants In the
noHse called to his room. the door of
which he locked; then. drawing his
sword and looking as fierce as he could,
he told them he would cut the head
of every man in the room II The thief
did not confess and restore the mon
ey. The fellows, knowing Harlan's
reputation, were badly frightened, and
the guilty man confessed.
DR.. Harlan returned to New York In
the forties and lived there until his
death, about 1850, but before that time
the Sikh power was swept away at tho
decisive Battle of Gujarat, Dhulip
Singh, the son and successor Of Ranjit
Singh, was sent into exile. and the
province over which Harlan ruled was
incorporated in the British Indian en-
pfre.-Youth's Companion.