The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1915-11-05
RULED The SIKHS
An American Who Became Gov
ernor 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
jit Singh, King of the Punjab.
The Sikhs of India are a religious
sect that have come to be a really dis
tinct race and have developed into q
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 Pun
lab. 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 Or Harlan sailed
from Boston as surgeon apothecary In
one Of the old East Indian ships. BE
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 at the
chance TO see something Of 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 Mogul
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 q 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.
1t 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 as it may, by the year 1927
Harlan had risen 10 such high favor
that he was appointed governor of the
great province of Gujarat There for
ten years he ruled, but at last he came
to parting Of the ways with Ranjit
Singh, either because he had quarreled
| with the king over his severity in pun
ishing criminals, or because the Brit
ish interests in India did not approve
of an American in so important an
office, and diplomatically suggested his
removal At all events. he resigned
and made for Kabul. in Afghanistan
There Dost Mohammed. the ameer,
was preparing for war with the Brit
ish
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-
ton 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 a complete
incapacity to conduct it intelligently
He seems to have taken Harlan for a
regenade Englshman. whose advice
could not be safely trusted He failed
to take the precaution of fortifying the
Boan pass as Harlan urged, and the
British marched through it TO enter
Kabul
Dost Mohammeds 5 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 Punjab- While
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
So Sir Henry consented, but stipulated
that he should not injure any Of the
servants.
Harlan had all the servants in the
house called to his room, the door of
sword and looking as fierce as he could,
he told them he would cut Tie head
off every man in the room if 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 the
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-
pire.-Youth's Companion.