The forces of colonialism and imperialism sowed the seeds of injustice in the Kashmir Valley 170 years ago on this day — March 16 — in the year 1846 when the Treaty of Amritsar was signed under which the British colonialists sold Kashmir along with its people to Dogras for 7.5 million Nanakshahi rupees.
The most inhuman aspect of this Treaty was the sale of people along with the territory which can be described as worst form of slavery though the Kashmiris, by temperament, are difficult to be enslaved through any treaty, armed forces’ actions or special powers (like the one in force at present in the Held Valley known as Armed Forces Special Powers Act).
The said treaty, in fact, formalized the arrangements laid down in the Treaty of Lahore between the British East India Company and Gulab Singh Dogra after the First Anglo-Sikh War.By Article 1 of the Treaty, Gulab Singh acquired “all the hilly or mountainous country with its dependencies situated to the eastward of the River Indus and the westward of the River Ravi including Chamba and excluding Lahul, being part of the territories ceded to the British Government by the Lahore State according to the provisions of Article IV of the Treaty of Lahore, dated 9th March, 1846.” Under Article 3, Gulab Singh was to pay 75 lakhs (7.5 million) of Nanakshahi rupees (the ruling currency of the Sikh Empire) to the British Government, along with other annual tributes.
It was thus in this manner that is with the signing of the Treaty of Amritsar that the Dogra rule was established in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.The Treaty was concluded, in the presence of Gulab Singh, on the part of the British Government by Frederick Currie and Brevet-Major Henry Montgomery Lawrence, acting under the orders of the Rt. Hon. Sir Henry Hardinge, Governor-General of India and in-charge of the possessions of the East India Company who was also entrusted with the task of directing and controlling all the affairs in the East Indies.
Among other words used in the 10-Article Treaty, the touch of arrogance was quite evident from these words that said: “British Government transfers and makes over forever in independent possession to Maharajah Gulab Singh and his heirs all the hilly or mountainous country with its dependencies.”
But, despite this ‘transfer of possession’, the British colonialists retained an upper hand by including certain Articles in the Treaty that gave supremacy to the British rule as also acknowledged and accepted in totality by the Dogra ruler. Most of the Articles between Article No. 5 and Article No. 10 define the vast powers of the British power.
Article 5 says: Maharajah Gulab Singh will refer to the arbitration of the British Government any disputes or questions that may arise between himself and the Government of Lahore or any other neighbouring State, and will abide by the decision of the British Government.
Article 6 says: Maharajah Gulab Singh engages for himself and heirs to join, with the whole of his military forces, the British troops when employed within the hills or in the territories adjoining his possessions.
Article 7 says: Maharajah Gulab Singh engages never to take to retain in his service any British subject nor the subject of any European or American State without the consent of the British Government.
Article 9 says: The British Government will give its aid to Maharajah Gulab Singh in protecting his territories from external enemies.And, according to the concluding Article 10,Maharajah Gulab Singh acknowledges the supremacy of the British Government and will in token of such supremacy present annually to the British Government one horse, twelve shawl goats of approved breed (six male and six female) and three pairs of Cashmere shawls.