the enemy, so his widow and Sirdár Jai Singh, the Kanheya leader, bribed a sweeper, who shot Jhanda Singh dead as he was riding with a few attendants through the camp. His death ended the quarrel, and the rival forces retired from Jammu.
In 1774, the year succeeding his father's death, he married Ráj Kour, the daughter of Rájá Gajpat Singh of Jind, who, six years later, became the mother of Mahárájá Ranjít Singh. It was significant that the marriage of this lady gave rise to instant discord, prophetic of the career of her son. Máhan Singh had come to Jind with a great retinue and all the Phúlkian chiefs had assembled to meet him. During the festivities a dispute arose between the chiefs of Nábha and Jind regarding a grass preserve belonging to the former, in which the Barátis or attendants on the bridegroom had been allowed to cut fodder for their horses. The agent of the Nábha chief attacked them, and a fight was the result, which so wounded the pride of the Jind Rájá, the bride's father, that although he kept silence till the wedding was over, he determined on revenge, and soon afterwards, taking Hamír Singh of Nábha prisoner by stratagem, invaded his territory and seized a large portion of it, the estate of Sangrur being held to the present day.
For several years we hear nothing of the youthful Máhan Singh, but in 1780, when he may be assumed to have reached manhood, his famous son having been born, the Rájput prince of Jammu died, and Máhan
