http://ia341236.us.archive.org/1/items/soldiertraveller00gardiala/soldiertraveller00gardiala.pdf
Disclaimer: This book is brutal & violent, dont read if you cant stand stuff like that.
I stumbled on this book. This is the pdf book containing the memoirs of Gordona Singh, or Alex Gardner, an American who served as a colonel in Mahraja Ranjit Singhs army.
This guy is a real adventurer, back when you had to get to places on horseback. When loosing a skirmish might mean being sold into slavery. The part where he reports to the Maharaja Ranjit Singh starts from page 179.
Some memorable pieces :
-
Where the name heera mandi really comes from
-
How Ranjit singh first met Rani Jindaan
-His wife and kids are hacked to death by Afghans.
- The nine year old widow of Dyan Singh refusing to Sati before she had the heads of his murderers.
-Lots of refrences to Shalimar & the Fort for people from Lahore and lots of references to people and places in Kashmir, Afghanistan, and Northern areas of Pakistan.
-Corruption, 25 percent of the royal grant to construct a power boat was withheld by bureaucrats.
if anybody likes any part of it or wants to add something please do 