ANAND SINGH, RAI (d. 1827), vakil or agent of the Sikh kingdom, belonged to the famed Bhandan family of Batala founded by Bhag Mall, a wealthy adventurer. In 1809, Anand Singh was appointed an agent of the Sikh Darbar at Ludhiana, the British military station and political agency. He was later sent as the Darbar`s envoy to the British resident at Delhi. He had a good knowledge of Persian and English and accompanied Sir Charles Metcaife on the successful expedition against Bharatpur undertaken by Lord Combermere in January 1826, receiving on his return from Maharaja Ranjit Singh the title of Rai with a robe of honour. Rai Anand Singh died in 1827.
ANGLOSIKH TREATY (AMRITSAR, 1809). Napoleon`s victories in Europe had alarmed the British, who, fearing a French attack on the country through Afghanistan, decided to win the Sikhs over to their side and sent a young officer, Charles Theophilus Met caife, to Maharaja Ranjit Singh`s court with an offer of friendship. Metcaife met the Maharaja in his camp at Khem Karan, near Kasur, on 12 September 1808, taking with him a large number of presents sent by the Governor General of India. He told him how the English wished to have friendly relations with him and presented to him the draft of a treaty.Ranjit Singh did not credit the theory that the British had made the proposal to him because of the danger from Napoleon. On the other hand, he showed his willingness to cooperate with the British, provided the latter recognized his claim of paramountcy over all the Majha and Malva Sikhs.
