Diet of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Sikhs of that time

[shastarSingh]

Osborne met Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1838. He writes:

1.  26th June.—This morning, at sunrise, ordered our elephants, and went out to try and relieve the monotony of our life by a few hours' shooting. Proceeded straight to a
rumna, or preserve, of the Maharajah's, which we supposed to abound in wild hog, hares, and black partridges. The Sihks, in
contradiction to the religious tenets of most of the other castes in India, are very fond of pork, and Runjeet cultivates grain and sugar- cane round this preserve for the wild hog who frequent it to feed upon. Beef is as much a forbidden food in the Punjab as pork is in Hindostan to the natives ; and to kill a cow across the Sutlege would subject the perpe-trator of the deed to almost certain death.
We found a considerable quantity of wild hog, and a few black partridges, in the rumna, and had altogether two hours' very
tolerable shooting.

2. In less than five minutes, we found ourselves seated on
golden chairs opposite Runjeet, who re- mained in his litter supported on the bearers' shoulders. Five minutes more sufficed to produce breakfast. Runjeet's table was formed by one of his servants standing up close to his litter with his back towards him, and then stooping till his
shoulders were on a level with its floor. A tray containing different sorts of curry, rice,
sweetmeats, and milk, was then placed upon
the man's shoulders; and the Maharajah commenced his breakfast with an appa-
rently good appetite. The different eatables were served up in the nicest and coolest
little vessels possible, about the size of tea-cups, made of fresh green leaves, so closely sewn together as to be capable of retaining liquids, and beautifully cool and clean. A
tray was brought to McGregor and myself,
upon each of which was arranged about six
of these little cups, containing different sorts of curry, rice, curds, and some re- markably fat quails, with all the bones taken out, and highly spiced and seasoned.
We set to work with our fingers, (following our host's example,) and though from want of practice not quite so expert, contrived to
make a very hearty breakfast, which we wound up with a delicious draught of iced sherbet.

[shastarSingh]

H.L.O Garrett in 1935 wrote 'The Punjab a Hundred Years Ago' in which he edited and translated the works of  V. Jacquemont (1831) & A. Soltykoff (1842). In this book it's written:

Maharaja Ranjit Singh took bread, pulao, milk and fruits in his lunch. His  dinner contained a little rice and a quail or half a partridge with some fruits and sweetmeats

 

[dallysingh101]

2 hours ago, shastarSingh said:

Osborne met Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1838. He writes:

1.  26th June.—This morning, at sunrise, ordered our elephants, and went out to try and relieve the monotony of our life by a few hours' shooting. Proceeded straight to a
rumna, or preserve, of the Maharajah's, which we supposed to abound in wild hog, hares, and black partridges. The Sihks, in
contradiction to the religious tenets of most of the other castes in India, are very fond of pork, and Runjeet cultivates grain and sugar- cane round this preserve for the wild hog who frequent it to feed upon. Beef is as much a forbidden food in the Punjab as pork is in Hindostan to the natives ; and to kill a cow across the Sutlege would subject the perpe-trator of the deed to almost certain death.
We found a considerable quantity of wild hog, and a few black partridges, in the rumna, and had altogether two hours' very
tolerable shooting.

2. In less than five minutes, we found ourselves seated on
golden chairs opposite Runjeet, who re- mained in his litter supported on the bearers' shoulders. Five minutes more sufficed to produce breakfast. Runjeet's table was formed by one of his servants standing up close to his litter with his back towards him, and then stooping till his
shoulders were on a level with its floor. A tray containing different sorts of curry, rice,
sweetmeats, and milk, was then placed upon
the man's shoulders; and the Maharajah commenced his breakfast with an appa-
rently good appetite. The different eatables were served up in the nicest and coolest
little vessels possible, about the size of tea-cups, made of fresh green leaves, so closely sewn together as to be capable of retaining liquids, and beautifully cool and clean. A
tray was brought to McGregor and myself,
upon each of which was arranged about six
of these little cups, containing different sorts of curry, rice, curds, and some re- markably fat quails, with all the bones taken out, and highly spiced and seasoned.
We set to work with our fingers, (following our host's example,) and though from want of practice not quite so expert, contrived to
make a very hearty breakfast, which we wound up with a delicious draught of iced sherbet.

Are these two extracts straight after each other in the original shastarSingh? If so, they imply that breakfast was taken after activities?  

[shastarSingh]

46 minutes ago, dallysingh101 said:

Are these two extracts straight after each other in the original shastarSingh? If so, they imply that breakfast was taken after activities?  

Osborne's book can be downloaded at

https://archive.org/details/courtcampofrunje00osboiala

Below is on page 167

1.  26th June.—This morning, at sunrise, ordered our elephants, and went out to try and relieve the monotony of our life by a few hours' shooting. Proceeded straight to a
rumna, or preserve, of the Maharajah's, which we supposed to abound in wild hog, hares, and black partridges. The Sihks, in
contradiction to the religious tenets of most of the other castes in India, are very fond of pork, and Runjeet cultivates grain and sugar- cane round this preserve for the wild hog who frequent it to feed upon. Beef is as much a forbidden food in the Punjab as pork is in Hindostan to the natives ; and to kill a cow across the Sutlege would subject the perpe-trator of the deed to almost certain death.
We found a considerable quantity of wild hog, and a few black partridges, in the rumna, and had altogether two hours' very
tolerable shooting.

below is on page 115

2. In less than five minutes, we found ourselves seated on
golden chairs opposite Runjeet, who re- mained in his litter supported on the bearers' shoulders. Five minutes more sufficed to produce breakfast. Runjeet's table was formed by one of his servants standing up close to his litter with his back towards him, and then stooping till his
shoulders were on a level with its floor. A tray containing different sorts of curry, rice,
sweetmeats, and milk, was then placed upon
the man's shoulders; and the Maharajah commenced his breakfast with an appa-
rently good appetite. The different eatables were served up in the nicest and coolest
little vessels possible, about the size of tea-cups, made of fresh green leaves, so closely sewn together as to be capable of retaining liquids, and beautifully cool and clean. A
tray was brought to McGregor and myself,
upon each of which was arranged about six
of these little cups, containing different sorts of curry, rice, curds, and some re- markably fat quails, with all the bones taken out, and highly spiced and seasoned.
We set to work with our fingers, (following our host's example,) and though from want of practice not quite so expert, contrived to
make a very hearty breakfast, which we wound up with a delicious draught of iced sherbet.

[shastarSingh]

Osborne says Sikhs had a unique way of hunting wild hogs. It's written on page 182:

At six o'clock mounted our elephants
and proceeded to a jungle a few miles off, where I had promised to meet Sher Sing and have a few hours' wild hog and deer
shooting. Found him waiting our arrival with an immense establishment of elephants. and we fell in with a great many wild hogs,
some deer, and a few black partridges and
hares. The Sihks have a curious way of catching the wild hog, which I never saw practised in any other part of India. They make a kind of snare of strong withys, and setting them in runs of the hogs, generally
succeed in catching the finest boars, who, when once disturbed, rush blindly on, till brought up by these snares, when a man
goes up, and generally at a single blow of his sword puts an end to them. We caught five and twenty in this manner in the course
of a few hours.

[dallysingh101]

1 hour ago, shastarSingh said:

Osborne says Sikhs had a unique way of hunting wild hogs. It's written on page 182:

At six o'clock mounted our elephants
and proceeded to a jungle a few miles off, where I had promised to meet Sher Sing and have a few hours' wild hog and deer
shooting. Found him waiting our arrival with an immense establishment of elephants. and we fell in with a great many wild hogs,
some deer, and a few black partridges and
hares. The Sihks have a curious way of catching the wild hog, which I never saw practised in any other part of India. They make a kind of snare of strong withys, and setting them in runs of the hogs, generally
succeed in catching the finest boars, who, when once disturbed, rush blindly on, till brought up by these snares, when a man
goes up, and generally at a single blow of his sword puts an end to them. We caught five and twenty in this manner in the course
of a few hours.

Details of above:

 

 

[shastarSingh]

31 minutes ago, dallysingh101 said:

Details of above:

 

 

Amazing photos