The first important event in the relations between Punjab and Sind occured in 1809, when the Amirs offered Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore a defensive alliance against the English. But Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore at this time, being in the thick of his affairs with Metcalf refused the offer, fearing a risk of the British displeasure.
The next important event occured in 1818, when Ranjit Singh conquered Multan. The Amirs were alarmed when they found the Maharaja so near their boundary line, and their alarms were not baseless. After the conquest of Multan, the Maharaja actually started planning his expeditions on that country. He led his first expedition in that direction in 1823, with the pretext of punishing the Balochis who had attacked his troops near Multan, but in reality with an idea to study the situation in Shikarpur and occupy it if possible. The Amirs sent, huge presents to the Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore to please him. But the Maharaja, in 1824, demanded from them an annual tribute failing which he threatened invasion. The Amirs naturally resisted and Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore marched on them in 1825.But fortunately for the Amirs, due to the famine conditions in that country, the Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore returned and abandoned the scheme for a time.
In 1826, Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore claimed once again that, since he had occupied major portion of the territories held previously by the 1 Afghans in Punjab, the tribute which after their subjugation by Nadir Shah in 1740, the Amirs used to pay to the Afghans, should now be paid to him. The proposal was again resisted by the Amirs. The Maharaja was just preparing for an expedition when his attention was drawn towards Peshawar, where Syed Ahmed was trying to organise a jehad against Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore, Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore remained busy with Syed Ahmed from 1827 to 1831 and after that when he turned his attention towards Sind, he found that the English had already stolen a march over him.
References :-
- Origin of Sikh Power in Punjab’, p. 140
- Advanced Study In History Of The Punjab Vol.2 by Chhabra, G.s.