1 mtsr/iy
2 HISTORY OF TIIE SIKHS.
3 115
4 ilars, unless when they chose to provide for them¬
5 selves by robbery and pillage. Thus protected,
6 their apprehension became impracticable.
7 On Nadir Shah’s return, from Hindostan, he
8 ; passed through the Punjab, which was then over¬
9 run with jungle, the abode of plundering Sikhs
10 ; collected from every part of the lulls and plains,
11 l Nadir Shah inquired of the governor, if there were
12 f any troublesome characters in the Punjab; and re¬
13 ceived for reply, that vast crowds of disorderly Sikh
14 fukeers visited the tank at Umritsir every six
15 l months. Nadir Shah asked where their places of Nadir shahy
16 > abode were; and the governor replied that " their gwHngth^in.
17 homes were their saddles,” The conqueror smiled,
18 1 and said “ they ought to be destroyed, and their
19 1 country seized.”
20 After the death of Khan Bahadur, Ahmed Shah
21 * invaded the Punjab; the Zemindars revolted, and
22 the* Sikhs began to flourish. When Ahmed Shah The sinw j.ii-
23 returned to Cabul, about 40,000 or 50,000 Sikhs la °‘ 1 ' 8h '" e '
24 collected and began to pillage Lahore, and settled
25 in several places around it, where they erected forts
26 and strongholds. On Ahmed Shah’s return to the
27 Punjab, the Sikhs dispersed, and again concealed
28 themselves in the jungles.
29 About this time, several of the Sikhs, such as Attack the fob
30 -‘‘Jurat Singh, Ramghureea, and others, were in the AiS'shah
31 sendee of Adeena Beg Khan; and when Ahmed ontheRa,ee ‘
32 Shah fought with the emperor, and returned to
33 Cabul, the Sikhs appeared on the bank of the
34 Ravee, and slew numbers of Ahmed Shah’s fol~
35 l 2