Gazetteer Lahore 1893

· 1893 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

1Lahore District. |

2CHAP. II.—HISTORY. 35

3Guru Nénak, in performance of a vow of penance, knelt down

4and prayed upon the hard ground. Troops were sent by

5Yéhiya Khan to disperse the Sikhs, who, inspired by the

6sanctity of the place, fell upon the detachment with fary and 1

7over-powered it. The news of this disaster exasperated the

8viceroy, who despatched another overwhelming force, under

9the command of Lakhpat Rai, which succeeded in defeating the

10insurgents. Those who were taken prisoners were brought into

11Lahore, and executed on the north-east side of the city, then

12known as the horse-market, bat since the period of Sikh rale

13by the name of Shahid Ganj, or place of martyrs; and the spot

14of the execution is indicated by asbrine erected to the memory

15of Bhai Taru Singh, the chief martyr, who, though offered

16on if he would consent to part with his long hair, the out-

17ward badge of his faith, preferred death to apostasy.

18Two years from this event, A. D. 1748, a more powerful

19enemy aie before the walls of Lahore, in the person of

20Ahmad Shah, the successor of Nadir Shah, who had no sooner

21established himself on the throne than he marched an army

22into India. The viceroyship at Lahore was theu a bone of ©

23contention between the two sons of Zikariya Khan, Yahiya,

24and Shah Nawaéz Khan; while the Court of Delhi looked on,

25too weak or too indolent to interfere. To aid his cause Shéh

26Nawéz encouraged the advance of Ahmad, recollecting that his

27father had not fared ill at the hands of the western invader.

28Ahmad Shah advanced ; but his army was small, and Shah

29Nawaz Khan, having prevailed over his brother, thought better

30of his treachery. He met the invading forces, was disastrously

31defeated under the walls of the city, and Ahmad took posses-

32sion of Lahore. * ‘he first invasion of Ahmad, having passed

33Lahore, met with a check in Sirhind, and the conqueror

34returned the way he came. Mir Mannu, son of the Delhi

35Wazir, who had, distinguished himself in the battle, was

36appointed governor of Lahore.

37At the close of 1748, Ahmad again crossed the Indus,

38but the invasion was this timé warded off, partly ly the bold

39front assumed by Mir Mannu, at the banks of the Chen4b,

40and partly by diplomacy. ‘The following year it was renewed

41with better success. The invader marched without opposition

42to Lahore, and halted a short distance from the suburb of

43Shahdéra, where Mir Mannu had entreuched himself. He

44crossed the river, however, at a ford higher up, and proceeded

45to invest the city, his own camp being fixed in the vicinity of

46the Shalimar Gardens. For four months Mir Mannu made

47a good defence. At length, as provision and forage

48began to fall short, he imwprudently risked a general action.

49On the morning of the 12th April 1752, he marched ont of

50his entrenchment, and took up a position near the village of

51————_—_—

52® At the back of tho Jéma Masjid, there is the tomb of one Sébir Shih

53who was put to death for advising the people to submit to Ahmad.

54Chapter IT.

55nyasions of Nadir

56Invasions of Ah-

57mad Shah.

58Sri Satguru Jagjit Singh Ji eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@gmail.com