1 82 HISTORY OF THE PANJAB.
2 inflicted a signal defeat on them. Sewakpal was imprisoned, compelled to
3 pay a fine of 400,000 dirams, and kept a State prisoner for the rest of his life.
4 But the treacherous conduct of Anangpal, in supporting the rebellion
5 Fifth Invasion, at Multan, rankled in the breast of Mahmud, who was resolved on inflicting
6 1008 a. D. severe chastisement on him. Accordingly, early in the spring of 1008
7 A.D., he marched to India. with great expedition, at the head of a large
8 army. Anangpal, conscious of the power of the Mahomedans, and re-
9 Anangpal. membering former disasters, appealed to the religious zeal of the Indian
10 rajas to drive the common enemy from their sacred soil. The appeal was
11 responded to, and the rdjds of Ujjain, Gwalior, Kanauj, Delhi, Ajmere and
12 His appeal tothe Kalanjar, collecting all their available forces, marched to the Indus. The
13 Hindi rajes for elp, greatest army that had yet assembled on the soil of the Panjab appeared
14 in sight of the plains on the confines of Peshdwar, and its numbers conti-
15 nued to imcrease daily. Money was supplied from all quarters for the
16 conduct of the operations, and so great was the patriotism displayed that
17 Hindu women in distant parts melted their ornaments, and sent in silver
18 and gold to provide resources for the national cause. The Ghakkars, a
19 powerful hill tribe in the north-west of the Panjab, joined the confeder-
20 ate armies with 30,000 fighting men, and the Mahomedan troops, being
21 They respondto «Surrounded on all sides, and fearing a general assault, were obliged to en-
22 aus cally trench themselves.
23 For forty days the two armies lay inactive and face to face, each side
24 hesitating to advance. At length the spell was broken by the Hindus,
25 who took advantage of an opportunity given by the Mahomedans who
26 had sent six thousand archers to the front, to provoke the enemy to ad-
27 vance against the entrenchments. The archers were attacked by the wild
28 Ghakkars, and, notwithstanding the Sultan’s exertions and presence in
29 their midst, were repulsed. The Hindus penetrated into the Mahomedan
30 position with great fury, and dreadful was the carnage which ensued, five
31 thousand Mahomedans being put to the sword in a very short time. A
32 determined rally on the part of the Mahomedans, however, had the effect
33 of checking the advance of the Hindus, a great number of whom were slain.
34 Meanwhile an event happened which proved disastrous to the Hindu
35 cause. The elephant on which the prince of Léhore, commanding the
36 Indian armies, was mounted, became unruly, owing to the sound of the naptha
37 balls and the shower of arrows, and took to flight. This spread terror and
38 confusion among the Hindus, who, thinking themselves deserted by their
39 Paci inthe Hindu king, retreated in great disorder. Availing themselves of the confusion
40 WF thus caused, the Mahomedans, with Abdullah Tai at the head of 6,000 Arabian
41 horse, aud Arsala Jazib with 10,000 Turks, Afghans and Khiljis, sallied out
42 sects from their entrenchments, and pursued the enemy with great slaughter.
43 ince Immense booty, with 30 elephants, fell into the hands of the victors.
44 _. The passion for propagating the faith of Islim and destroying Hindu
45 idols, fermented in the mind of Mahmud, who, soon after the victory, marched
46 against the sacred town of Nagar Kot, and, for the first time, broke their
47 idols and levelled their temples with the ground. Havine devastated the
48 country round with fire and sword, he laid under close siege the famous
49 nar, fort of Bhim, one of the holy shrines of the Panjdéb, and a repository of
50 Ves as great wealth, situated on the summit of a steep mountain, from which issued
51 flames, known in modern times as Jwdla Mukhi, of effulgent countenance,
52 or the holy burning fountain.
53 = ee: D It was the strongest fortress in the north
54 of Hindostan and contained a most superb temple, Rooted ea feniod ih
55 es ee and a celebrated college for the study of the Shastras. The
56 son had left the fort to take part in the campaign, and the Brahmin
57 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com