1 Enquiry of Nadir
2 Shah about them.
3 They build a fort of
4 DaliwaL
5 Death of Nawab
6 Zakaria Khan, governor -
7 of Lahore.
8 His great popularity
9 at Lahore.
10 212 . HISTORY OF THE PANJAB.
11 pilgrimage being no longer performed in secret or in disguise as before. The
12 wealthiest of them purchased horses and mounted their followers, while the more
13 adventurous sought celebrity by daring exploits and aspired to military honours,
14 Nadir Shah, when he passed through the Panjab, on his return from
15 Delhi, asked the governor, Zakaria Khana, what sort of people the Sikhs
16 were who had plundered the rear of his army, which was laden with spoils,
17 and, from a contempt of enemies, travelled without any order. He said they
18 were a, crowd of disorderly faqirs who visited the tank of Amritsar every
19 six months. Nadir asked where their abode was, to which the governor
20 replied: “Their houses are their saddles.” The conqueror smiled and said:
21 * Surely they ought to be crushed and their country seized.”
22 The Sikhs now presented an organized, martial appearance, and built a
23 small fort at Daliwaél on the Révi. Their associations increased in number
24 and strength, and their ravages were not now confined to the open country,
25 but extended to the very neighbourhood of Lahore,
26 Shortly after the assassination of Nadir Shah, Nawdéb Zakaria Khan,
27 the viceroy of Panjab, died at Lahore. The following is his genealogy :—
28 Muhammad Amin Khan,
29 Itimad-ud-doula.
30 |
31 Nawab Ahaul Samnad Khan, Nawab Kamratd-ain Khan,
32 Diler Jang. - Itimad-ud-doula, Nasrat Jang.
33 Azad-nd-dbnla Nawab Kheneja Mir Maint Mulk, Tutiedan wd aoa,
34 Zakaria Khan, Abdulla surnamed Mir Manni RKhan-i-Khanén,
35 Khan Bahadur. Khan. married, Mordd Begum.
36 | | Amin-ud-din Khan,
37 Yahya Khan. Haydtulla Khan, died a minor.
38 surnamed Shah
39 Nawaz Khan. '
40 Nawab Zakaria Khan was for many years governor of Lahore. He was
41 married to the daughter of his uncle, Nawab Kamr-ud-din Khan, He had a
42 high character for probity and uprightness, and his justice was proverbial.
43 He was popular with all classes of the community, and he liked the people
44 of Léhore, as he was liked by them. In those days the bigoted mullahs
45 ’ of L&hore were in the habit of provoking quarrels with the Hindus on
46 A story of his justice,
47 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary
48 religious subjects, and used to subject them to much annoyance. The Khan
49 always tried to settle these disputes amicably, and never shewed undue
50 favour to any particular sect. In illustration of his justice, the following
51 story is narrated by a contemporary historian of Lahore, who had opportu-
52 nities of forming an opinion of his public career. A Hindu of Léhore had
53 the misfortune to possess a beautiful wife. A Moghal residing in the same
54 locality became enamoured of her, and tried to secure her affections, but the
55 modest woman remained loyal to her husband, and rejected the Moghal’s
56 overtures with scorn. The latter thereupon resolved to obtain by stratagem
57 what he had failed to do by persuasion. He contrived that garments such
58 as are worn by a Mahomedan bride should be secretly introduced into
59 the woman’s apartments and, from their being found in them, on a search
60 being institued at his instance, endeavoured to establish the fact of a secret
61 alliance with her. But his wiles were laid bare by the governor, who, in the
62 disguise of a faqir, himself ascertained the actual state of affairs, and
63 ordered the Moghal to be put to death. Several other anecdotes of the
64 justice of Nawdb Zakaria Khan are related a aes gmail aan