1 " “MUHAMMAD SHAH. 217
2 Durrdni king to the Panjéb, and then seeking the degradation of defection
3 from his allegiance, and threatened that, if he failed to tender his submis-
4 sion to.the Shah, he would be severely punished. These remarks, made
5 publicly, exasperated the young governor in the highest degree. He or-
6 dered the insolent faqir aud his colleague, Muhammad Yar Khan, to be
7 committed to prison. The nextday, Shahnawdz Khan’s courtiers persuad-
8 ed him that he would bring a great calamity on himselfand the whole Indian
9 nation, if he allowed Sdbir Shah, the magician, to live. The governor, on g
10 this, gave orders that the priest be immediately put to death, and the exe-
11 cutioner’s sword sent the holy ambassador’s head rolling on the floor, Mu-
12 hammad Yar Khan was set at liberty at the intercession of some of the
13 Omerahs. Shahnawdz now made preparations for an active resistance to the
14 invading army. He collected all the troops of the neighbouring districts, and
15 put the city and fort in astate of defence, strengthening the gates and the
16 principal positions with artillery, and mounting cannons on the ramparts of
17 the fort. Ahmad Shah was greatly incensed at the murder of his high
18 priest and ambassador, and immediately crossed the Ravi. The governor
19 of Léhore sent a force under Zila Khan, a Pathan of Kasdr, to oppose him,
20 but the Khan went over to the enemy with all his troops. Ahmad Shah
21 then attacked the governor under tlie walls of Lahore, where the latter had
22 intrenched himself. After a feeble opposition, the Indian troops were dis-
23 astrously defeated in sight of Léhore and fled in great confusion and terror,
24 _ their defences having been all carried by the Durrdnis, Shahnawdz Khan
25 fled to Delhi with all his jewels and valuables, Moharram 1161 H. (January
26 1747). Kamr-ud-din Khan was so much enraged at his previous conduct that
27 he instantly put him in confinement. Moghalpura, then the richest and
28 " most populous mohalla in the city of Lahore, outside the present town walls,
29 was pillaged by the invaders, aud the Omerahs of state who lived there, were
30 also plundered. The Abddli conqueror then made his triumphant entry
31 into the city, the resources of which, now all at his disposal, materially ten-
32 ded to strengthen his arms. He found there a large quantity of artillery
33 and smullarms. <A heavy contribution was levied on the city, and it was
34 some time after that Momin Khan, the Kasfr Afghan, and Lakhpat Rai, the
35 dewdn, having paid their gwotu of the contribution, obtained their freedom. The
36 zemindars of the Panjab paid him homage, and the hill rajas sent their agents to
37 him with presents and tendered their submission. The king stayed at La-
38 hore for above a month, to arrange the affairs of the Panjab, and to prepare
39 himself for the great expedition which was the chief object of his visit to
40 this distant land. .
41 Having been joined by fresh contingents from Kébul, and having confer-
42 red the governorship of Léhore on Dewdéu Lakhpat Rai, and the dewdni on
43 Momin Khan of Kasur, the Abdali king continued his march to the Sutlej.
44 Muhammad Shah, on hearing this, sent for his son Ahmad, kissed him in
45 open darbdr, gave him a copy of the Qurdn, and then dismissed him, with
46 instructions to march and check the progress of the invader. The prince
47 had, at his command, a powerful army consisting of 80,000 horse, and was
48 accompanied by the grand wazir, Kamr-ud-din Khan, Abul Mansur Khan,
49 Safdar Jang and Saiyad Salabat. The grand wazir had in his train Abdulla
50 Khan and Faizulla Khan, sons of Ali Muhammad Khan, the Rohilla chief,
51 who were staying at Delhi with their contingent. The Durrdni force did
52 not exceed 12,000 men. The Moghal troops took up an entrenched position
53 at Manaura, nine miles from Sirhind, and were joined by Raja Isar Singh, the
54 son of Jai Singh of Jaipur, and other Réjputana chiefs who came with their
55 The murder of Sabir
56 hah,
57 Active warlike pre-
58 parations of the Lahoro
59 governor,
60 First invasion of
61 Ahinad Shah, January,
62 1747,
63 Defeat of the Lahore
64 governor,
65 The sack of Moghal-
66 pura, the wealthiest
67 quarter of the city of
68 Lahore,
69 Ahmad Shah enters
70 hore,
71 .
72 La
73 Which he subjects to
74 a heavy contribution,
75 Advance to the
76 Sutlej.
77 The emperor sendg
78 the heir-apparent,
79 Ahmad, to oppose the
80 invading army of
81 Ahmad Shak.
82 respective SSCL ayft's it Oy of aune powerful zemindars, are hran te Hfnail.com