1 &2-UD-DIN ALAMGIR It. 233
2 nagar, which he founded in the Gurdaspur district, with its gardens and
3 palaces, still perpetuates his memory, which is held in respect by both
4 the Sikhs and the Mahomedans, as that of the last Moghal Governor of
5 Lahore. On the death of Adina Beg Khan, Janki Rao, the Mahratta
6 chieftain, who was stationed in the vicinity of the metropolis at the head
7 of a formidable army, entrusted the goverment of Lahore to a Mahratta
8 chief called Shamaji, whom he despatched in that direction. Sadiq Be
9 Khan, one of Adina’ Beg Khan’s followers, was appointed by the Mahratta
10 chief, to the administration of Sirhind, while the management of the
11 Jalandar Doab was given to Adina Beg Khan’s widow. Shama, on reach-
12 ing Lahore, applied himself diligently to the task of government, and pushed
13 on his troops as far as the Indus. But the Sikhs, who had been kept in
14 check by the able administration of Adfna Beg Khan, now renewed their
15 depredations in the Panjab. They subjected the Mahomedans to the
16 greatest hardships and severities. The sacred tank of Amritsar, which bad
17 been filled in by Tymtr Shah, was again cleared out, and the task of taking
18 out the rubbish and filth from the sacred pool was forced upon the
19 Mahomedans, who were prodded with bayonets, and struck with the butt-
20 ends of muskets, to expedite them in the work. The news of Tymur Shah’s
21 -disastrous retreat from the Panjab, and the successes of the Mahrattas and
22 the Sikhs in that country, having reached Ahmad Shah, Abdali, he sent
23 his General, Nur-ud-din Khan, a Bamizie chief, at the head of an army,
24 across the Indus. The genera] advanced to Jhelum, and without opposition
25 occupied the country between that river and the Indus, at that time in-
26 habited by the Ghakkars, the Kantars and the Jonds, all Mahomedan
27 tribes, the original residents of the country who were favorably inclined
28 towards the Afghans. The general then marched to the Chindb, where he
29 awaited the arrival of the Abdali Shah.
30 Having settled his affairs with Ndsir Khan, the independent chief of
31 Bilachistan, Ahmad Shah, with a numerous army, crossed the Indus in
32 the winter of 1759, and-advanced to the Chinab by the Jammu road. He
33 continued his march through the north of the Panjdb to avoid the
34 swollen rivers, and, on reaching Lihore, defeated with great loss the Mah-
35 ratta commander who fell back upon Dehli: The Shah, after this victory,
36 appointed Karim Dad Khan, an Afghan, governor of the province of Léhore,
37 and Zen Khan, governor of Gujrdt. Having effected a junction with
38 Najib-ud-doula who assisted him with supplies, the Shah marched in the
39 direction of Jamna.
40 In the meanwhile, the perfidious Delhi wazir, Ghazi-ud-din, dread-
41 ing the-effect of the restoration to power of the harmless old emperor by
42 the Abdali, and suspicious of his uncle, Intizam-ud-doula, the former Khan-
43 i-Kdéndn, who sided with the emperor in sympathising with Najib-ud-doula,
44 resolved on putting them both to death. He caused Intizam-ud-doula to
45 be slaughtered, while that noble was in the act of reading his prayers. The
46 emperor was fond of visiting religious men and derveshes. Taking advantage
47 of this weak point, Imad-ul-Mulk caused a report to be spread abroad that
48 a saint of prodigious sanctity from Kandahar had arrived in the city, and
49 taken up his quarters in the ruined Kotla of Firoz Shah. The helpless
50 devotee, desirous of seeing the hermit, repaired to’ the Kotla in a palanquin,
51 almost unattended. As he reached the door of the chamber, he saw a curtain
52 which was raised for his reception. Shortly after he had entered the
53 room, a cry for help-was heard. Mirza Baber, son-in-law of the emperor, who
54 had been made to stay outside, suspecting foul play, drew his sword and
55 wounded several men, but the conspirators, who were headed by Mahdi Ali
56 Arrangements of
57 the country on his
58 death.
59 Shaméji Mahratta
60 appointed governor of
61 & Lahore,
62 The Sikhs, now un-
63 restrained, renew their
64 ravages in the Panjab.
65 Nur-ud-din Khan,
66 the genoral of Ahmad
67 Shah Abdali.
68 Fifth invasion of
69 Ahmad Shah, 1759.
70 Defeat of the
71 Mahratta commander
72 at Lahore,
73 The Shah advances
74 to the Jamna.
75 Affairs at Delhi.
76 Murder of Intizam-
77 ud-doula,
78 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh J i eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com