1 ~
2 THE HISTORY OF BYRAGI BANDA. 279
3 Samad Khan, the viceroy of Léhore, with his Durrani warriors and train of
4 artillery, marched from Léhore and was reinforced by the imperial troops
5 under Mir Ahmad Khan, the Faujdar of Aurangabad. The Sikhs streng-
6 thened their position in the fort of Logharh (Gurdaspur) and surrounded it
7 by a moat which they filled from the neighbouring canals.
8 A desperate action was fought in which their leader Bandd showed
9 great valour, but he had to give way to superior numbers, and the
10 discipline of the imperial army, though not without a fierce and desperate
11 struggle, in which he inflicted severe losses on his opponents.
12 Banda and his followers were driven from place to place by the imperia-
13 lists, and finally took refuge in the fort of Logharh, which was thoroughly
14 adapted for the purposes of defence, and here he was closely besieged for a
15 long time. All communication from without was cut off, and nothing could
16 be conveyed to the besieged inside. All the provisions in the fort were con-
17 sumed and its military resources exhausted.
18 At length the besieged began to suffer the utmost extreme of hunger and
19 fatigue, and were reduced to eating horses and asses. The small band of
20 followers who had adhered to Bandé faithfully throughout his checkered
21 career, now began to desert him, in consequence of the hunger and hardships
22 to which they were subjected. These people concealed themselves in caves,
23 jungles, deserted villages and other places; but the Mahomedans were
24 indefatigable in unearthing them and putting them to death.
25 Seeing now that there was no chance of escape, and that he had to chose
26 between surrender and starvation, Bandd4 elected the former, and sent a
27 message to Abdul Samad, begging him to intercede with the emperor for a
28 free pardon for him, on condition of his leading a peaceful life in future.
29 The nawdéb promised to mediate, on which Bandé surrendered, with all his
30 chief councilleys, officers and men. He and his associates, having been all
31 put in chains, were sent to Léhore. Many were bound hand and foot
32 and made over to the imperial troops, who, under orders of the nawdb,
33 carried them to the banks of the Ravi, and there, having beheaded them,
34 threw their bodies into the river. After these executions, Abdul Samad Khan
35 made his triumphant entry into Lahore with a long train of Sikh officers
36 and men, headed by Banddé. They were mounted upon lame, worn out
37 hungry asses and camels, each of them having a paper cap on his head. In
38 this condition they were led into the streets of Lahore, followed by a mob
39 which jeered and cursed them. As they were being thus paraded through
40 the streets, the old mother of Bayazid Khan, who had been killed by a Sikh
41 named Baz Singh, while in the act of performing his afternoon devotion,
42 avenged herself for the death of her son, by lifting a large stone and letting
43 it fall on the head of her son’s assassin from a terrace overlooking the
44 street. The stone killed Béz Singh on the spot. The whole city of Lahore
45 was at this moment in a state of intense agitation, and the general, appre-
46 hending that the prisoners would be killed by the infuriated mob, conveyed
47 them to a place of safety where they were concealed in the trappings of
48 elephants: The following day the general left the city at daybreak with
49 the object of presenting Band4 and his associates alive to the emperor.
50 The prisoners were put under charge of his own son, Zakaria Khan, and Kamr-
51 ud-din Khan, under a strong escort. Of the whole number that had been
52 taken prisoners, seven hundred and forty men were taken to Delhi. Bandd
53 was confined in an iron cage.* At Delhi the prisoners were treated with the
54 * According to McGregor, the Mussalman soldiers maintained that Banda was a magician
55 and would make his escape on the road, One of the Moghals rose and said: “ Tie us together
56 on the same elephant, and if he attempts to escape, I will plunge this dagger into his body.”
57 Banda was accordingly tied to this man, and in this manner conveyed to Delhi.
58 Abdul Samad Khan
59 proceeds against them,
60 The fight at Gurdas-
61 pur.
62 e fort Jaid under
63 e,
64 sieg
65 The besieged are put
66 to great straits.
67 Banda surrenders.
68 Executions of the
69 ikhs,
70 Barbarous display of
71 the Sikh prisoners in
72 the streets of Lahore.
73 The death of the
74 governor of Sirhind
75 avenged by his mother.
76 The prisoners, with
77 Band, their chief are
78 sent to Delhi,
79 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com