1 Seventh invasion of
2 Ahmad Shah, 1764.
3 His speely retire-
4 ment to Kabul.
5 Lahore in the hands
6 of the Sikhs, 1764 A.b.
7 The three Sikh rulers
8 of Lahore.
9 286 HISTORY OF THE PANJAB.
10 humour, while to deliver over the Mahomedan butchers to their tender mer-
11 cies was to incur the displeasure of the Shah, his master. Under these cir-
12 cumstances he thought it advisable to compromise matters by chopping off
13 the ears and noses of some of the butchers and expelling them from the
14 town. Kébuli Mal, no doubt, considered this a meritorious act, for, being a
15 Hindu, he looked upon all butchers, as an abomination and pest.
16 The success of the Sikhs at Sirhind, and the confusion into which the
17 Panjab had fallen, brought the Abdali, Ahmed Shah, again on the scene,
18 Having crossed the Indus, he entered Lahore in January 1764, this being his
19 seventh invasion of Hindostin. His appearauce on the plains of India, was a
20 signal for the votaries of Govind again to hide their heads in their jungles and
21 hill fastnesses, for they dreaded his very name. Raja Ala Singh, of Patidla,
22 was confirmed by the Shah in his tenure of Sirhind, on the recommendation
23 of his grand wazir, Shah Wali Khan. The Shah was much moved by
24 the disorders he saw on all sides. He despatched his troops in every
25 direction to seize the insurgent Sikhs; but they were beyond his reach, hay-
26 ing taken refuge west and south of Patiala and Nabha. After a short stay
27 at Léhore, the Shah proceeded to the Sutlej, where he levelled the houses of
28 the Sikh chiefs to the ground. In numerous villages the standing wheat
29 crops were burnt, or otherwise destroyed, and the Sikh places of worship plun-
30 dered or desecrated. For two months he continued to ravage the countries
31 south of Léhore, when, hearing of fresh disturbances in his native provinces,
32 he retraced his steps somewhat precipitately to Kabul, without having either
33 effectually punished the atrocities of the Sikhs, or completely recovered the
34 lost province of Sirhind. He acknowledged Ala Singh as governor of the pro-
35 vince on his behalf, on condition of his paying a tribute of three and a half
36 lakhs of rupees. He was harassed in the neighbourhood of Amritsar by the
37 Sikhs, and petty engagements were of constant occurrence in which the
38 Afghans suffered greatly. He then crossed the Ravi, and sent his general,
39 Jahan Khan, to Gujrdét and Rohtas,at the head of 10,000 Kazalbashes, to
40 punish the Sikhs.
41 While the Abdali was moving about the country, the Sikhs, acting upon
42 the adage that “ Prudence is the better part of valour,” considered it advis-
43 able to keep out of his reach, but no sooner had he turned his back, than they
44 burst forth like the smouldering embers of a fire that is stirred, and, over-
45 running the country,* laid it waste in all directions, They besieged and took
46 Lahore. Kabuli Mal, the governor, hurried off to Jammu and claimed the
47 protection of Ranjit Deo, one of the hill rajis. The governor's nephew,
48 (sister’s son), Amir Singh, was surprised and arrested, while enjoying himself
49 at a dancing party, and immediately loaded with chains. All the men of his
50 family were made prisoners, and the whole of his property was confiscated to
51 the Khdlsd.t{ The city was given up to indiscriminate plunder? and was
52 parcelled out by the captors into three lots. South of Lahore, as far as
53 Niaz Beg, was assigned to Sobha Singh; the eastern portion, including
54 Kabuli Mal’s haveli, was made over to Gujar Singh, and the rest, with the
55 fort and the Badshahi masjid, to Lahna Singh. A contemporary poet has
56 given the following chronogram of the capture of Lahore by the Sikhs,
57 giving the Hijri year 1181, corresponding to 1764 A.D, :—
58 * For a full account of the proceedings of thi i . he AARON:
59 Sthiis, ide she History of tie Bhan se of this period between the Léhore viccroy and the
60 + The family of Kabuli Mal were released b ¥ A
61 nary a 35,000 rupees and sent ie y the three rulers of Lahore, on payment of a
62 t this time there lived at Lahore a faqir of greatsanctity named Natl hah. The
63 eons ee him to ask the invaders to have mercy on the foun, sai throws hie autoeees:
64 ¢ lives of the citizens were spared.—Umda Tul “warikh of Sahan Lal, page 163, vol. I.
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