1 BHANGI MISL. 299
2 loss on the side of the latter. And now a greater calamity was awaiting
3 the Sikhs. Tymur Shah, who had succeeded his father, Ahmad Shah, on the
4 throne of Kabul, determined to recover his lost territories in the Panjab.
5 He accordingly, sent his general, Fyzulluh Khan, to Peshawar, to levy
6 troops, to make an attack on the Panjdb. The general assembled a consi-
7 derable * number of the Afghans, chiefly from the Khaibar tribes, with the
8 avowed object of punishing the Sikhs, but entered into a secret plot with
9 Mian Mohamed, son of Shekh Omer, the Sahibzada of Chamkanni, a de-
10 clared enemy of the Shab, to put an end to the king’s life. He marched his
11 troops to the citadel of Peshawar on pretence of parading them before
12 the king; but when they reached the fort, they cut to pieces the guards at
13 the gates and forced their way in. Tymutr Shah ascended the upper story
14 of his palace, and made his situation known to the guards. The Gholém
15 Shahis, the king’s own body guards, and the Durranis, attacked Fyzullah’s
16 men, and a terrible slaughter ensued, ending in the arrest of Fyzullah and
17 his son who were both tortured tc death. f
18 Tymur Shah now took vigorous steps to prosecute his plans regarding
19 Sindh, Béhawalpur and the lower Panjab. In the season of 1777-78 he sent
20 two detachments of Afghan troops to expel the Sikhs from Multan, but
21 without success. The Afghans were repulsed with great loss, and Haini
22 Khan, who commanded the expedition, was tied to a cannon. and blown away
23 by the Sikhs. In the winter of 1778-79, the incensed Shah marched in
24 person to chastise the Sikhs. Ganddé Singh, the Bhangi chief, was at this
25 time embroiled with the leaders of the rival misls, and the operations of
26 the Shah against Multan were successful. A desperate fight took place.
27 The Shah’s troops numbered 15,000, consisting of LEusafzies, Durrdnis,
28 Moghals and Kazalbdshes, all under the command of Zangi Khan, the
29 Durrani chief. After a stubborn fight in the field, the hill veterans of the
30 Shah carried the day. The Sikhs fledin great disorder, pursued by the
31 victorious Afghans, who put a large number of them to the sword. The
32 generals who conducted the battle on the side of the Shah, were Zangi
33 Khan, Kamdlzie and Bahédur Khan son of Fyz Talab Khan Mahomedzie.
34 About 3,000 Sikhs were killedin this battle, while 2,000 were drowned in
35 their attempt to cross the river. The heads of several thousand Sikhs
36 laden on camels, were sent to Peshdwar as trophies, and exhibited there to
37 the terror and astonishment of the people. After this victory, Tymur Shah
38 bestowed the governorship of Multén on Shuja Khan, father of Mozaffar
39 Khan, surnamed Safdar Jang, who retained it until expelled by Ranjit
40 Singh. The Shah then subdued Bahéwal Khan} the Abbdsi chief of Bahdwal-
41 pur. The town of Béhdwalpur was pillaged, and many of its edifices were
42 burnt. The Nawdab’s arsenals, together with a portion of the fort, were blown
43 up. The Nawab was at length compelled to pay an annual tribute, and the
44 Afghan troops withdrew. The Shah then reduced to subjection the Talpurs of
45 * According to the memoirs of Abdul Karim U/lvi, 25,000 troops were collected by Fyzullah
46 Khan on this occasion.
47 + According to the author of Tdrik-i-Ahmad Shaht, 6,000 men were slaughtered by the
48 Jamshedi, the Kalmak, the Gholam Shahi, and the Durrani troops of the Shah. Elphinstone
49 says no distinction was made between the innocent and the guilty in the slaughter which
50 followed. The courtyard of the palace and the royal harem were covered with the bodies of
51 the dead, and many ulemas, or learned men, of Peshawar were put to the sword.—Tdrikh-i-
52 Ahmadi, page 19.
53 t His name was Rukun-ud-din, surnamed_‘‘ Mahomed Bhawal Khan Bahadur Nasrat Jang
54 Hatiz-ul-Mulk,” a title given to him by the Delhi emperor. He was a Hajiz, that is, he could
55 repeat the Qurdn by heart, and was well versed in Mahomedan law. He was the nephew of
56 Bhawal Khan I., who founded Bahawalpur, and extended his conquest from Bikaner to the
57 Lakhi jungles.
58 Tymur Shah
59 invades the Panjab.
60 He is betrayed by
61 general Fyzullah
62 Khan.
63 Terrible massacre at
64 Peshawar.
65 Tymur Shah sends
66 troops against Multan,
67 The Sikhs repulse
68 the Afghans, 1777-78.
69 The prince marches
70 to Multan im person,
71 1778-79. +
72 The Sikhs are
73 defeated in a battle,
74 Tymur Shah
75 appoints Shujé Khan
76 to the government of
77 Multan.
78 The Afghans over-
79 run Bahawalpur and
80 Sindh.
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