1 Shah Zaman enters
2 ™ Lahore, January 1797.
3 Rejoicings at Lahore.
4 Proceedings of the
5 Shab in the Panjab.
6 Intrigues in India to
7 restore the house of
8 Tynrir,
9 Fallacy of the
10 notions entertained,
11 The Shah retires to
12 his own country.
13 The Bhangi sardars
14 reoccupy Lahore.
15 Death of Lahna
16 Singh and Sobha
17 Singh, 1797,
18 They are succeeded
19 by Chet Singh and
20 Mohar Singh.
21 Incapacity of the
22 new covernors.
23 Rant Sinch, Suker-
24 ch ikia, castes his eyes
25 on Lahore.
26 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary
27 302 HISTORY OF THE PANJAB.
28 the citadel to Mian Shah Cherdgh, a descendant of the famous saint, Abdul
29 Qadir, Jilani, and one of the leading Mahomedans of the city, and retired.
30 The Shah subsequently advanced ungpposed to Lahore, which he entered on
31 the 8rd of January 1797.
32 Tho city was illuminated for three successive nights in honour of its
33 occupation by the Durrani. Some Hindu shopkeepers, who wilfully neg-
34 lected to light up their shops on the fixed dates, were punished with the
35 payment of jazia. The deserted houses in the city were all occupied by
36 the Afghan sardars and nobles, while the parade ground, fronting the palace,
37 swarmed with the followers of the Afghan army. Following the policy
38 adopted by his grandfather, Ahmad Shah, the invader despatched chapals,
39 or light parties, in different directions into the country to attack the Sikhs
40 in their retreat by rapid marches, to seize their cattle, destroy their grain,
41 and harass them in other ways. Such forts as were within the reach of
42 these flying columns were reduced. As, however, times had changed since
43 the invasion of Ahmad Shah, and the Sikh power was now in the ascendant,
44 he thought it fit to adopt a policy of mixed conciliation and menace, and
45 great encouragements were held out to all Sikhs who should submit.
46 This led to many of the Sikh chiefs tendering “their submission to the
47 Shah, to whom they paid homage at Lahore. The Mahomedans look-
48 ed upon him as the champion of their faith, and the deliverer of their coun-
49 try. The leading Mahomedans of the Panjab, Jalal Bhatti, Nizim-ud-din
50 Khan of Kasair and others joined him; but the advance of the Durrani
51 army, and the occupation of the capital of the Panjab by the grandson of
52 the famous Abdali king, Ahmad Shah, had caused a profound sensation
53 throughout India, however ill-prepared the Shah, and ill-designed and inop-
54 portune his plans may have been. Hncouragements were held out to the
55 Shah by a refugee prince of Delhi and Tippu Sultan. An interchange of
56 deputations also took place between Shah Zaman and Sindhia, the envoys
57 of the latter having passed through Bahawalpur (as in the instance of the
58 mission of the wazir of Oudh, previously alluded to). Intrigues were set
59 on foot in many parts of India to assist the king, with the object of eventually
60 restoring the house of Tymtr to power. The weakness of the Mahrattas,
61 and the distracted state of the Nawab Wazir’s country of Oudh, induced
62 every able-bodied Mahomedan in Hindostan to arm in defence of his reli-
63 gion and country. The Rohillas, too, were armed cap-d-pic, and determined
64 to assist the Shah in his endeavours to conquer India, while even in the Dek-
65 kan the advent of the royal hero was hopefully and anxiously awaited by
66 every Mahomedan. How visionary these hopes were, appeared, however,
67 soon after. Intelligence was received of the rebellion of the Shah’s brother,
68 Prince Mahmud, at Herat, and he was compelled forthwith to retrace his
69 steps to Kabul, leaving Ahmad Khan, Barakzie, to look after the affairs of
70 the country between the Jhelum and Sindh, Bahadur Khan, Mahomedzie,
71 Bostan Khan, Durrani, and Nurullah Khan, Khatak, at the head of 7,000
72 horse, 100 zamburas and 4 guns, being left to protect the country.
73 After the departure of Shah Zaman, Lahnd Singh and Sobha Singh
74 returned to Lahore and occupied it. The same year, 1797, Lahna Singh
75 died, and was succeeded by his son Chet Singh, and, about the same time,
76 Sobha Singh died, and was succeeded by his son Mohar Singh. The new gover-
77 nors of Lahore possessed neither the talents -nor the capabilities to rule
78 over the country which they inherited, and the subjects entrusted to their
79 care. Chet Singh was an imbecile, while Mohar Singh exercised little in-
80 fluence over the people. Ranjit Singh, the powerful sardar of the Suker-
81 chakia must, formed a plan to capture Lahore, and, with this view, entered
82 NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com