1 BHANGI MISL. 303
2 into collusion with the adherents of the Bhangi chiefs of Lihore, Hakim
3 Hdkam Rae, Bhai Gurbaksh Singh and Mian Ashik Mahomed. These
4 three wrote to Ranjit Singh, inviting him to enter the city, and promising
5 their support against the joint governcrs. Chowdhri Mohkam Din of Kot
6 Nawan, the confidential agent of Chet Singh, prevented his master by
7 persuasions from marching against Ranjit Singh, when the latter entered
8 Anarkalli at the head of a large force, and when Ranjit Singh approached
9 the city, he opened to him the Lahori Gate, of which he had charge.
10 Chet Singh and Mohar Singh fled, and Ranjit Singh thereupon made him- -
11 self master of Lahore. This was in July 1799.
12 We must now revert to the history of the misldars of the Bhangi con-
13 federacy. Desa Singh, son of Ganda Singh, was, on his death, succeeded by
14 his minor son Golab Singh, who guided the affairs of the misl through his
15 cousin, Karam Singh. Golab Singh enlarged the city of Amritsar. where he
16 resided, and, on attaining years of discretion, overran the whole Pathan,
17 colony of Kastir, which he subdued, the Pathan chiefs of Kastr, Nizdm-
18 ud-din Khan, and Kutb-ud-din Khan, brothers, entering the service of the
19 conqueror, In 1794, however, the brothers, with the aid of their Afghan
20 countrymen, recovered the whole of Kasur from the possession of the
21 Sikhs, and the repeated attempts of Golab Singh to expel the Afghans
22 failed. Golab Singh, in consequence of his debaucheries,-was a debilitated
23 and idiotic ruler, possessing neither force of character nor influence suffi-
24 cient to protect his interests against the intrigues of the rival chiefs whose
25 power was now in the ascendant. Ranjit Singh, having taken possession of
26 Lahore in the year 1799, his successes filled the Sikh chiefs with alarm.
27 The following year a cabal was formed against him, the leading spirits of
28 which were Golab Singh, Bhangi, Sahib Singh son of Gujar Singh, Bhangi,
29 Jassa Singh, Ramgarhia, the famous carpenter, and Nizdm-ud-din Khan of
30 Kastr. The allied troops of the sardars met the army of Ranjit Singh at
31 Bhasin, between Lahore and Amritsar, and a few petty engagements were
32 fought between the contending parties, which generally proved disastrous
33 to the caballing chiefs. Ranjit was now left complete master of the field.
34 During the time these troops were in the field, the chiefs vied with each
35 other in debauchery, revelry and riot, and Golab Singh, Bhangi, died sud-
36 denly of deliriwm tremens.
37 He was succeeded,.on his death, by his son, Gurdit Singh, a child, 10
38 years old, who conducted the affairs of the misl through his mother and
39 guardian, Musammat Sukhan. Ranjit Singh was now anxious to possess
40 Amritsar, the stronghold of the Bhangis, where the remnants of the misl
41 still held power and influence. In order to create a quarrel, he demanded
42 the famous zamzama gun, and on Musammat Sukhan’s refusal to part with
43 it, he declared war. The Bhangi fort was attacked by Ranjit Singh, assisted
44 by his ally, Fatteh Singh, Ahluwalia, and, after about five hours fighting, he
45 won the day. All the possessions of the Bhangis were seized by Ranjit
46 Singh, and Gurdit Singh, with his mother, Sukhan, fled to Ramgarh.
47 It will be remembered that, after the capture of Lahore by the three
48 Bhangi sardars, Gujar Singh had marched northwards with a view to further
49 conquests. His schemes were successful, and he became a far more powerful
50 chief than either Lahnd Singh or Sobha Singh had been in their time. He
51 took Gujrat from Sultan Mokarrab Khan, the Ghakkar chief, whom he
52 signally defeated under the walls of the city in 1755, capturing both the city
53 and the adjoining country, and making Gujrdt his head-quarters. Next year
54 he overran Jammu, seized Islamgarh, Punch and Deva Batala, and reduced
55 Garura, on the banks of the Chinab, where he seized the property of Rahmat
56 ne occupies Lahore,
57 99,
58 Desa Singh, Bhangi,
59 on his death, 1s succeed-
60 ed by his mznor son,
61 Golab Singh, 1782,
62 A cabal formed
63 against Ranjit Singh,
64 Death of Golab
65 Ringh,
66 He 1s succeeded by
67 his son, Gurdit Singh,
68 Ranjit Singh seizes
69 on the possessions of
70 the Bhangis,
71 Proceedings of Guyar
72 Singh, Bhang:,
73 He conquers Gujrat,
74 Overruns Jammu,
75 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com