1 THE PHULKIA MISL. 3827
2 comprised in the district. -One of these was Patidldé, now the capital of the
3 Conquers Sandwar
4 one builds Pati4la,
5 territory, where Ala Singh the following year (1757 aD.) built a small 157
6 mud fort, called Sodhion ki Garhi,* from the Sodhis living in that quarter.
7 “Mahomed Sallah, Khokar, the chief of Sandwar, made his submission to
8 Ala Singh. Ala Singh then conquered a great portion of Samanat after a battle
9 with the Rajputs, in which Farid Khan, their chief was killed. He made war
10 on the Bhattis who had been assisted by Nawab Nasir Khan, the Moghal
11 Governor of Hissar, and, after eight days’ hard fighting, dispersed them with
12 great loss, 1757. This victory tended much to consolidate Ala Singh’s power
13 and increase his influence,
14 In the year 1762 a.v., Ahmad Shah invaded Barnald, then the chief town
15 of Patidld,-to punish the audacity of the Sikhs, who had given trouble to
16 Zen Khan, governor of Sirhind, after his departure from India in the previous
17 year. ‘The Sikhs made common cause against the Mahomedan invader, and
18 the Phulkia chiefs, the Ahluwalias under Jassa Singh, the Fyzulpurias,
19 the Singhpurias, the Bhdis of Kythal, and many other chiefs formed a league
20 to oppose him. A great battle was fought near Barndla, which ended in the
21 complete overthrow of the Sikhs, whose loss was estimated at 20,000 men.
22 The Pathans plundered Barndla, and seized Ala Singh, who was taken a
23 prisoner -before the Shah. Rédni Fatto, wife of Ala Singh, obtained the
24 release of -her ‘husband by paying to the imperial treasury a present of four of Abu
25 lakhs of rupees. A dress’ of -honour was conferred on Ala Singh by the Shah,
26 who embraced him, and, in a firman, signed by his wazir, Shah Wali
27 Khan, ‘to the address of ‘Zen Khan, the subadar of Sirhind, enjoined the
28 latter to-treat his dominions as separate, and to respect his independence.
29 Ala Singh now laid the foundation of a masonry fort at Patidld, and directed
30 his attention to the improvement of that town.
31 The Durrdni king again invaded India the next year, and created Ala
32 Singh Chakladar, or lessee, of the province of Sirhind, on condition of
33 his paying three-and-a-half-lakhs of rupees a year as revenue. The Shah
34 was also pleased to confer on Ala Singh the title of rdj4 and a dress of
35 honour. Ala Singh accompanied the Shah to Lahore, but, on his return, was
36 laid up with fever at Patidl4, where he died after a short illness of two
37 days,in the seventeeth year of his age, on the 22nd of August, 1765.
38 Ala ‘Singh was succeeded in the raj by his grandson, Amar Singh. The
39 Durréni ‘king, Ahmad Shah, during his last invasion of India, in 1767,
40 honoured Amar Singh with the title of Rajd4-i-Rajgan Bahddur. At Kara
41 Bowana,-24 miles south of Ambdla, an interview took place between the
42 king and the rdéj4, when valuable presents were given to the latter with a
43 flag and a drum, the insignia of an independent prince. He was also
44 permitted to strike coin in his name, he in his turn presenting the king
45 with a nazrdnd of a lakh of rupees.
46 Amar Singh made war on the Afghans of Malerkotla, whose chief, Jamal
47 Khan, the Sikhs killed in battle. He made successful attacks on Mani
48 Majré and Kot Kapurd, captured Sefabdd, a strong fort, north of Patidld, ex-
49 pelling its Mahomedan masters, seized Fattehdbad and Sirsa, and invested
50 Rania, a strong fort, eight miles west of Sirsa, held by Mahomed Amin Khan,
51 Bhatti. ‘The Imperial troops were repulsed before Jhind, and Rania was
52 ‘captured. Faridkot was then overrun, in 1777, but no attempt was made to
53 take formal possession of the territory. He conquered Bhatinda, after a severe
54 * Traces of this Garhi are yet to be seen. It is not the site of the present fort of Patidla.
55 + A town, fifteen miles south of Patidld, with 13,000 inhabitants. It was governed by
56 Jalél-ud-din Feroz, Khilji, who ascended the throne of Delhi, in 1198 a.p,, after the death of
57 Sultan Moz-ud-din Kykubad. ee :
58 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary
59 Defeats the Bbattis
60 a second time, 1757.
61 The battle of
62 Barnala.
63 Defeat of Ala Singh
64 and his associates in
65 arms, 1762.
66 Ala Singh is taken a
67 prisoner by the troops
68 of Ahmad Shah,
69 a ?
70 But is subsequently
71 released and pardoned.
72 Ts created a rAja.
73 His death, 1765.
74 Raji Amar Singh
75 succeeds,
76 Privileges conferred
77 on him by the Durrani
78 sovereign.
79 His conquests.
80 NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com