1 Cautious measures
2 of Ranjit Singh,
3 He occupies Lahore,
4 1799.
5 Chet Singh outwit-
6 ted.
7 Fe shuts himself up
8 in the fort,
9 350 HISTORY OF TIE PANJAB.
10 He put up in the Baradari of Nawab Wazir Khan, now the Panjdb
11 Public Library, locating his troops on the site of the present Government
12 Post Office in Anarkalli.
13 The three Lahore sardars, being informed of Ranjit Singh’s approach,
14 made preparations to oppose him. The only gates kept open for public
15 business during the administration of the three sardars were the Delhi, the
16 Léhori and the Roshmai gates; all the rest had been closed with masonry
17 walls, Ranjit Singh saw the difficulty of effecting his object. Mian Ashak
18 Mohamed and Mohkam Din sent him word that all that was necessary to
19 effect his easy entrance into the city had been done, and a large breach
20 opened in the city wall between the Khizri and Yekki gates, to enable him
21 to enter silently. Ranjit Singh, unwilling to act upon the information,
22 and suspecting treachery, determined upon making a triumphant entry by
23 one of the gates of the city. A body of armed men, ridiculously small
24 (about two hundred), who had come out of the city to oppose Ranjit
25 Singh, were beaten and fled back to the city, five of their number having
26 been killed in the conflict which ensued. It was at length resolved, as
27 the result of secret negotiations between the invader and Mian Ashak
28 Mohamed and Mohkam Din, that Ranjit Singh should advance at 8 o’clock
29 on the morning of 18th Saffar, 1215 H. (1856 Samvat or 1799 a.D.) towards
30 the Ldahori gate of the city, which would be opened on his approach.
31 Acting on this resolution, Ranjit marched on to the Léhori Gate, at the
32 appointed time, at the head of a thousand of his chosen men; and, before
33 Sardar Chet Singh was aware of his intention or presence, the gate was
34 opened to him, and he had effected his entrance. The rest of Ranjit
35 Singh’s troops followed immediately after, and mounted the ramparts of
36 the city. While these proceedings were going on, Chet Singh was pur-
37 posely misinformed that the besiegers had appeared at the Delhi gate,
38 which had been shut against them, and that the men in charge of the
39 gate were ready to encounter them. Chet Singh, on hearing this, forth-
40 with left the fort by the eastern gateway, at the head of the five hundred
41 horse, to join the guards in possession of the Delhi gate, and assist them
42 in opposing the advance of the enemy. He had not proceeded far in.the
43 direction of the Delhi gateway, when his retainers informed him that the
44 enemy had already entered the city by the Ldéhori gate, which had been
45 treacherously opened to them, and that, if he wanted to save his life, he
46 should re-enter the fort and prevent its occupation by the invader. Chet
47 Singh now, seeing that he had been purposely misled, the object of the
48 manoeuvre being to give Ranjit a fair opportunity of entering the city,
49 immediately turned towards the fort and arrived at the Haziri Bagh Gate,
50 just in time to close it against the advancing cavalry of the invader, led in
51 person by the youthful Ranjit Singh. Two or three gate-keepers were shot
52 dead in their attempt to close the gates, by Ranjit’s cavalry, who had
53 galloped their horses close up to the gate. Chet Singh shut himself up in
54 the fort. The two other sardars, it need hardly be said, fled from the city
55 before they had heard of Ranjit’s entry. Ranjit now opened a desultory
56 fire on the fort, which was promptly answered on Chet Singh’s side by his
57 matchlock men inside. This continued for twenty hours.
58 Ranjit Singh now determined to lay siege to the fort, but Sada Kour
59 prevented him from carrying his determination into effect, urging that
60 the besieged, having no provisions within, and their communication, from
61 without, being cut off, would soon be compelled to surrender. This opinion
62 was borne out by events. The next morning, Chet Singh, finding treachery
63 Sri Satgurl] ale Sirtft}PeLibiary OF all sides; snnemnsteeRBrapRe gM CaM of being