1 Nothing done to res-
2 tore confidence between
3 the Patiala Raj4 and
4 his Rani.
5 The Gorkhas of
6 Nepal invade Kangra,
7 1806,
8 The interference of
9 Ranjit singh is sought,
10 But the Gorkhis
11 withdraw, 1806,
12 Annexation of Parstr
13 and Chaméra, 1807.
14 _ Fifth invasion of
15 Kasur, 1807,
16 3866 HISTORY OF THE PANJAB.
17 Nabhd, Sardar Fatteh Singh, Ahluwalia, Dewan Mohkam Chand, Sardar
18 Bastwaé Singh and Sardar Bhanga Singh. During the same campaign, he
19 conquered the district of Ghamgrama, expelling the owners, Jat Singh,
20 Gujar Singh and Kabil Khan, and dividing their territories between the
21 Nabhd chief, Jaswant Singh, and Gurdit Singh, chief of Ladwa. He made
22 no advance further south than Ambdla, and, after celebrating the Dewali
23 festival at Thanesar, and performing his ablutions in the holy tank there,
24 he recrossed the Sutlej. Little was done by him in this campaign towards
25 improving the relations between the r4ja of Patiald and his wife, though
26 both, in their turn, had presented him with large sums of money and
27 precious jewels to secure his goodwill.
28 Taking route by Rahon, the residence of Tara Singh, Gheba, Ranjit
29 Singh proceeded to pay his superstitious devotions to the holy fires, the
30 natural flames of Jawdéla Mukhi. Intelligence was brought to him there
31 by Sardar Fatteh Chand, younger brother of Rajd Sansdr Chand of Kangra
32 of the encroachments on the hill rdj4’s territory by Amar Singh, Thapa, the
33 general of the Nepdl army, who, after subduing and ravaging the mountain
34 districts from the Ganges to the Sutlej, had fallen on Kangrd with the
35 determination to subdue it. He had levied tribute from the hill chief of
36 Garhwal, and reduced the young chief of Ndldgarh, who had, however,
37 offered a gallant resistance. The neighbouring states of Sarmor, Basihar,
38 and Bhagat had all fallen in succession, and the invader had now laid
39 siege to the Kangré fort. The sardar, therefore, asked for help against the
40 invading Gorkhds, on condition of his paying a large nazrdénd. Ranjit
41 Singh gladly acceded to his request, and, on arriving in the neighbour-
42 hood of Kangra, was visited by Zordwar Singh, a confidential agent of General
43 Amar Singh, who, on his master’s behalf, offered a nazrdnd of double the value
44 of that promised by Sansdr Chand, on condition that the Mahardja would
45 withdraw with his troops. The Maharaja declined the offer, on the ground
46 that he had given his word to the Kangra chief, though his policy was to
47 expel the strangers (who were likely to disturb the peace of his own king-
48 dom) from the borders, A pestilence, however, broke out among the Gorkha
49 troops, causing great mortality in their camp, and this necessitated their
50 withdrawal with the utmost expedition. On his return from the hills, with
51 the promised nazrénd from the hil! rajé, Ranjit Singh stationed one
52 thousand troops at Nadaon, and instructed Sardar Fatteh Singh, Kalianwala,
53 to remain at Bijawar with his troops, to watch the future motions of the
54 Gorkhd commander.
55 The beginning of 1807 was marked by the death of Nar Singh, an old
56 Sikh sardar, and the consequent collapse of Pasrir and Chamdra, extensive
57 territories held by the sardar. A small jégir was conferred on the son of
58 the deceased sardar, as maintenance. Kutb-ud-din Khan, of Kasur, the
59 successor of the able PathAn, Nizdm-ud-din Khan, had again become trouble
60 some, The Maharaja, by removing such a thorn in his side as Kutb-ud-din
61 Khan, from his vicinity, was anxious to strengthen his own position.
62 The opinion was also rightly held by him that the acquisition of the
63 mythological rival of Lahore from its Mahomedan owners, and the subjuga-
64 tion of the Pathdn colonists would tend materially to the advancement of
65 his own prestige and popularity amongst the Khdlsd. A formidable expedi-
66 tion was organised, headed by himself and Jodh Singh, the son of his
67 father’s old ally, Jassa Siagh, Ramgarhia, the famous carpenter. The terri-
68 tory was invaded in February 1807. It contained many small forts, all of
69 which were well stored with munitions of war and provisions. The invader
70 invested the town, cutting off all communications from without. The siege
71 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com