1 MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH. 371
2 on promising to supply a contingent of horse, and to remain constantly in
3 attendance upon the Lahore ruler.
4 Coming down to the plains, the Mahardj4 convened a grand meetiug of
5 all the sardars, in which he formally received nazars from the chiefs of the
6 Panjab who had acknowledged themselves to be his feudatories. All res-
7 ponded to the call, save Sardar Jiwan Singh of Sialkot and Sahib Singh of
8 - Gujrat, who refused to comply with the order, less from a spirit of rebellion
9 than from fear of treachery. Ranjit Singh now marched against these
10 chiefs to punish them for their audacity. An attack was made on Nidlkot,
11 and the city taken by storm, but Jiwan Singh, with a body of one thousand
12 fighting men and four pieces of artillery, ably defended the fort, which was
13 closely invested. The siege lasted seven days, when one of the gates of
14 the fort was battered down by the fire of the besiegers, which enabled them
15 to enter and occupy it. Jiwan Singh was put in chains, and, arrangements
16 having been made for the administration of the district, the troops left for
17 Gujrat. The Maharaja himself followed these troops, but before he reached
18 his destination, Sahib Singh’s agents met him and paid him a large sum of
19 money as tribute, and, in addition, entered into a treaty acknowledging his
20 allegiance to the Maharajd. Ranjit, being satisfied with these terms, with-
21 drew. He then went to Akhnir, the chief of which, Alam Khan, paid him
22 nazrdnd and was reinstated.*
23 In January of the same year, 4,000 troops were sent, under Ghouse
24 Khan, commandant of the Mahardja’s artillery, and sardar Hakma Singh,
25 to reduce Haran Mindr,t otherwise known as Shekhupura, the chiefs
26 of which place, Arbel Singh and Amir Singh, had greatly disturbed the
27 public peace by their depredations throughout the country.
28 Prince Kharak Singh} was put in nominal charge ofthe expedition. Arbel
29 Singh and Amir Singh vigorously defended themselves and their fort, and
30 the Mahardja’s troops had great difficulty in battering down the walls; this
31 not being effected until the Bhangi top of Ahmad Shah (which had been
32 captured at Amritsar from the possession of the Bhangis) was brought to
33 bear against one of the gates of the fort. The gate was then broken in
34 pieces, and the Lahore troops effected their entrance into the fort, which
35 was reduced. Arbel Singh and Amir Singh were put in irons, and their
36 fighting men were transferred to the Mahardja’s service, and the reduced
37 country was bestowed upon Prince Kharak Singh as jagir, with his mother
38 Rani Nakdin as his guardian. The Rani lived in the fort until her death, and
39 seldom came to Lahore.
40 In the end of Bysakh (April) of the same year, a vakél of the British
41 Government arrived at Léhore, with presents for the Mahardajd from that
42 Government. The object of his visit was to strengthen the relations of
43 amity between the British Government and the Darbar of Léhore, which had
44 been initiated by the mission of Eusaf*Ali Khan, eight years before. The
45 vakil was honourably received, and on his departure a khilat, valued at
46 Rs. 5,000, was presented to him, together with presents of valuable articles,
47 the products of the country, for the British authorities.
48 * Rai Kanhai Lal here mentions (page 194 of his work) that Daska was conquered by the
49 Maharaja from Sardar Nidhaén Singh. But Daska was reduced in the beginning of 1802, accord-
50 ing to the Rai’s own account, given at page 153 of his book.
51 + The hunting-ground of Jahangir, where that emperor constructed beautiful edifices,
52 now the jagir of Raja Harbans Singh, reputed son of Raja Tej Singh.
53 ¢Prinsep says Dewén Mohkam Chand was putin command of this expedition. But he was
54 at this time engaged in reducing the Anandpur Makhowal Valley, and had nothing to do with
55 the Shekhupura expedition, which was under the charge of Shahzada Kharak Singh. Com-
56 pare Sohan Lal’s diary with Bute Shah’s history, and the memoirs of Dewan Amar N&th, all
57 contemporary historians,
58 The insurrection of
59 Jiwan dingh of Sialkot
60 and Sahib Singh of
61 Gujrat,
62 Sialkot invaded a
63 second time, 1708.
64 The city and the fort
65 are reduced,
66 The MaharAja
67 marches to Gujrat.
68 Sahib Singh of
69 Gujrat submits.
70 Akhnir rendered
71 tributary, 1808,
72 Troops scent to
73 Sbkekhupura.,
74 Shekhipura annex-
75 ed to the Léhore terri-
76 tory, 1808,
77 Arrival of a British
78 Agent at Lahore, 1808.
79 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary Namdhart library@ gmail.com