1 Fatteh Khan chief of
2 Sahiwal is sent a
3 prisoner to Lahore.
4 Fourth expedition to
5 Multan, 1810,
6 Ranjit uses the
7 Shah's name for
8 purposes of his own.
9 The Sikks take
10 possession of Multan
11 city,
12 And lay siege on the
13 citadel,
14 The zamzama gun is
15 brought to Multan
16 Sri Satguru Jagjit Singh Ji eLibrary
17 386 HISTORY OF THE PANJAB.
18 summoned the chief to his presence. The Biluch chief, suspecting trea-
19 chery, sent his minor son, Lal Khan, with rich presents, to the Maharajd
20 who received ‘the boy with great cordiality and withdrew, apparently
21 satisfied. Thence the Maharaja proceeded to Khushdb, which place was
22 now finally reduced, after a siege of several days, the chief Zafar Khan being
23 expelled. Having thus lulled the suspicions of Fatteh Khan, who thought
24 himself secure, Ranjit Singh at once returned to Sdhiwdl by night, when
25 he immediately assaulted and captured the fort, having succeeded in com-
26 pletely taking its defenders by surprise. Fatteh Khan was put in chains and
27 sent to Ldéhore with his family, his castle at Kachi, and all his estates be-
28 ing confiscated to the State. In the same month of February, an army
29 was sent against Uch, the residence of the Sayads of Gildn and Bokhdva,
30 whose - religious sanctity, however, saved them from ruin, the Sayads
31 waiting on the Maharaja, with a present of horses, and engaging to pay
32 tribute. :
33 After these transactions, the Mahardjdé hastened on his long contemplated
34 expedition to Multén, and called upon Muzaffar Khan to surrender it to him
35 in the name of the Kdbul king, to whom the governor was bound. The,
36 nawéb sent his agents with an humble message, and promising to pay the
37 stipulated subsidy, within a reasonable time, but, as the Mahardjd was
38 determined upon annexing this fertile province, no excuses were listened to,
39 and, in a short-time, the whole Sikh army was encamped before Multdén,
40 after having ravaged the surrounding country by the way. The nawdb
41 made his preparations for defence, and provided the fort with an abundance
42 of water, provisions and supplies, The Sikh army, which had reached
43 Multén on the 24th of February, took possession of the city on the follow-
44 ing day. The appearance of the Sikh army at Multdu and their
45 occupation of the town, spread alarm throughout the neighbouring coun-
46 try; Muhammad Khan, the chief of Leia and Bhakkar, bought off the
47 invader by the payment of Rs. 1,20,000 as a ransom for his State, and
48 the chief of Bdhdwalpur, Sadiq Muhammad Khan, though a friend of
49 Muzaffar Khan’s, offered a lakh as tribute, but, as the Maharaja wanted
50 more substantial aid, the offer was not accepted, The Bahawalpur chief
51 was, at last, compelled to furnish a contingent of 500 cavalry for service
52 in the impending Multdén campaign.
53 The citadel of Multénu was now closely besieged by the Sikh army,
54 but the Pathdns offered a stout resistance, and the most strenuous attempts
55 of the Sikh soldiers to carry the fort by assault signally failed. A heavy
56 bombardment was kept up for severai days, but without any effect.
57 Batteries were then erected opposite the fort, and an incessant fire was
58 maintained, but hardly any impression was made on the citadel. Recourse
59 was at length had to mining; but the besieged successfully countermined.
60 Ranjit Singh made the most solemn and lavish promises to the chiefs who
61 should distinguish themselves in the action by the earliest effective advance,
62 He personally reconnoitred the enemy’s position, examined his posts
63 and fixed his own, marking out the spots.for the batteries, and assigning
64 lines of approach to the different chiefs, whose sense of duty to their
65 countrymen was appealed to with vehemence. Extensive transport arrange-
66 ments were made both by land and water from Léhore and Amritsar, and
67 the whole resources of the country were unreservedly placed at the dis-
68 posal of the military authorities to secure this much-coveted possession.
69 The famous Bhangi top, named ‘zamzama,’ was brought from Léhore to
70 batter down the walls of the fort; but it made little impression on the
71 besieged. It discharged a ball of two and a half maunds (hacha), or 80 Ibs.,
72 NamahariElibrary@ gmail.com