1 MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH. 395
2 the valley itself; and the friendship professed for the ex-kings of Kabul, and
3 the most humane duty of relieving the unhappy monarchs from their pending
4 distress, were ample excuses to justify an immediate advance. But another
5 chief from beyond the Indus, quite as enterprising and ambitious as the
6 ruler of Léhore, was making preparations for an attack on the ‘ paradise of
7 the east,’ as the happy valley iscalled. ‘This was Fatteh Khan, the famous
8 wazir of Shah Mahmiad of Kabul, who was advancing, in order to punish
9 the brothers, Ata Muhammad Khan, governor of Kashmir and Jahdnddd
10 Khan, governor of Atak, for having assisted Shujd-ul-Mulk, in his attempt
11 to recover Peshawar, and to recover the provinces for the Kabul Government.
12 Hight thousand Afghan troops were already at Rohtas, while the wazir himself
13 crossed the Indus, towards the end of November, at the head of a considerable
14 army. The recent successes of the Sikh arms in territories so near that
15 which the wazfr now contemplated making the theatre of military opera-
16 tions, rendered it necessary for both chiefs, thoroughly to understand the
17 views of each other before those operations commenced on one side or the
18 other. The wise wazir perceived the necessity of securing the Mahardja’s
19 co-operation, or at least his sympathy, to ensure successinthe task of con-
20 quering Kashmir, which would be rendered extremely difficult, if opposed
21 by the Léhore ruler. He accordingly deputed his dewdu, Gudar Mal, to the
22 Court of Léhore, with suitable presents, inviting the Mahardjé to unite with
23 him in the invasion of Kashmir, and proposing a friendly meeting, with the
24 view of facilitating negotiations. The Mahardj& gladly accepted the proposal,
25 and the chiefs met on the bank of the Jhelum, on Ist of December, when it
26 was agreed that the Mahardjd should assist the wazir with troops, and, at the
27 same time, afford every facility for the march of the invading army through
28 the passes recently subdued by him. The Maharaja demanded a sub-
29 stantial benefit, in return for the succour required, namely, a portion of the
30 revenue of the valley, but the politic wazir offered a third of the spoil
31 expected, which was eventually agreed upon. Upon these termstwelve thou-
32 sand Sikh troops, under Dewdn Mohkam Chand, were placed at the disposal
33 ofthe Afghan commander, and the joint armies of the Sikhs and the Afghans
34 marched from the Jhelum, while the Mahardjdé returned to Lahore. The
35 Pathan chief had, however, no intention of allowing the Sikhs to take any
36 prominent part in the reduction of the valley, or to claim the credit of
37 conquering it. What he really wished was the neutrality of the Sikh ruler.
38 A heavy fall of snow impeded the progress of the invading army, as it
39 reached the Pir Panjal Range. The Sikhs, less accustomed to endure the
40 severities of a mountain winter, than the hardy Afghans, were unable to
41 move. Fatteh Khan, without waiting to consult the dewan, or even in-
42 forming him of his intention, pressed forward his mountain troops by
43 double marches. Mohkam Chand, seeing how the Afghan had tried to
44 outstrip him, induced the chief of Rajduri, by the promise of a jagir of
45 Rs. 25,000, to show him a route which would enable him to reach the
46 valley at the same time as the wazir. This the chief did, and the active
47 dewan, with a handful of troops, under Jodh Singh, Kalsia, and Nehdal
48 Singh, Attari, penetrated into the valley, in time to be present at the siege
49 of Shergarh and Hari Parbat, much to the amazement of the Kébul wazir.
50 But the portion of the Sikh army which thus reached its destination, was
51 exhausted by its march through the hills and by exposure to cold, and was
52 consequently unable to render any material help. Ata Muhammad, the
53 governor, fled after offering but a feeble resistance; the valley was reduced,
54 and soon afterwards all the strongholds of the province were captured by the
55 wazir, Fatteh Khan, without difficulty. Great was the rejoicing at Lahore
56 The valley is in the
57 meanwhile invaded by
58 Wazir Fatt-h Khan, of
59 Kabul, 1812,
60 He asks the Maha-
61 raja’s co-operation in
62 the task of reducing
63 Kashmir,
64 Meeting between the
65 Maharaja and the
66 Kabul wazir.
67 The Maharaja agrees
68 to the wazir’s proposal.
69 Invasion of Kashmir
70 by the Joint armies of
71 the Afghans and the
72 Sikhs, 1812,
73 The Kabul wazir
74 outstrips the Maharaja
75 and holds K4shmir for
76 Shah Mahmud, 1813.-
77 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com