1 MAHARAJA RANJIL SINGH. 403
2 Rajauri, en route to the valley. The Mahardj4 encamped.at Shah Bagh, in
3 Rajauri, and received the respects of Rajé Agar Khan, the chief of that hill
4 state. Here the army, having been disencumbered of its heavy baggage,
5 was equipped for’a march through the interior of the hills, and preparations
6 were made to pass the famous Pir Panjal. An attempt to gain over Raja
7 Riihulla Khan, of Punch, failed, as his son was already a hostage with
8 Muhammad Azim Khan, the Kébul governor. Radja Agar Khan, of Rajduri,
9 was then consulted as to the best route by which to invade the valley. He
10 proved a treacherous ally, and net only misled Ranjit Singh as to the
11 number and strength of the enemy, but advised a division of the army, the
12 main body commanded by the Mahardja in person, to pursue the Punch
13 route by the Toshi Maiddn Pass, the other detachment to enter Kashmir
14 by the Bahram Galla route, vid Supin, in the valley. This advice was
15 unfortunately followed, and the division intended for a diversion, having
16 been furnished with provisions, was sent forward under Ram Daydi,
17 grandson of Dewdén Mohkam Chand, on the 15th of June. The Dewdn
18 was accompanied by Sarddér Dal Singh, Ghouse Khan, commandant of the
19 artillery, Mit Singh, Padhania, and several other sardars and jdgirdars.
20 Jamadar Khushhdi Singh commanded the van, which was to clear the way
21 of the enemy, while Hari Singh, Nalwa, and Nehdl Singh, Attartwdld,
22 brought up the rear. The detachment appeared before Bahram Galla,
23 on the 18th, and secured possession of the pass by bribing the defenders,
24 who were retainers of the Punch R&jé. The following day, under the
25 guidance of Ndmdar Khan, Thakkar, whose knowledge of the route was of
26 great value, the advanced column of the Sikhs surmounted the lofty barrier
27 of the Pir Panjal by the Sarai and Madpur Pass, occupying Hirpur, and
28 dislodging the Afghdus who defended those places. Azim Khan, having
29 - heard of this defeat, sent a strong force to meet the invaders, and an action
30 was fought on the 22nd of July, near Hirpur, when the Kdshmirians, being
31 defeated, were followed by the Sikhs to Supin, On the 24th, the Sikhs,
32 under Dewdn Ram Daydl, made an assault on Supin, but the town was
33 _ strongly defended by Shakar Khan, The Sikh van was led by Jiwan Mal,
34 a brave man and commandant of Kharak Singh’s troops, who boldly engaged
35 the Afghdn army. The Sikhs fought well, but were outnumbered. The
36 place was, moreover, visited by a snowstorm, and the Sikhs, being quite
37 unaccustomed to such an event, could make no stand. Muhammad Azim
38 The treacherous con-
39 duct of Raja Agar
40 Khan of Rajauri.
41 The division under
42 Dewan Ram Dayal,
43 The Bahram QGalla
44 Pass secured,
45 And the Pir Panjal
46 surmounted.
47 The actions of
48 Hirpur and Supin,
49 Khan’s cavalry coming up, the Sikhs were completely routed, and many of The Sikhs routed,
50 their sardars killed, among them being the gallant Jiwan Mal and Fatteh
51 Singh, Chéchi, The routed Sikhs met with greater disasters the following
52 night, going from place to place over snow-covered hills and valleys, in
53 order to escape from the relentless Afghdns, who hung close upon their
54 rear. Ram Dayal retired toa village, close to Srinagar, where the wounded
55 men collected round his tent. Those who were able to fly, fell back on
56 the skirts of the Pir Panjdl. The Sikhs had no reinforcements at hand, and
57 their supplies now failed. Reinforcements were, therefore, as anxiously
58 waited for as provisions,
59 The main body, however, of the Sikh army, under the Maharaja, which
60 had advanced in the direction of Punch, met with no better fortune.
61 Heavy rains delayed its march from Rajduri, and the army started for its
62 destination on the 26th of June, exposed to wet and cold. Ranjit Singh
63 reached Punch, on the 28th, only to find it evacuated. This was done by
64 order of the Punch Raja, whose people were directed to desert towns and
65 villages on the approach of the Sikh army, leaving nothing behind for the
66 invaders to plunder; to bury or remove the grain, and to harass the flank
67 The section of tha
68 Sikh army at Punch,
69 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary NamdhariElibxygry@ gmail.com