1 Defeat of the Sixhs
2 at Tosht Maidan.
3 Disastrous retreat
4 of the Lahore army.
5 The Maharaja's re-
6 ‘urn to Lahore,
7 40-4 HISTORY OF THE PANJAB.
8 of the Sikh columns in small bands, The effect of such tactics soon began
9 to be felt, for the supplies of the Sikh army were running short, and this
10 necessitated a halt in Punch- till the middle of July. Ranjit Singh then
11 moved with his army to Mandi, and thence to Toshi Maiddn, on the skirts
12 - of the valley,, Here he found the troops of Muhammad Azim Khan drawn
13 up to check the progress of the invading army. Rdj& Agar Khan suggested
14 to Ranjit Singh the advisability of an attack on the Kadshmfr troops; but
15 the Maharaja, after reconnoitring the position of the enemy, deemed it ad-
16 visable to refrain from taking the offensive. The Kdshmir and Léhore
17 armies took up a position facing each other, both remaining inactive for
18 several days. Here the Mahardj4 was informed of the precipitate haste
19 with which Dewdn Ram Dayal had carried on operations beyond the Pir
20 Panjal range, and deplored the eritical position in which his troops were
21 placed in that quarter. He forthwith despatched Bhdi Ram Singh, with
22 Dewaén Devi Das and Kutb-ud-din Khan, of Kasur, at the head of five
23 thousand cavalry and infantry to assist Ram Daydl. The Bhai, hearing of
24 the critical position of the latter, remained stationary at Bahram Galla.
25 Muhammad Azim Khan, seeing everything in his favour, thought the time
26 had come for offensive operations against the main army of Lahore, which
27 had been long in view, and was now suffering from cold and sickness,
28 and still more from desertion. A desultory fire was opened by Wazir Ruh-
29 ullah Khan, the Punch Raja, on the Sikhs, on the 9th of July, and resulted
30 in disorganising the Sikh troops. The attack was resumed on the following
31 morning with greater vigour and with worse result for the cold-stricken
32 Sikhs. The Maharaja now found that he must retreat, and he accordingly
33 fell back on Mandi, leaving Ram Dayal to his fate. The retreat soon be-
34 came a hurried and disastrous flight. Heavy rain fell, the roads were all
35 but impracticable, and, checked by Ruhulla Khan, and tormented with the
36 wet and cold, the Sikhs were much harassed on the way by the hill tribes,
37 who disputed the passage of the army. In the midst of these difficulties,
38 the Maharaja continued his retrograde march, setting the town of Mandi on
39 fire. The retreat was attended with the loss of many men and officers,
40 among the latter being the brave Mit Singh, Padhania, the chief of the
41 staff, Gur Baksh Singh, Dhari, and Des& Singh, Mén. Many were also dis-
42 abled and many drowned in a stream, in the precipitation with which the
43 columns under Desa Singh, Majithia, and Hukm Singh, Chamni, exeented the
44 retreat, and, had it not been for the guidance of Namd4r Khan, who conduct-
45 ed the main army, bya. less difficult route, to Punch, many more would have
46 perished, owing to the severity of the climate, as well as the impracticability
47 of the passes which were now covered with snow. Ranjit Singh, stripped of
48 nearly allhis baggage,and his army all but disorganized, reached Punch,
49 which he set on fire. Taking then with him Rajé Sher Bdéz Khan, of Punch,
50 he continued his flight to Kotli, the rdjé of which place would have en-
51 deavoured to cut off his retreat, but was prevented from effecting his purpose
52 by his rani, who was won over by the persuasions of Fakir Aziz-ud-din,
53 and who induced her husband to permit the Sikhs to pass. Thus did the
54 Mahardjé reach Bhimbar and make his way out of the hills, whence, taking
55 the nearest route, and attended by only a few followers, and with still fewer
56 comforts, he reached his capital on the 12th of August. The Maharaj
57 ever afterwards expressed a horror of the snow and cold of Kdéshmir, and
58 the subject was such a sore one to him, that he never touched upon it
59 without denouncing Késhmir as a vile place.
60 The advanced detachment, under Dewén Ram Dayal, was terribly
61 Sri Satguru)agit Singh freListay: “O™ Sxioggar anbbietptahleyrtbibzamememmad