1 MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH. * 425
2 Jaimal Singh, Kanhia, of Fatehgarh, near Gurdaspur. The boy, after
3 consultation with the astrologers, was named Nau Nihdl Singh. The birth
4 of a grandson to the Mahardj& was the occasion of great rejoicings and
5 festivities in the court of Léhore. The following chronology, giving the
6 Samvat.era of the birth of the prince, was composed by Dewdn Amar Nath :-—
7 vsle Jud of of dk oye
8 sot Yaw ST yAto
9 per uo yp galls
10 se} Yl EL bragll
11 . When that sapling of complete wisdom made his advent into the garden of the world, J
12 looked for the date of his birth and found it in the expression,* ‘Nosegay of the garden of
13 wisdom,’”
14 The Sikh troops about this time seized the territories of Kishtwar and
15 Mé&nkot, which were annexed to the Léhore kingdom.
16 After the Dasahra the Sikh army was ordered to rendezvous at Amrit-
17 sar, and the Mahardj4, taking the command in person, marched to the Indus,
18 with the object of finally reducing the countries south of Multdn, The
19 resources of Hafiz Ahmad Khan, the nawab of Mdnkera, had been an-
20 nually ‘drained by extortions and forced contributions, as well as by
21 the ravage and waste of his country, so that Ranjit Singh had hoped
22 that his territory would fall an easy conquest. Having crossed the Indus
23 at Mitha Tiwana, he was joined by Sardar Hari Singh, Nalwa, and sent Mis-
24 har Dewan Chand and Kirpa Rém, who had joined him at Khushdb, to
25 reduce the Bhakkar fort and town. Saydd Imam Shah and Hakam Shah,
26 agents of the Nawab of Mankera, fled from Bhakkar on the approach of the
27 Sikh troops, and the place was reduced without resistance. From this place
28 Sardar Dal Singh and Jamadar Khushal Singh were sent, with a detach-
29 ment of 8,000 troops, to reduce Dera Ismail Khan. Manak Rae, the
30 Nawdb’s governor at Dera Ismail Khan, offered resistance; the city was
31 besieged by the Sikh troops, and, the governor having been seized, the
32 Nawab’s forces dispersed. The whole of the property and war munitions
33 belonging to the Nawab fell into the hands of the Sikhs. “Khangarh, Leia
34 and Manjgarh were next successively reduced without opposition, and the
35 whole Sikh army then marched to Mdnkera. The Nawab, having paid
36 the arrears due to his troops, made preparations for a determined resis-
37 tance. The city of Mdnkera was surrounded with a mud wall, and
38 the fort was of brick; but the invading army had to struggle against
39 natural difficulties, The citadel and the town were situated in the midst of
40 sandy deserts and on a cluster of sandhills. The entire absence of water-
41 works and wells in the country invaded, reduced the Sikh army to great
42 straits. A detachment was advanced to invest the stronghold, and the place
43 was blockaded. A supply of water was brought for the besieging army
44 on the backs of camels, bullocks, horses and ponies from Manjgarh and
45 other places, by land, at great trouble and expense. The Maharaja had
46 heavy guns with him, and with these a continual fire was maintained against
47 the besieged. But the Mdukerian troops had effectively secured every gateway
48 and bastion, and provided the rampart with means of defence. They poured
49 a hot fire of musketry and cannon on the besiegers, who had carried
50 their works close to the ditch. In the meanwhile the followers of the Sikh
51 » In Arabic and Persian every letter of the alphabet has a numerical value, and the values
52 of the letters of an expression or sentence added together give the date.
53 Rishtwar and
54 Mankot seized, 1820,
55 March of the Lahore
56 army to the countries
57 south of Multin, 1821.
58 The town and fort of
59 Bhakiar reduced,
60 Dera Ismail Khan
61 conquered ;
62 Also Khangarh, Leia
63 and Manjgarh.
64 The seige of
65 Mankeia,
66 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh J i eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com,