1 DULIP SINGH. 525
2 to come to Lahore, and promising him assistance against his nephew. He
3 also received assurances of help from some of the members of the Léhore
4 Darbar. The Rajd, accordingly, put in a sudden appearance at Shahdera
5 on the Ravi on 26th March 1843, and sent a message to the troops and the
6 sardars who had invited him, announcing his arrival. But nothing on earth
7 was in those days susceptible of more constant change than the temper
8 and disposition of the Khdlsd. The tempest which threatened the des-
9 truction of the vast fabric constructed by Hird Singh had now passed
10 away, and the wazir was again looked upon by the whole Khdlsd as their
11 common leader. The reply sent to Suchet Singh was evasive; but, not
12 discouraged by this, the sanguine and impatient chief crossed the river,
13 leaving the main body of his troops at Shahdera, and accompanied by about
14 400 horse and foot and his principal adviser, Rai Kesri Singh, thinking
15 that his presence before the troops would have the effect of enlisting their
16 sympathies in his favour. A sort of jealousy existed between the cavalry
17 portion of the army and the regular infantry and artillery, and the Raja
18 believed himself to be popular with the former. His expectations were,
19 however, never realized. The very battalions which had invited him, advised
20 him to withdraw, as they-said they could do nothing contrary to the
21 general wish of the Khdlsdé. Suchet Singh, who was a brave and
22 determined soldier, resolved not to withdraw, but to hold his ground to
23 the last. He accordingly set out at midnight for the mausoleum of Mido
24 Waddé, ir the neighbourhood of Ldéhore, and took up his quarters there,
25 They eventually give
26 np his cause,
27 Suchet Singh takes
28 up his position in the
29 mausoleum of Mian
30 in an old mosque attached to the tomb, placing the small number of wadus
31 troops which he had brought with him, around the mosque. The rest
32 of the night. was devoted to the reading of long passages from the
33 Granth, or the sacred book of the Sikhs, to Réj& Suchet Singh. It may
34 now be interesting to narrate briefly what happened at Léhore after
35 Suchet Singh reached Shahdera. Hird Singh, on receiving intelligence of
36 the arrival of his uncle on the banks of the Ravi, collected the panches
37 of the army, and, standing before them, with folded arms and every
38 sign of humility and submissiveness, addressed them in the following
39 terms :—
40 Khdlsé ji/—The son of your old minister and the adopted son of your old
41 Maharfja now stands in your presence as a suppliant. Tell him, I beg you, what fault
42 he has committed, to punish which, you have invited his uncle, his greatest enemy and
43 your own inveterate foe, being, as you are aware, a staunch ally of the Feringi. If you
44 want to kill me, here is the sword, and I give you full liberty at once to sever my head
45 from my body. It would be an honour to me to die at the hands of the brave Khdlsd.
46 But, for the Guru’s sake, do not allow me to suffer a death of shame. If you have not
47 ealled my uncle from the hills, and are not disposed to help him, support me and fight
48 a my cause as good and brave soldiers, and -you will receive the blessings of the
49 ura,
50 This, coupled with the promise of a reward of one gold butki to each
51 soldier, infantry and cavalry, and one gold kantha (necklace) to each officer,
52 was enough to rouse the spirit of the KAdi/sé, who swore a fresh allegiance
53 to the wazir and the extirpation of his uncle. The next morning witnessed
54 the Khanquah of Midn Wadda besieged by the troops, 14 or 15,000 infantry,
55 3 or 4,000 horse and 56 pieces of artillery. This vast army was opposed
56 to about 45 men, the chosen followers of Suchet Singh, the remainde
57 of his troops having faithlessly deserted him over night, Before the Khdlsé
58 troops had assembled on the plains of Midn Wadd4, the friends of Raja
59 Suchet Singh at Léhore sent him word advising him to make his escape to
60 the neighbouring hills while there was yet time, but the brave Rajé could not
61 for a moment harbour the idea of flight, for he considered such a course
62 Hira Singh's speech
63 to the Ahdisé soldiery,
64 Advance of the
65 Lahore army against
66 phe Raja’s camp,
67 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com