1 Lieutenant Edwardes
2 marches from Bann,
3 The rebellion of
4 troops at Dera Ghazi
5 han,
6 Koura Khan the
7 Tomanddr Chief.
8 His son, Gholim
9 Hyder Khan.
10 The battle of Dera
11 Ghazi Khan.
12 Heroism displayed
13 by Kourg Khan.
14 Defeat of the rebel
15 tioops.
16 The reward of Koura
17 The battle of Kancri,
18 18th June, 1848,
19 The contingent of
20 the Nawab of
21 Bahawalpdr.
22 560 HISTORY OF THE PANJAB.
23 ings of the Lahore Darbér were dilatory, and when the Resident told the Sikh
24 Government that the rebellion of Mul Raj must be put down, the chiefs
25 professed their inability to undertake the task.
26 Lieutenant, afterwards Sir Herbert, Edwardes, raised a body of Maho-
27 medan troops at Bann&, and with them crossed the Indus. He was supported
28 by General Cortlandt, at the head of 4,000 troops, and by their efforts the
29 rebellion on the right bank ofthe Indus was suppressed. The first action
30 fought with the rebellious troops was at Dera Ghazi Khan, on May 21st,
31 Longa Mal, the Governor, hearing of the approach of General Cortlandt, who
32 had been reinforced by the Suraj Mukhi regiment from Banni, streng-
33 thened his position at Dera Ghazi Khan, and was joined by Jaldél Khan,
34 Laghéri, a powerful Tomandar of the Dera Ghazi Khan district. His bitter
35 enemy was one Kourd Khan, an equally powerful Tomandar of the Khosa tribe,
36 who, fifteen days before, had offered his submission to Lieutenant Edwardes.
37 That officer conferred a rich khilaé on Ghulé4m Hyder Khan, son of Kourd,
38 Khan, and made him over to General Cortlandt, who was then encamped
39 at Daera Din Panah. This young Biluch chief, having obtained the General’s
40 permission, marched in advance to Dera Ghdzi Khan at the head of
41 his father’s clan, determined to do ordie. At Dera Ghazi Khan he was
42 joined by his father, Kouré Khan, and the two now prepared fora grand
43 struggle with their hereditary enemies, the Laghdris, who had mustered
44 in large numbers around Longa Mal. The rebel governor had been joined-
45 by his uncle Chetan Mal, governor of Sangarh and Mangrota, and came
46 out of the city with his whole strength and with one gun and five
47 zamburaks. The Khosas drew nearer, in the lasb watch of the night, and
48 were repulsed more than once by the Lagharis, who fought desperately. As
49 morning dawned, old Kourdé Khan, dismounting from his horse, drew
50 his sword and called upon his men to follow him on foot if they were true
51 Khosas, and to leave their horses for the enemy to fly on. His clan obeyed
52 and made a furious assault on the enemy. The battle lasted three
53 hours, when victory declared for the noble Khosas and the enemy was over-
54 powered. Chetan Mal, with one of his nephews, fell on the field, Longa Mal
55 was taken prisoner and the gun and five zamburaks were captured. The
56 rebels left forty dead on the field and the Khosas lost fifteen killed, inclu-
57 ding Muhammad Khan, nephew of Koura Khan. By the defeat of his troops
58 at Dera Ghazi Khan, Mil Raj lost all his Trans-Indus dependencies,
59 For their conspicuous service and their gallantry in the field, the Lahore
60 Darbdr conferred on Kourd Khan and his son the coveted title of “ Alijah,”
61 or of “high dignity.” Lord Dalhousie subsequently showed his appre-
62 ciation of the Khan’s services by conferring on him a money pension,
63 the perpetual grant of a garden in his native place, and the confirmation of
64 his jagirs.
65 The next battle of importance was fought on the 18th of June, at
66 Kaneri, on the banks of the Chindb, The troops of Mil Raj, under Rang
67 Ram, his General, numbered 7,000 strong, including Pathan cavalry, regular
68 regiments, and the Gurkhas who had deserted Mr. Agnew and Lieutenant
69 Anderson at Multén, and ten guns. The British army under Lieutenant
70 Edwardes consisted of a contingent of 5,000 men from the Nawéb of
71 Bahawalpur and about an equal number of troops raised by Lieutenant
72 Edwardes from among the frontier Mahomedan tribes, including Subhén
73 Khan’s regiment of regular infantry and General Cortlandt’s Suraj Mukhi
74 regiment, ten guns and 25 zamburaks. It was a pitched battle, and lasted
75 nine hours, from seven o’clock in the morning till half-past 4 Pat. The hos«
76 Sri Satdiht AGL SGATRRBRSAY SDs sxarpaAehatarar eG MaineBHed to by