1 12 HISTORY OP THE PUNJAUB
2 the ancestors of Runjeet Singh, one of whomj
3 named Churut Singh, erected a small fortress at
4 Goojerwallah, not far from Lahore, and made it
5 the rallying point for the association. The go*
6 vernor of Lahore, marching with a force against
7 this mud fort, was repulsed, and from that mo^
8 ment the Sikhs began to organize themselves into
9 a still more compact and formidable confederation.
10 The Sikh Dul, or assembly of chiefs and follow-
11 ers, was publicly held at Umritzur, and measures
12 were concocted for offensive operations on a large
13 scale. Ahmed Shah, however, re-appeared with
14 an adequate force and put down this insurrec-
15 tion ; no sooner, however, was his back turned
16 than the Sikhs again reared their crest under
17 the guidance and leadership of the Singhs, and
18 not only resumed their former position, but
19 made fresh attempts upon the strongholds of their
20 Mahomedan governors. Again and again did
21 Ahmed Shah return to punish and subdue them,
22 and always with the same success, until at length,
23 being deserted by a large body of his troops on the
24 Sutlege, he retraced his steps (1764) to Caubul,
25 and never again crossed the Indus. On his final
26 departure, the Sikh sirdars or chieftains spread
27 themselves over the country, and occupied it as a
28 permanent inheritance, every sirdar, according to
29 his strength, seizing what fell in his way, and ac-
30 knowledging no superior, nor submitting to the