Ranjit Singh

Sir Lepel Henry Griffin · 1892 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

1LATER CONQUESTS 215

2irresistible, and the Afghans broke and fled; but

3the Sikhs carried their pursuit too far, and were

4overwhelmed by a charge of Afghan horse under

5Sirdar Shamsuddin Khan. Hari Singh, seeing a

6desperate effort could alone retrieve the fortunes of

7the day, rode with his principal Sirdars to the front

8and by his presence and example encouraged the

9Sikhs to stand. The day might still have been won,

10but Hari Singh fell, mortally wounded by two bullets

11in the side and stomach, and his men, disheartened,

12fell back under the walls of Jamriid and waited for

13reinforcements. These at last arrived, when the

14water and provisions had been exhausted, and

15nothing remained for the besieged but to cut their

16way through the enemy as best they might. But when

17the news of the Afghan attack first reached Lahore,

18a large part of the force which had been assembled

19to do honour to the marriage of Prince Nao Nih&l

20Singh, was despatched north in all haste. The Prince

21himself, his father Kharak Singh, General Ventura,

22Jamadar Khushhal Singh, and all the flower of the

23Sikh chivalry, formed so formidable an array that,

24on their timely arrival at Peshawar, the Barakzai

25Sirdars raised the siege and withdrew without further

26fighting to Jalalabad.

27During these years of storm and stress the Maharaja

28had maintained a strict alliance with the British

29Government, which was now, on its own account,

30inspired by evil counsels, to commence a course of

31interference in Afghanistan with the intention of