1 178 A Short History of the Sikhs.
2 infantry. The disciplined troops of the Khalsa
3 displayed the highest courage, but they were handi-
4 capped in this, as in every other battle they fought,
5 by the absence of generals worthy to lead them.
6 They gave way stubbornly ; but with none to
7 rally them their retirement soon became a retreat.
8 " Pursued by the cavalry, who made repeated charges,
9 and pressed by the infantry, they were unable to
10 make any attempt to rally, and flinging themselves
11 into the river, fled to the right bank, leaving all their
12 guns, camp equipage, baggage and stores to fall into
13 the hands of the victors."
14 This signal disaster was a stunning blow to the
15 Sikh army. In a few hours the ill news reached
16 Lahore, and created the greatest dismay. The troops
17 had by this time lost all confidence in their leaders,
18 and the Panches went in a body to Ghulab Singh,
19 who had recently arrived at the capital, offering to
20 make him minister, and begging him to proceed at
21 once to the Sutlej and take over the chief command.
22 But the Jammu chief knew that the end was near.
23 So far he had held aloof from the war, waiting on
24 events. The British had as yet no reason for regard-
25 ing him as their enemy, and he had no intention
26 of endangering the reward he expected to reap for
27 his neutrality. He therefore temporized with the
28 Panches, and, without actually refusing to assume
29 the command of the army, contrived from day to
30 day to postpone his departure till the hour he had
31 been anticipating came — the hour when the army of
32 the Khalsa had no further use for a commander.
33 The battle of Sobraon was fought on February