Tempo:
ARMY OF KHALSA
CHAP. IV
85
of the favourable reception at Delhi of his enemy, 1'^^'^-°Nadir Shah's fugitive governor of Kabul. ^ Ahmad Shah crossed the Indus: but the usurping viceroy of Lahore had been taunted with his treason; generosity prevailed over policy, and he resolved upon opposing the advance of the Afghans. He was defeated, and the Abdali became master of the Punjab. The Shah pursued his march to Sirhind, where he was met by the Wazir of the declining empire. Some desultory Retires skirmishing and one more decisive action took place, from sirbut the result of the whole was so unfavourable to the ^^"^- ^^^ ^^ invader that he precipitately recrossed the Punjab, and the^sikhs^^ gave an opportunity to the watchful Sikhs of harassing March his rear .and of gaining confidence in their own pro- 1748. wess. The minister of Delhi was killed by a cannon ball during the short campaign, but the gallantry and the services of his son, Mir Mannu, had been conspicu- Mir Mannu ous, and he became the viceroy of Lahore and Multan, governor of t^e Punjab. under the title of Muin-ul-mulk.-
The new governor was a man of vigour and ability, ^i^ Mannu but his object was rather to advance his own interests ^"^^^ ^'^°" than to serve the emperor; and in the administration e^pioys^" of his provinces he could trust to no feelings save those Kaura Mai which he personally inspired. He judiciously retained and Adina the services of two experienced men, Kaura Mai and ^^ Khan, Adina Beg Khan, the one as. his immediate deputy, and ^''*^the other as the manager of the Jullundur Doab.,Both had dealt skilfully for the times with the insurrectionary Sikhs, who continued to press themselves more and more on the attention of their unloyal governors.^ During the invasion of Ahmad Shah they had thrown But the up a fort close to Amritsar, called the Ram Rauni, and ^^'^'^^ ""^^P" one of their most able leaders had arisen, Jassa Singh j^gg'^^gj^ Kalal, a brewer or distiller, who boldly proclaimed the Kaiai probirth of a new power in the state the 'Dal' of the cinims the 'Khalsa,' or army of the theocracy of 'Singhs'.^ As soon existence of y^
—
1
Cf. Murray's Ranjit Singh,
by Prinsep, p. 9, and Browne,
Nasir Khan, the governor, hesitated about marrying his daughter to Ahmad .Shah,- one of another race, as well as about rendering obedience to him as sovereign. Cf., however, Elphinstone (Account of Kabul, ii. 285), who makes India Tracts,
ii.
15.
no mention of these particulars. 2 Cf. Elphinstone, Kabul, ii. 285, 286, and Murray's -Ranjit Singh, pp. 6-8. ^ Kaura Mai was himself a follower of Nanak, without having adopted the tenets of Gobind. (Forster, Travels, i. 314.) Adina Beg Khan was appointed manager of the Jullundur Doab by Zakariya Khan, with orders to coerce the Sikhs after Nadir Shah's retirement. (Browne, India Tracts, ii. 14.) ^ Cf. Browne, India Tracts, ii. 16, who gives Charsa Singh,
CHAP. IV
85
of the favourable reception at Delhi of his enemy, 1'^^'^-°Nadir Shah's fugitive governor of Kabul. ^ Ahmad Shah crossed the Indus: but the usurping viceroy of Lahore had been taunted with his treason; generosity prevailed over policy, and he resolved upon opposing the advance of the Afghans. He was defeated, and the Abdali became master of the Punjab. The Shah pursued his march to Sirhind, where he was met by the Wazir of the declining empire. Some desultory Retires skirmishing and one more decisive action took place, from sirbut the result of the whole was so unfavourable to the ^^"^- ^^^ ^^ invader that he precipitately recrossed the Punjab, and the^sikhs^^ gave an opportunity to the watchful Sikhs of harassing March his rear .and of gaining confidence in their own pro- 1748. wess. The minister of Delhi was killed by a cannon ball during the short campaign, but the gallantry and the services of his son, Mir Mannu, had been conspicu- Mir Mannu ous, and he became the viceroy of Lahore and Multan, governor of t^e Punjab. under the title of Muin-ul-mulk.-
The new governor was a man of vigour and ability, ^i^ Mannu but his object was rather to advance his own interests ^"^^^ ^'^°" than to serve the emperor; and in the administration e^pioys^" of his provinces he could trust to no feelings save those Kaura Mai which he personally inspired. He judiciously retained and Adina the services of two experienced men, Kaura Mai and ^^ Khan, Adina Beg Khan, the one as. his immediate deputy, and ^''*^the other as the manager of the Jullundur Doab.,Both had dealt skilfully for the times with the insurrectionary Sikhs, who continued to press themselves more and more on the attention of their unloyal governors.^ During the invasion of Ahmad Shah they had thrown But the up a fort close to Amritsar, called the Ram Rauni, and ^^'^'^^ ""^^P" one of their most able leaders had arisen, Jassa Singh j^gg'^^gj^ Kalal, a brewer or distiller, who boldly proclaimed the Kaiai probirth of a new power in the state the 'Dal' of the cinims the 'Khalsa,' or army of the theocracy of 'Singhs'.^ As soon existence of y^
—
1
Cf. Murray's Ranjit Singh,
by Prinsep, p. 9, and Browne,
Nasir Khan, the governor, hesitated about marrying his daughter to Ahmad .Shah,- one of another race, as well as about rendering obedience to him as sovereign. Cf., however, Elphinstone (Account of Kabul, ii. 285), who makes India Tracts,
ii.
15.
no mention of these particulars. 2 Cf. Elphinstone, Kabul, ii. 285, 286, and Murray's -Ranjit Singh, pp. 6-8. ^ Kaura Mai was himself a follower of Nanak, without having adopted the tenets of Gobind. (Forster, Travels, i. 314.) Adina Beg Khan was appointed manager of the Jullundur Doab by Zakariya Khan, with orders to coerce the Sikhs after Nadir Shah's retirement. (Browne, India Tracts, ii. 14.) ^ Cf. Browne, India Tracts, ii. 16, who gives Charsa Singh,
©
2026
Lehal.net