Tempo:
JASSA THE CARPENTER
CHAP. IV
87
A pretence of i7^2. mised tribute from Ahmad Shah. demanding it was made, and the payment of all arrears and withwas offered, but neither party felt that the other Could holds tribe trusted, and the Afghan king marched towards ^ute from Lahore. Mannu made a show of meeting him on the a^""^"*^ frontier, but finally he took up an entrenched position cro^sses^^the under the walls of the city. Had he remained on the indus lor defensive the Abdali might probably have been foiled, the third but, after a four months' beleaguer, he was tempted to ^^rne, Kaura Mai was killed; Adina Beg "^o-si. scarcely exerted himself; Mannu saw that a prolonged ^a^hes contest would be ruinous, and he prudently retired to Lahore, an
risk
action.
the citadel and gave in his adhesion to the conqueror. 1752. and The Shah was satisfied with the surrender of a consi- defeats derable treasure and with the annexation of Lahore '^^nnu; and Multan to his dominions. He expressed his admi- hi'm'a^J^^"^ ration of Mannu's spirit as a leader, and efficiency as a governor of manager, and he continued him as his own delegate in the Punjab, the new acquisitions. The Shah took measuers to bring April 1752.
Kashmir also under his sway, and then retired towards his native country.^
This second capture of ^jahore by strangers neces- ^he sikhs weakened the administration of the province, gradually and the Sikhs, ever ready to rise, again becama strength/" troublesome; but Adina Beg found it advisable at the time to do away with the suspicions which attached to his inaction at Lahore, and to the belief that he temporized with insurgent peasantry for purposes of his own. He was required to bring the Sikhs to order, for they had virtually possessed themselves of the country lying between Amritsar and the hills. He fell suddenly "^^^ are deupon them during a day of festival at Makhowal, and feated-by sarily
gave them a total defeat. But his object was still to be th^T^n^erthought their friend, and he came to an understanding 7he°esT^^^' with them that their payment of their own rents gives them should be nominal or limited, and their exactions from favourable others moderate or systematic. He took also many of terms, a. d. them into his pay; one of the number being Jassa ^^^^' Singh, a carpenter, who afterwards became a chief of J^^sa the carpenter.
consideration.^
Mir Mannu died a few months after the re-esta- ^ir Mannu blishment of his authority as the deputy of a new ^'^^' ^"f master.^ His widcw succeeded in procuring the ^^^°^^ ^ 1
Cf.
Singh, pp. 2 Cf.
Elphinstone, 10,
Kabul,
ii.
288,
and Murray's Ranjit
17,
and Malcolm, Sketch,
13.
Browne, India Tracts, ii.
p. 82. 3
Forster (Travels,
£:.y 1752.
Browne
i.
315) and Malcolm (Sketch, p. 92), ii. 18) gives the Hijri year, 1165,
(Tracts,
CHAP. IV
87
A pretence of i7^2. mised tribute from Ahmad Shah. demanding it was made, and the payment of all arrears and withwas offered, but neither party felt that the other Could holds tribe trusted, and the Afghan king marched towards ^ute from Lahore. Mannu made a show of meeting him on the a^""^"*^ frontier, but finally he took up an entrenched position cro^sses^^the under the walls of the city. Had he remained on the indus lor defensive the Abdali might probably have been foiled, the third but, after a four months' beleaguer, he was tempted to ^^rne, Kaura Mai was killed; Adina Beg "^o-si. scarcely exerted himself; Mannu saw that a prolonged ^a^hes contest would be ruinous, and he prudently retired to Lahore, an
risk
action.
the citadel and gave in his adhesion to the conqueror. 1752. and The Shah was satisfied with the surrender of a consi- defeats derable treasure and with the annexation of Lahore '^^nnu; and Multan to his dominions. He expressed his admi- hi'm'a^J^^"^ ration of Mannu's spirit as a leader, and efficiency as a governor of manager, and he continued him as his own delegate in the Punjab, the new acquisitions. The Shah took measuers to bring April 1752.
Kashmir also under his sway, and then retired towards his native country.^
This second capture of ^jahore by strangers neces- ^he sikhs weakened the administration of the province, gradually and the Sikhs, ever ready to rise, again becama strength/" troublesome; but Adina Beg found it advisable at the time to do away with the suspicions which attached to his inaction at Lahore, and to the belief that he temporized with insurgent peasantry for purposes of his own. He was required to bring the Sikhs to order, for they had virtually possessed themselves of the country lying between Amritsar and the hills. He fell suddenly "^^^ are deupon them during a day of festival at Makhowal, and feated-by sarily
gave them a total defeat. But his object was still to be th^T^n^erthought their friend, and he came to an understanding 7he°esT^^^' with them that their payment of their own rents gives them should be nominal or limited, and their exactions from favourable others moderate or systematic. He took also many of terms, a. d. them into his pay; one of the number being Jassa ^^^^' Singh, a carpenter, who afterwards became a chief of J^^sa the carpenter.
consideration.^
Mir Mannu died a few months after the re-esta- ^ir Mannu blishment of his authority as the deputy of a new ^'^^' ^"f master.^ His widcw succeeded in procuring the ^^^°^^ ^ 1
Cf.
Singh, pp. 2 Cf.
Elphinstone, 10,
Kabul,
ii.
288,
and Murray's Ranjit
17,
and Malcolm, Sketch,
13.
Browne, India Tracts, ii.
p. 82. 3
Forster (Travels,
£:.y 1752.
Browne
i.
315) and Malcolm (Sketch, p. 92), ii. 18) gives the Hijri year, 1165,
(Tracts,
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