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Punjab Monarchy and Imperialism
to join him but did not budge out of their fortresses: they wanted to be sure of the winning side before committing themselves. In a brief encounter at.Kand.bar, Shuja's troops were routed by Dost Mohammed and his brothers. Shuja retraced his steps through Sindh and rejoined his six hundred wives at Ludhiana. While Shuja and Dost Mohammed Khan were disputing the throne of Kabul, the Durbar removed Sultan Mohammed Khan (who had been appointed governor at the death of Yar Mohammed) from Peshawar and garrisoned the citywith Punjabi troops. Hari Singh Nalwa, who was known as a ruthless administrator, was sent to consolidate the frontier. The Pathans, who looked down with contempt on the plains-men, had continued to ambush and snipe at the Punjabis until Nalwa took savage reprisals by destroying villages in whose jurisdiction crimes were committed. Wtthin a few months a petrified peace descended on the tribal land and the name of Nalwa became a terror among the Pathans. To prevent rebellion, Nalwa had been building a chain of forts, each within sight of the other. The first two to be completed were near the Khyber Pass: Shabkadar was garrisoned with one thousand nine hundred men under Lehna Singh Sandhawalia; Jamrud with six hundred men under Maha Singh. The Durbar's occupation of Peshawar and Nalwa's forts on the Khyber Pass offended Dost Mohammed, and he addressed several rude notes to the Maharajah demanding the evacuation of the Khyber region. 5 He had himself invested with the title of Amir-1.Ll-mu 'mnin (leader of the faithful) and roused the tribes to fight yet another holy war against the Sikhs. The Durbar sent Fakir Az:izuddin and the American, Josiah 3 Dost Mohammed wro<t>: 'If om of haughtiness the Maharajah does not pay heed to my request, f will gird up my loins for battle and become a thorn in the counyard of his rose-garden. I will muster an army of crusade.rs who know nothing except fighting unto death. I will create tumult on all sides and a scene of chaos everywhere.' Ranjit Singh replied: 'We have broken the heads of refractory chiefs and put our foes in irons. 1f Dost out of avarice and greed desires to give battle with the small force he bas, let him come.' (LaJwre Durbo:r, pp. 178-9.)
Punjab Monarchy and Imperialism
to join him but did not budge out of their fortresses: they wanted to be sure of the winning side before committing themselves. In a brief encounter at.Kand.bar, Shuja's troops were routed by Dost Mohammed and his brothers. Shuja retraced his steps through Sindh and rejoined his six hundred wives at Ludhiana. While Shuja and Dost Mohammed Khan were disputing the throne of Kabul, the Durbar removed Sultan Mohammed Khan (who had been appointed governor at the death of Yar Mohammed) from Peshawar and garrisoned the citywith Punjabi troops. Hari Singh Nalwa, who was known as a ruthless administrator, was sent to consolidate the frontier. The Pathans, who looked down with contempt on the plains-men, had continued to ambush and snipe at the Punjabis until Nalwa took savage reprisals by destroying villages in whose jurisdiction crimes were committed. Wtthin a few months a petrified peace descended on the tribal land and the name of Nalwa became a terror among the Pathans. To prevent rebellion, Nalwa had been building a chain of forts, each within sight of the other. The first two to be completed were near the Khyber Pass: Shabkadar was garrisoned with one thousand nine hundred men under Lehna Singh Sandhawalia; Jamrud with six hundred men under Maha Singh. The Durbar's occupation of Peshawar and Nalwa's forts on the Khyber Pass offended Dost Mohammed, and he addressed several rude notes to the Maharajah demanding the evacuation of the Khyber region. 5 He had himself invested with the title of Amir-1.Ll-mu 'mnin (leader of the faithful) and roused the tribes to fight yet another holy war against the Sikhs. The Durbar sent Fakir Az:izuddin and the American, Josiah 3 Dost Mohammed wro<t>: 'If om of haughtiness the Maharajah does not pay heed to my request, f will gird up my loins for battle and become a thorn in the counyard of his rose-garden. I will muster an army of crusade.rs who know nothing except fighting unto death. I will create tumult on all sides and a scene of chaos everywhere.' Ranjit Singh replied: 'We have broken the heads of refractory chiefs and put our foes in irons. 1f Dost out of avarice and greed desires to give battle with the small force he bas, let him come.' (LaJwre Durbo:r, pp. 178-9.)
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