Lohgarh - Khalsa Rajdhani, Lohgarh fort - Lohgarh Trust by S. Daljeet Singh Bajwa (books that read to you .TXT) 📕

the Nanak-worshipper (Banda Singh) is encamping in Kalanaur town. He (Banda Singh) has given a word that he won’t create any problem for the Muslims. As a result,

 

 

whosoever Muslim joins him, he fixes his daily wages and salary and also takes care of that person. He has given permission for Khutba (religious sermons) and Namaz (religious prayers). As a result five thousand Muslims have joined the army of that rebel (Banda Singh). Having got right to Azaan and Namaaz, Muslims are feeling comFortable in the army of these rebels.”9 [The non-Italic words are mine – Author].

Although the Emperor was getting the news of the losses of the Sikhs, he was still very much scared. On the 13th of May 1711, he got the information from Kesho Rao that the Sikhs had established permanent posts between the area of Raavi and Beas rivers, and they had killed a very large number of Pathan generals and feudal.

Bahadur Shah was very much distressed for the loss of his generals. In such a situation, he went on encouraging and rewarding army generals, feudals and all others who would render him any help against the Sikhs. During this month (May 1711) he presented robes of honour to Kirpal Dev of Jammu, Daya Dhamman of Nurpur, Udit Singh Zamindar, Saadat Khan of Malerkotla, Zamindars of Talwara and 11 others; most of them were the Hindu rulers and feudals. Bahadur Shah sent robes for them through Sayyad Azmatullah Khan and also asked them to do more efForts for the arrest of Banda Singh.

On the 28th of April 1711, Bahadur Shah received reports that the Sikhs were present near Fatehbad (6 km from river Beas). On the other hand, having received information about the Sikhs, the chief of Fatehbad and Isa Khan (who was, later, appointed deputy chief) attacked them resulting in heavy losses on both sides.10

On the 5th of May 1711, Bahadur Shah applauded the services rendered by Mohammed Amin Khan and presented him a robe of honour. He was given command of nine thousand soldiers to chase the Sikhs.11 On the 9th of May, Bahadur Shah received reports that Banda Singh was on the eastern side of river Beas, but when Banda Singh got the news of the advance of the royal army, he crossed even river Satluj and moved towards Lakkhi Jungle area.12

On the 14th of May 1711, Bahadur Shah dispatched Mughal Begh Khan, Durlab Khan, Abdul Samad Khan and Inayat Khan (all the four

 

 

Zamindars of Talwan) on an expedition against the Sikhs. He also ordered Inam Wali Shah to join Mohammed Amin Khan’s crusade against the Sikhs.13 On the 15th of May 1711, Bahadur Shah sent Abdus Samad Khan (father of Zakaria Khan) too for chasing the Sikhs.14

On the 18th of May 1711, Bhagwan Das news-reporter sent news that Banda Singh was present in village Alaab, 7 kos (i.e. About 22 km) from Beas river. When the royal forces tried to construct an improvised bridge of boats, the Sikhs showered a volley of arrows on them, hence they could not succeed in crossing the river.

On the 19th of May 1711, Bahadur Shah issued orders to supply 10 guns, 300 arrows, 50 mounds (about 1800 kg) gun powder, seven rifles and two thousand soldiers to Mohammed Amin Khan. He (Bahadur Shah) also sent him an amount of one hundred thousand rupees too.15 Bahadur Shah also allowed Daulat Begh Khan, Saleh Khan and Fatehulla Khan, to join Mohammed Amin Khan. The same day Sarbrah Khan, Islam Khan Bahadur, Kulich Mohammed Khan, Ajnabi Khan Bahadur, Bakhshi- Ul-Mulk and Mirza Shah Niwaz Khan too were sent to chase the Sikhs.

 

 

Endnotes

The old Bilaspur forms Gobind Sagar Lake and a new town was established near that The Sikh history too is replete with such hagiographic, gossip, The major share was contributed by Bhai Santokh Singh and Giani Gian Singh. Bayzid Khan, the son of Sultan Ahmed Khan, had a mansab of one thousand horses and his nephew Shamas Khan, son of Pir Khan, had a mansab of five hundred Shamas Khan was the former chief of Sultanpur. Bahadur Shah had removed him from his office and had reduced his mansab to four hundred only because he had plundered some residents of Nakodar. Bahadur Shah had also divested him of his title Khitab Khani; but, when Shamas Khan defeated the Sikhs at Rahon and Sarhind, Bahadur Shah re-instated him to his earlier position. The writer of M’asur- ul-Umra mentions that Shamas Khan had fought against the Sikhs for 22 times. But, it was ill luck of Shamas khan that within one month of his re- tatement, he, along with his uncle, was killed by the Sikhs.

 

 

Akhbarat-i-Darbar-i-Mu’alla, entry of 4.1711. Akhbarat-i-Darbar-i-Mu’alla, entry of 4.1711. Akhbarat-i-Darbar-i-Mu’alla, entry of 4.1711. Akhbarat-i-Darbar-i-Mu’alla, entry of 4.1711 Akhbarat-i-Darbar-i-Mu’alla, entry of 4.1711 Akhbarat-i-Darbar-i-Mu’alla, entry of 4.1711 Akhbarat-i-Darbar-i-Mu’alla, entry of 4.1711 Akhbarat-i-Darbar-i-Mu’alla, entry of 5.1711 Akhbarat-i-Darbar-i-Mu’alla, entry of 5.1711. Akhbarat-i-Darbar-i-Mu’alla, entry of 5.1711. Akhbarat-i-Darbar-i-Mu’alla, entry of 5.1711. Akhbarat-i-Darbar-i-Mu’alla, entry of 5.1711.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 9

 

Death of Emperor Bahadur Shah

 

 

 

Bahadur Shah Decides to Stay in Lahore

Bahadur Shah reached Lahore in the evening of the 1st of August 1711. As he was accompanied by a very large force he decided to put up his camps in the territory of Alowal village, instead of the Fort of Lahore. The eldest prince Azim-us-Shan put up his camps in village Awan. He created a defense of the carts of treasury and ammunition around his own tent. The second prince Muazz-ud-Din put up his camp near Parwezabad and prince Rafi-us-Shan near the Dharmu Bagh area. Mohammed Jahan Shah chose the plains of Shamir Khush. The eldest prince had 31 thousand soldiers and the rest three had 11 thousand soldiers each.1

By this time the Muslim residents of Lahore had been living under the fear of the Sikhs. Earlier, the Muslim priests had made an attempt to fight a holy war to quell the Sikh rebellion, but they were badly defeated. A very large number of their leaders lost their lives during their battle against the Sikhs. This created an atmosphere of awe and terror and an average Muslim dreaded even the simple mention of the possibility of a Sikh attack. But, now, as a huge royal army of about one hundred thousand soldiers, under the command of the Emperor himself, had reached Lahore, these Muslim clergy heaved a sigh of relief. One day, Sayyad Inayatullah, Sayyad Ataullah, Mohammed Taqi etc., the leaders of the Muslim holy war, went to have an audience with the Emperor and assured him of their complete help in his crusade against the Sikhs. Bahadur Shah had already got the information about their

 

 

woes; he consoled them and assured that he himself would be staying in Lahore and they should feel fully safe there. Having got assurance from the Emperor, these Muslim clergy re-assumed their mission against the Sikhs and their sympathizers. Several Sikhs, even though they had nothing to do with the Sikh army, were killed by these clergy. Several Sikh sympathizer Hindus too were hacked to death.

In Lahore, Bahadur Shah regularly received the latest information about Banda Singh and the Sikh army. On the 6th of August 1711, he got the information that Banda Singh had reached near the bank of the river Beas and was likely to cross to Majha zone. At that time Mohammed Amin Khan was present in Kalanaur. Bahadur Shah sent a message to the Khan to cross the river and attack the Sikh column. On the 11th of August, Bahadur Shah was told that before the Khan could reach near the Sikh positions, Banda Singh and his six thousand companions had already escaped to the hills.

Now, Bahadur Shah began an action against the ordinary (non- soldier) Sikhs and their families and relatives too a very large number of Sikhs were arrested and killed; several Sikh houses were plundered. Those Muslims whose relatives had been killed during their ‘holy war’ against the Sikhs played a crucial role in getting the Sikhs traced, arrested and killed. Similarly, several Muslims joined this crusade with an intension to get awards and/or appreciation of the rulers. In order to prove their loyalty to the Muslims, even the Hindus of Lahore and other areas got several Sikhs arrested.

Bahadur Shah had issued a general order for the massacre of the Sikhs. This situation was misused by some fanatic Muslims against the Hindus too; some of them took revenge from them for their personal grudge against them and got them arrested by branding them the supporters/ sympathizers of the Sikhs. Some Muslim clergy began creating trouble for the Hindus by opposing even their religious ceremonies and rituals. One day, some Hindus were moving in a procession to a local Hindu temple in Lahore, to perform a ritual of worship of a mythical Hindu goddess, for the health of a Hindu boy (who had been attacked by small pox) who was the son of Shiv Singh,

 

 

an employee of Khan Khana.2 The Hindus were also accompanied by a musical band. On seeing this, Virdi Begh, a fanatic Muslim, created a hue and cry that the Hindus, by exhibition of such un-Islamic show, were preaching Kufar (profanity).

Virdi Begh was successful in instigating the simple-minded Muslims and they joined him to oppose the Hindus; thousands of Muslims began attacking the Hindus; several of them Hindus) were punched and plundered; a few Hindus lost their lives too; and cowardly Hindus suffered all this without any protest. The plight of the Hindus was reported to Bachan Singh Kachhwaha and Badan Singh Bundela (two Hindu generals) by a generous Muslim general who had come to Lahore, as a part of the army which had joined Bahadur Shah in his campaign against the Sikhs. These Hindu generals approached the Emperor and got issued an order for him to stop attacks on the Hindus.

Though the attacks on the Hindus were stopped, but the Sikhs still continued to be the targets of the Muslim fanatics; now, the fanatics Muslims began another propaganda that the Lahore riots had been caused by the Sikhs who had long beards. Bahadur Shah knew that the Sikhs did not cut/trim their beards so he issued an order asking the Hindus to shave their beards, so that they might not be mistaken as Sikhs. The Hindus obeyed this order and most of them shaved their beards the very next day. But, Yaar Mohammed Khan Kalandari, the Faujdar of the Delhi province gives another story; according to him, the Hindus had not shaved their beards willingly, in fact, the royal order for shaving their beards was forcibly implemented:

“...royal order commanded that the beards of all the Hindus of the royal army should be shaved and an order be conveyed to all the provinces that no ‘bedeen’ (profane, i.e. non-Muslim) shall keep long beard and if such a person (non-Muslim) is found (with beard) his beard should be plucked. Hence, this order was proclaimed in all the royal provinces. In the royal camp, this order was implemented in such a manner that the monster- looking chiefs used to wander in the streets and the bazaars of the town, carrying basins of dirty water. They would insult anyone and shave his beard, snatch his turban and even take off his clothes. The Hindu employees

 

 

of the Emperor and the princes would appear before them only after shaving their beards...” (The non-Italic text is mine- Author).

On the 23rd of August 1711, the Emperor sent two hundred thousand rupees to Mohammed Amin Khan as an advance grant for his expedition against the Sikhs.

On the 27th of August 1711, Bahadur Shah got information that Banda Singh had crossed Raavi and Beas rivers and was moving towards Rupar from where he intended to go to Lohgarh in order to establish himself in that