Lehal Library

120 The Agrarian Uprising The Persian Invasion, 1738-9 The Persian, Nadir Shah, swept across northern Punjab scattering all opposition. Zakarya Khan made his submission; the Khalsa retreated to the hills. The Persians defeated the imperial army at Kamal and pushed on to Delhi The capital was plundered and its population massacred. In the summer of 1739 Nadir Shah turned homewards laden with enormous booty, which included the bejewelled peacock throne, the famous Koh-i-noor diamond (the mountain of light), and thousands of slaves. He chose to travel back along the foothills of the Himalayas to avoid the heat ~f the plains as well as to find new pastures. The Khalsa, who were already there and were well acquainted with the terrain, found Nadir's loot-heavy army an easy prey. They began plundering the invader's baggage train as soon as it entered the Punjab, and continued to do so all the way to the Indus. They never faced Nadir in open combat, but as soon as darkness fell, Sikh bands closed in on the Persian encampments. 10 While passing through Lahore, Nadir Shah is said to have questioned Zakarya Khan about the brigands who had been audacious enough to attack his troops. The governor replied: 'They are fakirs who visit their guru's tank twice a year, and after having bathed in it disappear.' 'Where do they live?' enquired the Shah. 'Their homes are their saddles,' replied Zakarya Khan. Nadir is said to have prophesied, 'Take care, the day is not far distant when these rebels will take possession of your country.' 11 10 'The Sicque forces appeared in arms at I.he period of Nadir Shah's return from Delhi, when the Persian army, encumbered with spoil, and regardless of order, was attacked in the rear by detached predatory parties of Sicque cavalry, who occasionally fell upon the baggage guards, and acquired large plunder.' (Forster, Travels, I, 272.) 11 This dialogue, which is quoted by most historians, is apocryphal. According to Latif, Nadir Shah's last sentence on the subject was: 'Surely they ought to be crushed and their country seized.' The dialogue is based on Ahmed Shah Batalvi's report in which the last line is: 'It seems probable that these rebels will raise their heads.• Tawiml!!!-1-Hind, 859. Khushwaqt Rai states that Zakarya Khan, while witnessing a farce ma.king fun of the Sikhs' boast. that they would become rulers oft.he Punjab,