Lehal Library

124 The Agrarian Uprising constabulary resulted in the death of the brother ofLakhpat Rai. The minister wreaked terrible vengeance for the slaying of his brother. 18 Sikhs living in Lahore were rounded up and beheaded at Shahidganj; those copies of the Granth that could be found were burned; the tank surrounding the Harimandir at Amritsar was fouled with rubbish. Then Lakhpat Rai and Yahya Khan went in pursuit of a Sikh concentration on the banks of the Ravi north of Lahore. The Sikhs retreated further northwards, only to find their path blocked by troops of hillmen. Some fought their way through and escaped into the mountains; others turned back and tried to get across the Bari Doab to Sikh columns coming to their help. The governor's troops inflicted heavy punishment on the Sikhs; nearly seven thousand were killed and three thousand prisoners were taken to Lahore and executed at Shahidganj. 19 The disaster ofJune 1746 is known as the ghallughiira (the holocaust.)20 The Sikhs had five months respite after the ghalliigha.ra. Shah Nawaz revolted against the authority of Yahya and the civil war went on through the winter months of 1746-47. In March 1747 Shah Nawaz forced his way into Lahore, put his brother in jail, and proclaimed himself governor of the Punjab. To win over the Sikhs, he had Lakhpat Rai g-aoled and appointed a Sahajdhari Sikh, Kaura Mal, as his minister. Another man who came to the forefront at this time was Adina Beg Khan, who had earlier (1739) been appointed governor of the Jullundur Doab by Zakarya Khan. 18 Ra.tan Singh Bhangu relates Lakhpat Rai's oath of vengeance. He is said to have appeared before Yahya Khan. flung his turban on the floor, and sworn that he would go bareheaded until he had destroyed the Sikhs. 'I am a Kshatriya, but I shall not call myself by that name until I have erased their [the Khalsa's) name from che page of existence.' (Priiiin Panth Prakiis, pp. 291-3.) A general massacre of the Sikhs of Lahore took place on 10 March 1746. 19 Ratan Singh Bhaugu, Pracin Panth PrakM, p. 296. 20 The holocaust of June 1746 is known as the choJii ghallilgharii, to distinguish it from the greater disaster, the va4,a ghallughi.irii of 1762.