Lehal Library

* 8. Ahmed Shah Abdali and the Sikhs First Afghan Invasion, AD I 747-8: Emergence of the Misls hmed Shah Abdali, 1 the new ruler of Afghanistan, claimed the right to conquer India as successor to the Persian, Nadir Shah, who was murdered in June 1747. Shah Nawaz's invitation assured him of support. In the middle of December 1747 be left Peshawar at the head of a small (18,000 men) but powerful army of Afghan and Pathan tribesmen and in twenty days reached the outskirts of Lahore. Shah Nawaz had in the meantime been chided for his lack of patriotism and had changed his mind. The Afghans took scant notice of his lastminute efforts to stop them and entered Lahore on 12 January 1748. They plundered the suburbs and exacted a heavy tribute for sparing the rest of the city. After a month's sojourn at Lahore, Abdali resumed his march towards Delhi. Wazir Qamaruddin came out with an army of over 60,000 men to meet the invaders. On 11 March 1748, the two armies clashed at Manupur near Sirhind. Although Wazir Qamaruddin A 1 Ahmed Shah Abdali was an Afghan of the Saddozai clan. He was Nadir Shah's most misted general, and on his master's assassination took possession of much of the treasure looted from India, including the famous Koh-i-noor. He became ruler of Afghanistan under the title of DurrGni (from dur-i-daura11 the best of pearls).