Lehal Library

Ahmed Shah AbdaH 131 Mir Mannu returned to Lahore resolved to teach the Sikhs a lesson for their audacity in enterinp; the capital in his absence. Their jagir was confiscated, mobile columns armed with longfiring jezails were sent out to shoot down Sikhs.6 This campaign did not last very Jong. Wazir Safdar Jang continued making diffiatlties for Mir Mannu. In July 1750, he bribed Nasir Khan, who had been a trusted employee of Mir Mannu and was administrator of the four districts assigned to Abdali, to revolt against his master. (The Wazir promised him the subeda:ri of Lahore in place of Mannu.) Mannu defeated the ungrateful Nasir Khan at Sialkot and packed him off to Delhi to seek compensation from Safdar Jang. The Wazir had other arrows in his quiver. Soon after the Nasir revolt had miscarried, he announced the appointment of Shah Nawaz Khan as independent governor of Multan. He also gave Shah Nawaz to understand that if he ousted Mir Mannu he could add Lahore to his gubernatorial domain. Shah Nawaz fell into the Wazir's trap and as soon as he was installed at Multan began to make preparations to captw·e Lahore. The only man Mir Mannu could rely on was Kaura Mal, and Kaura Mal made no secret of his attachment to the faith of Nanak. On the Dewan's advice the mobile columns of jezailds were withdrawn, the Sikhs were allowed to remain in possession of Ram Rauni and were invited to join the campaign against Shah Nawaz. Kaura Mal led a motley host consisting of Mughals, Punjabi Mussalmans, Afghans, and Sikhs (underJassa Singh Ahluwalia). He defeated the Multan army, cut off the fallen Shah Nawaz's head and sent it as a trophy to Mir Mannu. 6 An eyewitness gives the following account ofMannu's campaign. 'Muin appointed most of them [ieuulds] to the task of chastising the Sikhs. They ran after these wretches up to 28 kos in a day and slew them wherever they stood up to oppose them. Everyone who brought Si.kb heads to Muin received a reward of Rs 10 per bead. Anyone who brought a horse belonging to a Sikh could keep it as bis own. Whosoever lost his own horse by chance in the fight with the Sikhs got another in its place from the government stable.' (Miskin, Ta.Jdrii-i-Tahmasp, folios 68-9. Miskin was a personal sel"ant of Mir Mannu, and after Mannu's death, of his widow, MughJani Begam.)