Lehal Library

136 The Agrarian Uprising in Afghanistan to pay much attention to the Punjab and coofinned the appoinb:nent of Mir Mannu's son. His only interest was to see that the tribute came in regularly. This ludicrous state of affairs ended six months later with the death of Mir Mannu's son in May 1754. Mir Mannu's widow, Mughlani Begam, refused to submit to the nominee of the new emperor, Alamgir II. But her power was circumscribed to Lahore and its environs. Even in these cities the day-to-day administration was entrusted to the hands of court eunuchs, leaving Mughlani free to while away the tedium of widowhood in the company of her lovers. Turbulent Puajabis could hardly be expected to be ruled by infants, eunuchs, and amorous widows; the Punjab broke up into many fragments. Multan and the four districts ceded to Abdali (Gujarat, Sialkot, Pasrur, and Aurangabad), continued to pay revenue to the Afghans. Jullundur and Sirhind were farmed by Adina Beg Khan. Different tribes set up semi-autonomous principalities with militias and fortresses of their own. The strongest force in the province was that of the Dal Khalsa with its headquarters at Amritsar. During the months of chaos following the death of Mir Mannu, units of the Dal indiscriminately plundered towns and villages and frequently looted the suburbs of Lahore. In the winter of 1754-5 Sikh horsemen swept through Ambala and Sirhind and later into Hariana and onwards into the territories of the Raja of Jaipur. Sikh leaders realized that the Punjab had no government, nor the people any security oflife or property. They took the first step towards becoming mlers of the country. Instead of simply robbing the people, as they had done in the past, they offered them protection (rakhi) on payment of one-fifth of their Lakings at the end of each harvest. Since the Sikhs were the only power which could fulfil its obligations, most of the Pwtjab readily accepted the offer of protection and for all practical purposes the country came to be administered by the Sikhs. The headquarters of the Sikh military administration remained at Amritsar, where the Nishanwalias, Dallewalias, and other unattached units were kept as a sort of reserve force. The misls continued to be autonomous, with liberty to extend the rii.khi over