Lehal Library

Ahmed Shah Abdali 141 and captured its guns and military equipment. There was panic in the Afghan camp at Lahore. 'After this,' writes Miskin, 'every force in whatever direction it was sent, came back defeated and vanquished. Even the environs of Lahore were not safe. Every night thousands of Sikhs used to fall upon the city and plunder the suburbs lying outside the walls of Lahore; but no force was sent to repel them and the city gates were closed one hour after nightfall. It brought extreme disgrace to the government and utter lawlessness prevailed.'23 Adina Beg Khan found that the Sikhs had become too strong for his lilting. He kept up appearances with the misldars and at the same time invited the Marathas, who had taken Delhj, to come to the Punjab. He offered them one lac of rupees a day on march, fifty thousand on others if they helped him to capture Lahore. He a1so persuaded the Sikhs to help the Marathas agrunst the Afghans. In March 1758 the Maratha general, Raghu Nath Rao, emered the Punjab with a mighty army (srud to number two hundred thousand men). The Ahluwalia, Bhangi, Ramgarhia, and Sukerchahla misls helped the Marathas in tak.fog Sirhind. The town which had always been anathema to the Sikhs was again despoiled by them. The Marathas, who wanted to loot Sirhind, were irritated by the conduct of their Sikh allies.!& Thereafter, it was agreed that the Sikhs would keep two marches ahead of the Marathas. As the Sikh and Maratha armies crossed the Sutlej, Jahan Khan, who was in the Jullundur Doab, hastily retired to Lahore. A few days later the entire Afghan army vacated the city and was in full retreat across the Ra,i. Raghu Nath Rao entered Lahore in April 1758. Adina Beg Khan feted him at the ShaJamar Gardens and had the city illuminated in his honour. While the festivities were going on in 25 Tazkira, 166. 26 'As the Marathas and Lhe SikJ1s knew nothing bm plundermg, they so lhoroughl)' looted the inhahitarus of Sirhind, high and low, thai none, either male or female, had a doth on his or her person lefl.· Tiirikh-i-Alamgir Sani; H. R. Gupla, Hislary_ of tlir Sikhs. 1. 115.