Lehal Library

146 The Agrarian Uprising Charhat Singh Sukerchakia had become one of the leaders of the Sikh offensive against the Afghans. Obed Khan decided to take this thorn out of his side by reducing the Sukerchakia fortress at Gujranwala. No sooner had the Afghans encircled Gujranwala then the misldars led byJassa Singh Ahluwalia, Hari Singh Bhangi, Jai Singh Kanhaya, and others closed round the Afghans and compelled them to raise the siege. Obed Khan extricated himself wilh some difficulty, leaving his siege guns and heavy artillery in the hands of the Sikhs. The road to Lahore was now open. The Divali of 1761 was celebrated with great jubilation at Amritsar. The Sarbat Khalsa once again resolved to capture Lahore and clear the Punjab of foreigners and treasonous elements. The gates of Lahore were thro\\-11 open to welcome the Sikhs. Jassa Singh Ahluwalia entered the capital at I.be head of the Dal Khalsa. Although in the Sikh Commonwealth there was no place for monarcbs,Jassa Singh the brewer, who had been bumourously called Pad..(lih., now became one in fact and was hailed as the SulJiin-ul-Qaum (the King of the nation). A new currency was minted to celebrate the capture of Lahore. The coins had the same inscription on them as had been used by the victorious Banda fifty-one years earlier.'2 The Sikhs began systematic operations to expel Afghan officials from the Puajab. Within a few weeks they had the entire 32 There is some confusion on the subject of Sikh coinage. Cunningham believes that the earliest Sikh coin was struck in 1757, Griffin th.at it was struck in 1762. C. L Rodgers is of the opinion that these early coins, if they ever existed (none have been found), were fakes minted by local Muslims and sent to Abdali to rouse his anger against Jassa Singh. the inscription being: 'Struck in lhe two worlds by the order of the Timeless in the country of Ahmed conquered by Jassa the brewer ' According to Rodgers. the first Sikh coin was minted in 1765 and was called Gobind Sa/ii (not Nanak Sahi., as staled by Griffin: the Nanak Siihi was minted in 1778) The inscription on the obverse of the Gobiiul Siihi was as stated already (p. 103) . On the reverse was: 'Struck m the Kingdom of Lahore (Sam.bat, 1822).' (C. L Rodgers, Asiatic Sati.ety jourruu, 1881, L {l), 71-93.)