Lehal Library

Ahmed Shah Abdali 147 province from the Sutlej to the Indus under their control. Only a few pockets remained to be cleared: Obed Khan, who had locked himself up in the fort of Lahore; Raja Ghamand Chand of Katoch, who had undertaken service under Abdali and was now back in the hills; and the Niranjanias ofjandiala, who were traditional allies of the Afghans. Before any progress could be made, Abdali was reported to be on the march again. This time his sole objective was to destroy the power of the Sikhs. Sixth Afghan Invasion, 1762: The Great Holocaust The fort inside the city ofLahore was in the bands of the Afghans. To avoid being caught between the Afghans in the otadel and the Afghans marching down from the north-west, Jassa Singh Ahluwalia evacuated Lahore and ordered the raising of the siege of Jandiala. He allowed his soldiers to remove their women and children to safety in the Hariana desert and then report for duty. Abdali reoccupied Lahore. On receiving intelligence that great numbers of Sikhs were moving southwards, he immediately set out in pursuit. He covered a distance of one hundred and fifty miles in two days and caught up with the Sikhs at the village ofKup. It was an unequal fight. Most of the thirty thousand Sikhs were non-combatants: old men, women, and children. Sikh horsemen could not indulge in their favourite hit-and-nm tactics and had to engage the Afghans, who outnumbered them, in a hand-to-hand fight. Sikh soldiers put their women and children in the centre and moved on like a living fortress from Kup towards Bamala, where they expected Ala Singh of Patiala113 33 Ala Singh failed to come to the help of his co-religionists. Nevertheless he was taken prisoner by I.he Afghans, and Barnala, which was in his Lerritory. was burned down. His life was spared on his protesting his neutrality and paying a tribute of five lacs of mpecs and anolher one and a quarter lacs to appear before the Shah wit.h his long hair and beard uushom. The Rohilla chief Najibuddaulah inu:rceded on his behalf.