Lehal Library

Ahmed Shah Abdali 153 of the Sikhs a short while ago. 'The whole city lay in ruins,' wrote Nur Mohammed. 'No man, not even a bird, was to be seen there except the owl. ... When I visited the lofty shrines I felt the breeze of paradise coming from every tomb ... royal palaces of the city and its gardens, orchards and water tanks were all lying in ruins. •o Ala Singh cashed in on the Afghan's changed mood and had his fief enlarged. He was inYested with the title of Raja and presented with insignias of royalty: a battle drum and a standard. He agreed to pay the Afghans an annual tribute of three and a half lacs of rupees. Abdali set out on his homeward journey. As soon as he crossed the Sutlej, the Sikhs were on his heels. The Afghan was obviously discomfited. 'What, during my reign, my own palanquin trembles for fear of the Sikhs!' roared Abdali, 'I will beat these infidels in such a way that the bones within their bodies will be reduced to fluffs of cotton.* All the mis! Sardars, Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, Charhat Singh Sukerchakia, the Bhangis (Hari Singh, Jhanda Singh, Lehna Singh, Guiab Singh and Gujjar Singh), Ja.i Singh Kanhaya and Jassa Singh Ramgarhia, took part in the running battle. It was not to Abdali's lilting, for nowhere would the Sikhs make a stand and fi~ht in the orthodox way. 'They came like the lion and fled lil-t' tht: fox,' wrote Nur Mohammed.47 It was the same hlt-andrun for full seven days and nights. 'If you wish to learn the art of war, come face to face with them in battle.... The body of every one of them is like a piece of rock, and in physical grandeur every one of them is equal to more than fifty.... If their armies take to flight, do not think the} are running away. It is only a war tactic of theirs. ' 48 45 Jang Nama, p. 118. 46 Jang Niima, pp. 128--44. 47 Jang Niimii, PP· 156-9. 48 Nur Mohammed is full of vile abuse of the Sikhs. But even he is constrained to pay them tribULe as men of character. 'In no case would lhey slay a coward, nor would they put. an obstacle in the way of a fugitive. They do not plunder the wealth and ornamentS of a woman, be she a well-to-do lady or a maidservant. There is no adultery among these dogs, nor arc