Lehal Library

160 The Agrarian Uprising in the country around Deihl and spilled over into the Gangetic Doab. Najibuddaulah defeated their columns more than once. But be too wearied of ceaseless fighting against a people who increased 'like ants and locusts' and admitted: 'The Sikhs have prevailed. ' 66 Thereafter the people of the Gangetic Doab resigned themselves to the annual incursions of the Sikhs. 'As regularly as the crops were cut. the border chieftains crossed over and levied blackmail from almost every village, in the most systematic manner. Their requisitions were termed rakhi. sometimes euphemistically kambli, i.e. 'blanket money'. Each of them had a certain well-known beat or circle, so well recognized and clearly defined that it is not unusual for the peasantry at the present day to speak of some places being, for instance, injodh Singh's patfi, others in Diwan Singh's or Himmat Singh's, and so on. The collections, of course, varied with the ability of the people to pay, averaging from two to five rupees a head. Two or three horsemen generally sufficed to collect them, for 2000 or 3000 more Were never very far off. In case of delay about paying up, a handful of troops, each well-mounted and armed with a spear, sword, and good matchlock, speedily appeared to accelerate the liquidation of the debt. Refusal was fatal. ' 67 Ninth Afghan Invasion, 1769 Abdali made his ninth and final attempt to conquer the Punjab in 1769. But be was like a spent bullet and could get no further than the Jhelum. ti8 He returned to Kandhar, a sick and broken man, and died on 23 October 1772. The epitaph on his grave stated with pride, •... the ears of his enemies were incessantly deafened by the din of his conquests.' The Sikhs were certainly his enemies, and they more than any other people heard of his conquests, but all they learned from the din was to tum a deaf ear to it. 66 H. R Gupta, History of tht Silths, 1, 268 and 271. 67 G. R. C. Williams, Calcutta Reww, 1875, pp. 28-9. 68 H. R. Gupta, l, 270, based on C.P.C. ii, 1499. Ganda Singh (Ahmed Shah Durrani, p. 320) believes Abdali reached the Chenab.