Lehal Library

The Indus to the Ganges 16.3 opened negotiations with the Mughal emperor and his deputy, Najibuddaulah. Three years Later (the year Abdali died) Madhaji Sindhia put Shah Alam U back on the throne of his ancestors in the Red Fort and restored a semblance of order in the capital. With the Afghans quiescent on one side and the Marathas busy consolidating their bold on Delhi on the other, the territory between the Indus and the Jum.na was left to the Sikhs. They immediately set about dividing it among themselves. Horsemen galloped madly in different directions claiming village after village by the simple act of Leaving a pe1sonal token like a turban or a shoe to mark their ownership. Now that there was uo dauger from abroad and plenty of land to appropriate, the misl organization began to lack cohesion. The only reason why men continued to owe allegiance to some misl or the other was to safeguard their own possessions or add to them. As soon as they reached the limit prescribed by foreign powers, they had no option but to tum against each other. The Sarbat Khalsa became a snake with many heads. Thus divided, the Sikhs could not contend with the Afghans, the Marathas, or the English. For the sake of clarity it is bener to examine the expansionist and contentious phases of the misls of the Trans-Sutlej zone (Majha and the Jullundur Doab) separately from those of the misls of the Cis-Sutlej (Malwa) zone. Expansion of the Misls of the Majha and the JuUundur Doab No sooner had Abdali recrossed the Indus for the lase time than the misls proceeded lo reoccupy the Punjab. Jassa Singh Ahluwalia extended his hold along the Sutlej and ocrupied the towns of Sultanpur and Kapurthala. The Ramgarhias and the Kanhayas turned their anention northwards. The Ramgarhias levied tribute on Kangra, Nurpur, Chamba, Basohli, and Mandi. The Kanhayas followed up by capturing the fort of Kangra. 2 The 2 Forster. who came across bands of Sikh horsemen operating in the hills, gives a vivid accoum of their doings: 'The region lay wholly at the