Lehal Library

170 The Agrarian Uprising power of Hindustan. And yet again they let the chance slip through their fingers. They reappeared in the neighbourhood of the capital and, instead of capturing it, went over into the doab and crossed the Ganges at several points. 'Being at the time in Rohilkhand,' wrote Forster, 'I witnessed the terror and general alarm which prevailed among the inhabitants who, deserting the open country, had retired into forts and places inaccessible to cavalry. •N The rulers of Garhwal and Nahan submitted to them. The Shivalik hills, including Dehra Dun, came under their sway. In March 1783, Baghel Singh established his camp in a suburb of Delhl and started to build temples to commemorate the memory of the gurus who bad visited the city. One was erected at the site of execution of the ninth guru, Tegh Bahadur, in the centre of the city's busi~st thoroughfare; one to mark the site of the cremation of the guru's body; a third at Guru Hari Krishen' s place of residence; and a fourth at the place where the infant guru and the wives of Guru Gobind Singh were cremated.9 The English opened diplomatic relations with the Sikhs. Their object was to preserve the territories of their procege, the Nawab Wazir of Oudh, :md they wanted assurances from the Sardars that they would not enter the Nawab's domains. They also posted pickets on all fords on the river Ganges. In the summer of 1783 Sikh ina,rsious across the J\lmna assumed the magnitude of an exodus. After two poor harvests, 8 Forster. 1, 236. Forster gives an account of the mve and respect with which the people treated the Sikhs at the time: ·r saw two Sicque horsemeu, IVho had bt-en sem from their country to receive the Siiingnaghur tribute which is collected from the revenues of certain o.istom-houses. From the manner in which these men were treated, or rather treated themselves, l frequently wished for the power of migrating into the body of a Sicque for a few weeks--so well did these cavaliers fare. No sooner had they alighted, then beds were prepared for their repose, and their horses were supplied with green barley pulled ~lut of the field. The Kafi/ah tr.tvellers were contented to lodge on the grouod, and expressed their lhanks for permission •o purcl1ase what they reqttired; such is lhe d.iflerence bera-een those who were in, and those who were out of power.' 9 The four gurdwaras are (1) Sis Ganj in Chandni Chowk, (a) R.ikabganj near Parliament House, (3) Bangla Sahib. and (4) Bala Sahib in New Delh.i.