Lehal Library

Maharajah of the Punjab 197 because the confiscated territories were invariably assigned to some loyal subject who was then obliged to furnish troops to the state; the cost of maintaining such troops seldom made a jagir a very profitable proposition. Ranjit Singh and Fateh Singh Ahluwalia proceeded to the north-west and took over Pindi Bhattian, Pothohar, and Chiniot from the Muslim chiefs. In their absence from Lahore, Nizamuddin Khan ofKasur plundered some villages close to the capital. The Maharajah hurried southwards, and without pausing at Lahore appeared at Kasur. The fort of Kasur was bombarded with heavy guns until Nizamuddin laid down arms. He was again pardoned by Ranjit Singh and allowed to hold his fief. The Maharajah was more considerate in dealing with Muslim chiefs than he was with the Sikh or the Hindu. His treatment of Nizarnuddin, whom he defeated more than once, gives ample proof of his generosity. His treatment of the family of the Nawab of Multan was another. Multan bad been a district of the Punjab until it was annexed by Abdali. lt had been recaptured by the Bhangis, but their indifference towards the welfare of the people had created a certain amount of animosity towards the Sikhs and a desire to keep aloof from the Punjabi state which was coming into being under Sikh leadership. The Bhangis were ejected by the family of Muzaffar Khan. Despite the recalcitrance of the Multanis and the fact that he was ill-equipped to invest so powerful a fort or face a combination of hostile Muslim tribes in the region, Ranjit Singh proclaimed his intention of bringing Multan back into the Punjab. Ranjit Singh' s troops dispersed the peasant mob enlisted by Nawab Muzaffar Khan and took the city, with the exception of the enonnous fort which stood in the center. Muzaffar Khan made his submission by giving an indemnity and agreeing to pay the quota of revenues due to the state of Lahore instead of Kabul. Capture of Amritsar After Multan came Amritsar's turn. Amritsar was not the Punjab's largest city but commercially the most important in the