Lehal Library

Suzerain of Malwa 207 On his return home, the Maharajah was apprised of disturbances created by the Pathans of Kasur. Nizamuddin Khan was dead, but his brother, Kutubuddin Khan, who had taken his place, had declared his independence. He bad enlisted a large number of ghazis, fortified his town, and stocked the fort with provisions for a long siege. Muzaffar Khan ofMultan encouraged Kutubuddin's recalcitrance and furnished him with some troops. Ranjit Singh sent Fakir Azizuddin to Kasur to bring the Pathans to obedience. Kutubuddin dismissed Azizuddin with the taunt that, since the Fakir ate the salt of the infidel, he was unworthy of attention. Hostilities commenced early in February 1807 with a clash between the ghazis and the nihangs9-Muslim crusaders versus the Sikh. The nihangs drove the ihazis back into the fort. For one month Lahore guns battered its walls without making any impression. Finally a breach was blown by a well-laid mine and the fort carried by assaulL Kutubuddin Khan was taken alive and brought into the Maharajah's presence. The Maharajah forgave the Pathan's tirades against the infidel and sent him away with a handsome jagir across the Sutlej at Mamdot. Kasur, which was close to Lahore, was taken away from the Pathan ruling family and given over to be administered by Nihal Singh Attariwala. Although the summer was on them, the Maharajah did not want to leave Muzaffar Khan of Multan unpunished for his share in the Kasurians' defiance of authority. Durbar troops took the city and were getting ready to assault the citadel when Muzaffar Khan made terms by paying seventy thousand rupees. born, Kharak Singh, remained the favourite. When Sada Kaur fell from power and the princes came to stay with their father, Kharak Singh and his mother were piqued and gave currency to the gossip in order to counteract any possibility ofRanjit Singh's preferring Sher Singh, who was fast becoming lhe father's favourite, as successor. (Kharak Singh wrote as much in a personal letter he sent to Elphinstone. See Chapter 16, footnote 9.) 9 Nihang, from Persian meaning 'crocodile' . Nihangs were suicide squads of the Mughal army and wore blue uniforms. The Sikhs took the