Indian Antiquary Vol 17

Author(s): John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 25

JANUARY, 1888.]
ZAFARNAMA-I-RANJIT SINGH.
19
now possessed only an exhausted treasury; 80 position, and firing continued till breaches he determined to resist further demands with could be opened, and then scaling ladders were an armed force, which he had collected from applied in various places, and the first man the surrounding Muslim population, calling to climb over the rampart was Sadha Singh, upon it to fight for its religion. After waiting who was followed by thousands of others. for some time, the Diwan at last opened fire on When the Nawab beheld the Sikhs thus the fort, which was however most energetically rushing into the fort, he resolved to die sword returned from the ramparts, and a desultory in hand; and courting martyrdom in green warfare ensued, in consequence of which the habiliments, sallied forth with his Muslims, who Diwan Bhawânicband asked for reinforce- were slain in the contest as well as three of ments, which were granted, and consisted of an his sons, and when the fourth was captured, army of ten thousand men. When these troops, the Nawab became more furious than ever who had made forced marches, arrived, and fought till he was cut down. When all siege batteries were immediately erected, and resistance had ceased, the Sikhs plundered a breach in the fort-wall was made, giving every street, búzár and house, getting so excited admittance to a storming party; whereon the and indulging so long in this occupation, that Nawab, who now perceived the great danger of the Diwan, whose orders to cease plundering his position, promised to give to Bhawanids were disobeyed, succeeded only after many all the money at his disposal, or in more plain efforts in quelling the tumult. He collected language, offered him a very large bribe, which on behalf of his government all the wealth of the Diwan accepted. He immediately ceased the Nawab and despatched it to Lahôr, where his hostilities and indited a mendacions letter to the Maharaja ordered the whole population to Ranjit Singh, informing him that the Nawab make preparations for rejoicing, as soon as a was too powerful to be subdued at present and courier with the news of the victory arrived. that, such being the case, the Sikh forces were When the booty, which consisted of gold, only being wasted, but that in a future cam- silver, precious stones, shawls, silk cloth, paign with fresh troops they would certainly be and every kind of valuable article arrived, successful. After despatching this letter, Bha- Ranjit Singh was engaged in banqueting, and wânidas returned to LÅhôr. The Maharaja, on meeting the Diwan, bestowed on him n disgusted with the results of this campaign, re- rich dress of honour, not forgetting however proached Bhawânidås with being a traitor, his own son Kbarak Singh, whose position ho bribed by the enemy after, he had almost likewise exalted. He even tried to console obtained possession of the fort ; accordingly Sarfaraz Khan, the captured son of the late he put him in chains and, casting him into Nawab, by presenting him with the qasla of prison, confiscated all his property, but never- Sharaqpůr as a jágir, and when the unfortunato theless again liberated him after the lapse youth recounted to the Maharaja the fearful of a few months.
atrocities committed by the Sikhs whilst plunThe desire of conquering Multan having dering the town, the Diwan excused himself by again become uppermost in his mind, Ranjit stating that he had, on the said occasion, lost all Singh made great preparations for a new com- control over the troops, who refused to obey paign and appointed his own son, Prince Kharak him. Bat Ranjit Singh ordered, on pain Singh to command it, with instructions to de- of his sore displeasure, every soldier to disgorge prive the Nawab of the district and all the the booty he had brought from Multân, which wealth he possessed. The Mahârâjâ also having been done, he removed the bulk of it to ordered the Diwan Devichand to collect a his own treasury, and distributed the rest number of siege guns and to second all the among the poor. efforts of the prince to the best of his 28. Information having arrived from Kabul ability. The gates of the fort having been that Fath Khan, the wazir of Mahmud found closed when the army arrived, the siege Shah, had fallen into disgrace and been debegan as soon as the guns could be put in prived of sight by the Shahzada Kamran,
- Called Bhawanidás a few lines previously.