Indian Antiquary Vol 17

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

Page 29

JANUARY, 1888.]
MISCELLANEA.
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replied that war was a fair game in which no Mountain, but that their commander-in-chief, necessity whatever demanded interference on Muhammad Azim, was still at Naushahra, her part, and that if Dévichand felt himself and that they would march as soon as he joined strong enough to conquer the fort he was them. The Maharaja conceived that it would welcome to do so. The Diwan, being naturally be best to surprise the enemy, and, immediately displeased with such an evasive answer, deter- crossing the Indus in boats, ordered two of mined to starve her, and, accordingly, with held his French officers, the Generals Ventura and all supplies of food and drink. Having thus Allard, to march to Naushahra and attack been reduced to the utmost misery, Sada Muhammad Azim, whilst Colonel Satgur Kanwar at last indited the letter required to Sabai, the commander of the Akalis, with the the commandant of the fort, and he thereon Sardar Mahan Singh, received orders to attack opened the gates and admitted the Sikhs, the mountain. The two last-named officers were who at once began plundering remorselessly. at once met by the Afghans, who killed the first Devichand sent & portion of the booty to of them together with 200 Sikhs, and wounded Lahôr, where the Mahârâjà forth with cele- the second, whereon the rest began to retreat, brated the victory by a royal banquet. When but after being reinforced by the Najibs and the troops returned, Ranjit Singh overwhelmed the Bharmaris" they pat the Afgháns to flight, the Diwan with favours, and invested him The Afghan troops who fought in that action with a robe of honoar, presenting to Shêr were 3,200, and the Sikhs 2,500 in number. Singh the district of Vatála. Sada Kanwar, On entering Peshawar the Mahârâjâ was humbly having been deprived of all she possessed was received by Yar Muhammad, who had again again thrown into prison, in which she expired supplanted Jahîndâr Khan as governor of a few months afterwards of a broken heart. I that locality. And Ranjit Singh
that locality, and Ranjit Singh now confirmed Information now arrived that Muhammad him in his post. On returning with the army, Asim had become wasir in Kabul, attained to the Maharaja celebrated his victory with public great authority, and intended to reconquer rejoicings and largesses to the population 48 Kashmir, which had been wrested from him well as to the temples and mosques. Then by the Sikhs. The Maharajá accordingly he went to Amritsar, where he held a darbdr, made great preparations to resist the invasion ordered the town to be illuminated, distributed by calling on all his vassals to aid him with alms, and made arrangements for building their troops, and marched in person, crossing a masonry wall round the town, which was the Råvi, the Chinab, and the Jhêlam, but totally unprotected, expressing his desire that encamping on the banks of the Indus which every one of the notables of the town should was much swollen. There being no boats at assist in this undertaking. He also rebuilt the hand, a good swimmer was sent across the river to temple of Ramdas of stone, adorning it with bring news about the enemy, and he returned gold and precious gems, enlarging and emwith the information that great numbers of bellishing, at the same time, the famous sacred Afghans had taken up a position on the Tebritank of Amritsar."
(To be continued.)
MISCELLANEA. CALCULATIONS OF HINDU DATES. sion; lines 6ff., 10) runs - Samvat 919 Asvalsva)No. 7.
yuja-suklapaksha-chaturddasyên Vrihaspati. In the inscription of king Bhojadeva of Kanaus! dinôna Uttar[A]-Bhadrapad[4]-nakshattrê idam at Dodgadh, about sixty miles to the south stambham samâptam=iti ........... west of Jhansi' in Scindia's Dominions in Sakakal-Abda-sapta-batâni chatur-abity-adhikani Central India, published by Gen. Cunningham 784,"the year 919; on the fourteenth tithi in in the Archæol. Surv. Ind. Vol. X. p. 101 and the bright fortnight of Afvayuja; on the day of Plate xxxiii. No. 2, the date (from an ink-impres. Vțihaspati; under the Uttara-Bhadrapadů nak.
15 According to # marginal note there were four from the Muslim myth of Alexander, who had gone in paltan of each. Some Hindustant Muslims among the search of that famous beverage which conferred immorNajtba. The Bharmáris had long markets.
tality upon him who could find and drink of it; but the The meaning of "water of life," attributed to the interpretation of "nectar pool" would be more correct. word Amritsar in a marginal note by the author, is taken [Amritsar is simply the " lake of amrita."-ED.)