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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
that the noise made by the kettle-drums, fifes, &c., could be distinctly heard in the opposite camp. Sultan Muhammad Khan and Pir Muhammad Khân, the younger brothers of the Amir of Afghanistan, being informed of these parades, and hearing of the pomp of Ranjit Singh's court, desired through the mediation of Gulab Singh, to whom they sent an envoy, to obtain an interview with Ranjit Singh. The preliminaries having been settled and suspicions removed, the Sardar Sultan Muhammad Khan was introduced by Jabbar Khân to Gulab Singh, who received him cordially, embraced him, and took him into the presence of the Mahârâjâ, causing him to pass through the troops, no doubt in the hope that their glittering arms and martial bearing would make a great impression upon him. The result of the interview, however, did not coincide with expectations, because the Mahârâjâ promised again to cede to the Afghân Amir the district of Pêshawar and Dêrâ Ghâzî Khân, which had formerly belonged to him, on the sole condition of his annually paying a fixed tribute of horses, swords and fruit. The Sardar Hari Singh was so dissatisfied with this arrangement that he proposed to the Maharaja to capture the Sardar Sultan Maḥammad Khân, but Gulâb Singh interposed, saying that as he was under a sacred obligation of safe-conduct to the Sardar, it would be necessary to put him in prison also. Accordingly the Sardar was permitted in safety to reach the camp of the Amir Dôst Muhammad Khan, who, being informed by his brother of everything he had seen, forthwith marched with his army back to Kabul. Ranjit Singh, nevertheless, secretly desired to have the Sardar Sultan Muhammad Khan on his own side, and told Gulab Singh, that as he had originally been the heir-presumptive, to the district of Pêshawar, he ought to bring him back by any means he could devise. This was effected through Faqir 'Azizu'ddin, who was habitually employed as an envoy by both the Sikhs and the Afghans. Ranjit Singh then made the arrangements necessary for the administration of the district and marched back to Lâhôr after bestowing through the mediation of Gulab Singh, the districts of Kohât, the Dôâb, Hashtnagar, the dependency of Pêshawar and Kunja, by way of jágirs, upon the Afghân Sardars Sultan Muhammad Khân, Pîr Muhammad Khân, and Sayyid Muhammad Khân.
296
[OCTOBER, 1890.
In St. 1894,38 in the month of Baisakh, Wazir Muḥammad Akbar, the son of the Amir Dôst Muhammad Khân, sovereign of Afghanistân, reached the fort of Jamrûd, which the Sikhs had named Fathgarh, and the garrison informed Hari Singh of the fact, whereon he hastened to relieve it. He marched from Pêshâwar, and when he had reached Takhål he was met by 500 Afghans, whilst the rest of them kept themselves in ambush in the rear of a hill near 'All Masjid. The Sardâr attacked the Afghâns, who stood fast for a while, but soon pretended to fly in order to give the cavalry, which was in ambush, an opportunity of joining them. The battle was now renewed in earnest and the Sardar Hari Singh fighting with great bravery, received a mortal wound, and was immediately removed into the fort of Jamrud. Mahan Singh, the commander, kept the event of his death concealed from the troops,39 and continued to defend the fort, pretending every morning and evening to send food in to the deceased Sardar. He, however, despatched a courier with the news of Hari Singh's death to Ranjit Singh, but nobody dared to break to him the sad tidings until at last Faqir 'Azîzu'ddîn ventured to do so. The Maharaja felt his loss deeply, and sent the Rajas Dhyân Singh and Suchêt Singh immediately in his place. Their forces were joined at Rohtas by those of Sujâdâ Râi, and the combined army marched daily 60 kós to Pêshawar, where the Jam'adar Khushhal Singh, who had been afraid to advance beyond it, had been anxiously waiting for them. They also had the Frenchman Allard 40 with them, and when they advanced, the enemy not daring to encounter them retreated into the Khaibar Pass. Gulâb Singh also, who was at that time in the town of Chiniot, received the Maharajâ's order to march to Peshawar, At Khairâbâd several of his catnels were stolen, but they were again recovered after the pursuit and capture of the robbers, and when his forces had crossed the Landâ River and arrived among
38 A. D. 1837.
This fact is mentioned also at the end of Ch. 28 of the Zafarnáma where the campaign is described.
The text has "LArns" but I have made the above correction because "the Frenchman" was no doubt Allard, and not Lawrence.
