________________
JUNE, 1909.)
A BALLAD OF THE SIKH WARS.
173
The line in Stanza 9 which says "You killed the Rajah, Sher Singh, who can trust your word," seemis, however, to refer to a totally different story of the time-the gallant death of Fath Khan Tiwana in Bannû when besieged at Dalipgarh. When it was no longer possible to go on he sallied out sword in hand and was recognised by the Sikhs as one of those who had caused the murder of Peshora Singh, a reputed son of Ranjit Singh. Peshorâ Singh was popular with the Sikh soldiery and claimed the throne in 1845. The story goes that Fath Khân came out of the Fort and called oat I am Malik Fath Khân Tiwana. Don't shoot me like a dog, but if there are any two of you who are equal to a man, come on." The Sikhs replied: -"You are he who murdered onr Prince, Peshora Singh, and we will murder you", and shot him dead.
Sher Singh's defection caused the siege of Multân to be raised and it was not again commenced until the arrival of reinforcements from Bombay on Dec. 27th. Multan was finally reduced on 22nd Jan, 1849, when Mul Raj unconditionally surrendered.
The most difficult allusions in the Ballad are those to "Muhammad Bakhsh," no doubt meant for "Muhammad Khan," & Dame so common as to afford hardly any clue for identification. There were several prominent Mubammad Khaiis at the time connected with the movements of Sir Herbert Edwardes.
There was Muhammad Khan Khose, who was killed in the first great defeat inflicted on Mal Raj's troops at Dera Ghazt Khân by Gen. Cortlandt, the Khosas being a Baloch tribe who supported General Cortlandt and forces. Then there was Shah Muhammad Khan Dandputra, one of the principal officers of the Nawab of Bahawalpur, who helped Edwardes thronghout his operations. This officer was killed during Edwardes' victory at Sadisân, close to Multân. But the circumstances connected with these two names are anything but shamefal, as the Ballad infers.
The actual Commander of the Babawalpur force was Fath Muhammad Khan Ghort, an ineffcutive old man with doubtful antecedents and not altogether unsuspected of treachery at the various fights he was supposed to assist in, but his end, so far as this story is concerned, was merely removal from his post by the Nawab.
The personage most likely to be referred to was sadiq Muhammad Khan Badosai, Multâni Pathin and of one of Mal Raj's principal officers, who blew hot and cold all through the rebellion and finally joined and helped Edwardes.
Text. * Qissa 1.
Translation.
Part I.
1.
Chapht kardi Khalsa; châ hast sandhure : The Khalsaa army set out on its march with
elephants dyed red, Kaşdht dhar 'amâriyân, vång gumbaz hanjire. And garlands hung on their haudas, like the
domes of mosques. Hath gâne badhe, Shaun Singh ; Sikh phiran The affairs of Sham Singh went awry; the Sikhs amûre.
tied his hands. Murde vich daryf de dar bhane půre.
The corpses were swept down by the current of
the river (Satluj). Sikh Akhdeù ih qihåre maut de bah kichan pure. The Sikhs say that on this day death came in
the mud of the stream. [The dialect is that of the South-Went Panjab, and contains a number of words not traceable in the Punjabi Dictionary of Bhai Maya Singh. E. g., chharak, dhruh, hakeda, etc., etc. The Panjab spelling of lakh would be lakkh, of Bay, pagg, eto. ; but of katt, khal.]
The Khaled was the term for the Sikh Commonwealth.
