Origin Of Sikh Power In The Punjab

Front matter

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Preface

Tere is an interest attaching to the character and fortunes of RunjJeet SinGcu, and to the dominion he has established over the Punjab and the Sikh nation, which promises to ensure to the following pages a favorable reception from the British Public. This interest is founded not less upon the geographical position of the territory of the new state, than upon the fact of its having been silently growing up under our eyes, till our wonder is excited at the accumulation of power and of wealth at the command of its present head. The desire to learn the steps and the means, by which the founder of any empire has risen to greatness, is a natural curiosity of the human mind, intense in proportion to the exaltation reached: but in this instance there is proximity to our own possessions, with the collisions that have occurred in consequence, to add to the interest felt about a,

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RuNJEET SINGH ; besides that the tract of country, now forming the Sikh kingdom, is in the high road by which every conqueror from the west has penetrated into Hindoostan ; and speculation is always more or less afloat, as to the possibility of a similar conquest being again attempted, by the armies of Europe associated, or by those of the Northern Autocrat alone, whose views of aggrandizement seem insatiable, and have long been directed towards Persia and the East.

_ The time thus appears to be favorable for an attempt to offer to the Public some information as to the present condition of the Punjab and its Ruler: and every one must have felt, that there is a blank in the intelligence possessed on this subject, not consistent with the general state of knowledge, or the eagerness with which information, and in particular political and statistical information, is in these days poured forth upon the Public, by every one who thinks he has any thing to communicate, that will be listened to or received. The early history of the Sikhs is pretty generally known: few are ignorant, that they are a religious sect, established in the time of Basur by Nanux Suu, the propagator of doctrines of universal toleration, and the zealous projector of an union of faith

PREFACE. Vv between the Hindoos and Mahommedans, on the basis of the unity of the Godhead. In like manner it would be superfluous to recapitulate in a work like this, how the sect was continued, and its tenets and creed embodied in sacred volumes called Grunths, by a succession of ten sainted Gooroos, ending with Gooroo Govinp, who lived in the time of AURUNGZEEB, and who, meeting persecution, converted his followers from peaceable and industrious citizens, into deadly enemies to the Moghul empire and Mooslim faith. All this has been fully traced and explained in various publications: so also the vain attempts of Banna, and other Martyrs who followed Gooroo Govinp, against the too great strength of the Dehlee sovereignty and its officers, under the immediate successors of Avu- RUNGZEEB: but the rise of the sect, from the dust into which it seemed to be beaten down by persecution, to its present splendour of exaltation, hasnot hitherto been made the subject of any one’s investigation and research ; and the matter consequently comprised in this volume is given confidently as new, and as not to be found elsewhere. It is our duty and our present object to explain where and how it has been obtained.

The British Government has since 1808 been the protector of the Sikh territory lying between a 2

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the Sutlej} and Jumna: Its officers have been appealed to for the adjustment of all disputes between the chiefs and their neighbours or dependants, and the references to the Supreme Council of Government at the Presidency are frequent, and involve questions of great intricacy, making the management of our relations in that quarter by no means the least troublesome part of the business submitted to its decision. Lord Witi1aAm Bentinck was led by the perception of this circumstance to seek from the officers employed in the management of Sikh affairs, some general information as to the history and condition of the chiefs, and the habits and customs of the sect. Accordingly, when preparing for his journey to Hindoostan, in 1830, he called upon Captain Murray, the Political Agent at Umbala, who had for more than fifteen years been employed in conducting our relations with the Sikh chiefs on the British side of the Sutlej, for a report upon the subject. Captain Wape, the Assistant at Loodeeana, who had latterly been entrusted with the subordinate charge, under the Resident at Dehlee, of the correspondence with Runseet Sincu, was similarly called upon, and both officers submitted voluminous reports, containing valuable information on all the points required. That of Captain Murray seemed to be the result of

PREFACE, vil much reading and research, and to be prepared from materials collected during the whole period of his residence amongst the Sikhs. He had evidently consulted with care all the Persian and other books, that afford any insight into the history of the Sikhs, or of the Moghul and Afghan officers who came into contact or colligion with them; while his account of the rise and fortunes of Runseer Sincu appeared to have been compiled from the reports and verbal — information of intelligent persons who had served under him, corrected and tested by a laborious examination of the Akhbars or native newspapers, files of which were recorded in his office : a valuable Appendix was added, containing the result of his personal observations and enquiries into the habits, customs, rules, and observances of the Sikhs. The report was defective in arrangement, being put together with no view to publication, but unfortunately this highly esteemed and distinguished officer died very soon after the Governor General visited those parts, when it was his Lordship's intention to have requested him to prepare from his expose, a volume calculated to diffuse the information he had collected, and to give public and general utility to the result of his labours.

There is no doubt, that, if this officer had lived, the work would have been executed in a

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manner worthy of his abilities. His sudden death has rendered it necessary, that what he left incomplete, and had put together in haste, without due order, or arrangement, or regard to the accuracies of style, should be completed and revised by another hand. The whole of the historical part of his report has required to be rewritten: The arrangement has been partially altered, and the narrative has been cast into chapters in the form it now assumes, besides which there is new matter added from Captain Wave's report and from other sources. It has hence been impossible to place Captain Mur- RAY’s name on the title-page as the author, so as to make him responsible, before the public, for what he never saw or approved. It will however be understood that, except in the tenth and eleventh Chapters of Continuation, the task of the Compiler of the following pages has been merely that of redacteur, and that the merit of having collected the information, which gives to the work any interest or value it may possess, belongs almost entirely to Captain Murray. Indeed, next to the desire to rescue from the oblivion of a record-office, information calculated to be so extensively useful, and to give to the Public, access to what had been collected with so much labour and research, the motive that has principally influenced the Compiler to undertake the preparation of this volume for

PREFACE. 1x the press, has been the wish to do honor to this distinguished and lamented officer, and to lay before his friends, and the world, a lasting testimony of his worth and talents.

The task has been performed during the leisure of a sea voyage and residence in Van Diemen’s Land for health. Nothing has since been added, and the narrative accordingly terminates abruptly with the Treaties concluded by the British Government with Sindh in 1832. It would doubtless have cost little additional trouble to have introduced another chapter bringing down the course of events to the present day (1834 ;) but to doso would have required a resort to records, and to documents not legitimately within the Compiler’s reach, or familiar to his recollection, and from their “connection with passing transactions, not ripe probably for public exhibition. To such, therefore, he has not sought access, and after all, until the career of the Ruler of the Punjab shall have reachits natural term, the close of the narrative must have been equally abrupt, wheresoever the line had been drawn. It has hence appeared preferable to let the curtain drop for the present, at the marked epoch of the conclusion of the Treaties referred to, which were published in the past year, reserving what may

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follow, to the date of the decease of the prominent character of the work, to be added hereafter, in case at any future period the public should take sufficient interest in the affairs of the Punjab, to call for a renewed publication.

It may be proper to add, that whilethe first part of: this work was already in the Printer’s hands, a Persian account of the affairs of the Sikhs in the Punjab, was obligingly communicated to the Compiler by Sir Coartes Metcatre. The manuscript had been delivered to Sir CHARLES by its author, Kuoosnwver Rage, who was for many years the Agent and Intelligencer of the British Government at Umritsur. The narrative comes. down to 1812 only, but is very full in respect to the early history of the Sikh Sirdars, and contains much information and useful matter, not to be found elsewhere. The opportunity which was thus: presented of comparing an original. work of this kind with the Memoir of Captain Murray, has not been lost. The result has afforded a satisfactory corroboration of the accuracy of this officer: indeed, the correspondence of date and circumstance m many important particulars leads almost to the con- ‘clusion, that KHoosHwvuet Rare’s narrative must have been amongst the materials from which the Memoir was prepared. Some occasional

PREFACE. Xl discrepancies and additional facts or illustrations have been noted separately at the close of the volume. The Compiler’s grateful acknowledgments are particularly due to Sir CHARLES Metcatre, for the liberal frankness with which so valuable a material has been made available to improve and correct this publication, and it is to the same high quarter, that he is indebted for access to the materials from which the Map has been constructed, which is prefixed to the volume.

Be Ty PB:

Calcutta, May, 1834.

ERRATA.

Pace 3—last line, for * Pakul’ read Pahul. 6—second line, for “ gusool” read yusoul. 18—last line but one, for “ HuLkor” read Hoixur. 19—date in the heading, for ‘‘ 1769” read 1760. 22—nineteenth line, for “ Pakul’’ read Pahul. ’ 23—eighth line, for ‘ raise’ read raze. -24—sixteenth line, for “ Baroach’’ read Baraich. 26—twenty-first line, for “ the Governor and Zyn Khan” read the Governor Zyn Khan. 29—fifteenth line, for ‘‘ Jhundee Singh” read Jhunda Singh. 30—first line, for “‘ Nukreea Misul” read Nukeea Misul. 30—second line, for “ Nukree” read Nukee. $9—seventh and seventeenth lines, for “* Busuntee” read Busuntur. 45—eleventh and seventh lines from the bottom, for ‘“‘ Battala” read Butala. 47—tenth line from the bottom, for “ Soodhurp” read Soohdura. 61—twelfth line, for “ Deenanugur” read Adeenanugur. — 63—last line but one, for “‘ Pathun Kot” read Puthan Kot. 76—eleventh line, for “‘ Feelor” read Philor. 82—tenth line, for “ Huttoo” read Athoo. $2—twelfth line, for “ Dushut” read Duskut. $4—ninth line from the bottom, for “ Jihlum” read Jyhlum. 145—fourth line from the top, for “‘ Qootub ood deen” read Kootub ood deen. 168—eleventh line, for “ Gorchur” read Ghorchur. 185—fourth and fifth lines from the bottom, for ‘“‘ Gorchur” read Ghorchur.

Chapter I. Page

Affairs of the Punjab on the decline of the Dehlee Sovereignty to the Battle of Paneeput and separation of the territory from Hindoostan,

Chapter II

Operations of the Afghans in the Punjab. The condition of the Sikh associations, and the rise and exploits of the principal Chiefs and Misuls. The Punjab abandoned to them by the Afghans. Their proceedings for the occupation of the territory, ..cccccscesevececs

Chapter III

Feuds and contentions of the Sikhs. Rise and fall of different Chiefs. The history of Churut Singh and Maha Singh, ancestors of Runjeet Singh, traced to the death of the latter, and Runjeet’s assumption of the direction Of affairs, .ccccocccccccccccsececccccscccvccsccees

Chapter IV

The early administration of Runject Singh. His aggrandizement at the expense of other Sikh Sirdars, tv his treaty with the British Government, and exclusion from the countries east of the Sutlej, ..

XIV CONTENTS.

Chapter V. ‘

British arrangements with the Chiefs east of the Sutlej. Transactions in the Punjab tending to the further aggrandizement of Runjeet

Chapter VI

Marriage of Khuruk Singh, the heir-apparent of Runjeet Singh, attended by Colonel Ochterlony. Acquisition of the Kohi-noor Diamond from Shah Shooja. Severe treatment and flight of that Prince te Loodeeana. Conquest of Kashmeer, by Futeh Khan Vuzeer, and acquisition of Attuk, by Runjeet Singh, ...c.cccocsscccccssccece

Chapter VII

First expedition of Runjeet Singh against Kashmeer. Fails. Failure of Runjeet Singh’s health. Expedition against, and capture of Mooltan. The army deprived of its plunder. Death of Futeh Khan, Vuzeer of Kabool. Runjeet Singh’s advance to Peshawur, ......+

Chapter VIII

Second expedition and conquest of Kashmeer. Arrangements for consolidating the Sikh authority in the hills. Conquests on the Indus. Arrival and entertainment of French Officers. Disgrace and confinement of Suda Koonwur, Runjeet’s Mother-in-law, ...cccceceseee 121

Chapter IX

Operations in Peshawur. Affair with a party of Moosulman fanatics. Mohummud Uzeem Khan retires and: leaves Peshawur to Runjeet Singh. Death of that Chief—also of Sunsar Chund. Disturbances in the Gundgurh Mountains. Yar Mohummud confirmed as Governor Sor Runjeet Singh at Peshawur. Futeh Singh Aloowala retires from the Durbar. Rise of Seyud Ahmed, the Mohummedan Saint and reformer, troubles occasioned by him. Unrodh Chund of Kangra moved to a discreditable alliance, flies across the Sutlej. His possessions seized. Further disturbances and troubles from Seyud

Ahmed. His defeat and death, cere cecececcccceccsceeosccsees 196

CONTENTS. Vv

Chapter X

Mission of Lieutenant Burnes with a present of dray horses for Runjeet Singh. His journey through Sindh, and up the Indus and Ravee to Lahér. Mission to Lord William Bentinck at Shimla. Meeting arranged between the Governor General and Runjeet Singh. Takes place in October 1831. Commercial Treaty concluded between the British Government and Sindh, ....ccccccccccccssscccccesceses LOZ

Chapter XI

The character and policy of Runjeet Singh. His revenues. Strength of hisarmy. General observations, ......cccccccccssecsecccees 178

Appendix

On the Manners, Rules, and Customs of the Sikhs. By Captain We. Murray,erescecvcccccccccccsssvccvccessscessercvsseveves 191

Chapter First.*

Affairs of the Punjab on the decline of the Dehlee Sovereignty to the Battle of Paneeput and separation of the territory from Hindoostan.

Tue empire founded in Hindoostan by BABUR, and supported by the vigour and abilities of several generations of celebrated Princes, fell speedily to dissolution after the accession of MOHUMMUD SHAH. The invasion of NADIR SHAH gave a violent shock to its stability, which was already undermined by the growing power of the Mahrattas ; and the inroads of the Abdalee, AHMED SHAH, though made in support of the faith of Monum- MUD, and successful in checking that reaction of Hindoo vigour, which threatened at the time to overwhelm it, accelerated nevertheless the fall of the house of TymMoor,

© This Chapter is entirely from Captain Murray, who has the merit of being the first to collect and put together in a consistent narrative, the ~ loose fragments and materials that exist, in respect to the events in the Punjab at this period.

A

2 YUHEEA KHAN VICEROY OF LAHOR. A.D. 1742.

which he uniformly treated with neglect and humiliation. The court of Dehblee ceased thenceforward to be looked up to as the source of protection, of honors, or of punishments. The satraps, and officers, nominally acting under its authority, assamed every where independence: the provinces were dismembered, and a spirit of disaffection was roused in all parts of the empire. The history of Hindoostan ceases from this period to be that of any ruling dynasty, and must be traced in the detail of the events of each province, and in the transactions, by which the several Nuwabs, Rajas, and Princes,—the sects, nations or associations of chiefs, rose each in turn to power, in displacement of the royal authority, and in successful rivalry with one another. It is the object of the following pages to collect and exhibit in continuous narrative, the occurrences of this description in the Punjab, and to trace the rise of the chief who now sways the destinies of that province, and of a large bordering territory, with a vigour of anthority, unknown to any other part of India, not subject to the dominion of Europeans.

YUHEEA KHAN, the son of ZUKAREEA KHAN, ‘commonly styled KHAN BUHADOOR, held the viceroyalty of Lahér, when the Jat Zameendars of the Punjab empoverished by long extortion, and driven at last to desperation, took to rapine and plunder fer the support of themselves and families, and as a bond of union and ex- ¢itement against their oppressors revived in their customs and ceremonies, the latent flame of the Sikh ritual. They proclaimed the faith and tenets of Govinp SIncu, the last acknowledged Gooroo or spiritual guide of the Sikhs, and took the Pakul of initiation into the mysteries of

A. D. 1743. THE SIKHS GROW FORMIDABLE. 3 that religion. The long hair on the head, and flowing beard, the entire renunciation of tobacco, and the use of the audible salutation of “‘ Wah Gooroo-jee ke futeh,” (victory to Goorooe jee,) proclaimed that the ploughshare had been exchanged for the avenger’s sword, and that the maxims and precepts of the grunth of GooRoo GoviIND had prevailed over the more peaceable doctrines of the vedas and shastras of pure Hindooism. The spirit of the revived sect displayed itself at first in secret association and isolated acts of depredation. Bodies of armed men, in tens and twenties, called Dharwee in the dialect of the province, that is, highwaymen, infested the routes of communication, attacked villages or plundered in towns, according as their local connections invited to either mode of seeking wealth or. the means. of support. The early neglect of the ruling authority enabled the associations to prosper, and the most successful chiefs purchased horses with the proceeds of their spoil, and mounted and armed their followers. Their example and success made the cause popular with the young and adventurous, so that the number who took to these courses augmented daily, until the chiefs formed their respective dehras or encampments in open defiance of the ruling authority, and sought celebrity by bold and hardy enterprizes, which gave security in the awe they inspired, while the wealth and reputation resulting afforded the means of further strengthening themselves. The distractions of the Moghul empire, and the intrignes and imbecilities of the vice-regal court at Lahdér, gave encouragement to the system pursued, not only by the neglect to punish, but by the occasional availment of the services of individual chiefs, so that many of them assumed an-organized martial appearance, and not content A 2

4 THE SIKHS DEFEATED AND PROSCRIBED. A.D. 1744-4 with ravaging the open country, approached the sacred reservoir of the Sikhs at Umritsur and maintained themselves in that vicinity. ‘The differént associations were united by common interest, no less than by the profession of a new faith; and a system of general confederation for defence, or for operations requiring more than single efforts, was early arranged between the chiefs.

The evil had spread and had acquired some head before the attention of the Governor YUHEEA KHAN was sufficiently roused to induce him to make an exertion to put it down. At length, however, his revenue failing from these disorders, he sent out a small detachment of government troops under command of JuspuT Rags, brother of his Dewan or prime minister, LUKHPUT RaEEg. They proceeded first against a body of insurgent Sikhs who were devastating the country, and driving off the flocks and herds in the vicinity of Yumeenabad, which lies to the North of Lahdér. The detachment was overpowered, and JuspuT Rage being slain, his men dispersed. LUKHPUT RAEE Dewan, however, hastened from Lahér to avenge bis brother’s death, and the insurgents retreated before him into the north eastern corner of the Punjab, where he inflicted on them a severe chastisement. The Dewan brought back with him many prisoners, whose heads were struck off without remorse in the Ghora-Nukhas, or horse market, outside the city wall of Lahér. The spot is now called by the Sikhs “‘ Shuheedgunj,” the place of martyrs, in memory of this event, and a sumadh or tomb has been erected there in honor of the Bhaee Jaroo Sineu, which marks the site. After this success a proclamation was issued in the name of

« the Governor YUHEEA KHAN, denouncing death to all

A. D. 1745-6. INTRIGUES AT LAHOR. § persons who invoked the name of Gooroo GovIND, and a reward was offered for the heads of his disciples. This rigoar and summary proscription checked the progress ef Sikh proselytism, and the enthusiasm of the votaries of the Gooroo was considerably diminished. Many cut their long hair and curtailed their flowing beards to avoid detection and death, and others fled across the Sutlej} into the adjoining province of Sirhind, where they found protection or concealment in the wide wastes which lie to the west of Puteeala and Naba.

Not long after this event, the younger brother of YUHEBEA KHAN, by name SHAH Nuwaz KAHAN, rose in insurrection against him, and succeeded in establishing himself in the two provinces of Lahér and Mooltan, making prisoner YUHEEA KHAN, with all his state officers. He nominated a Hindoo, named KaonrAa MUL, to be Dewan in lieu of LuKHpuT RAEkr, but left ADEENA Bree KHAN, who had risen under his father ZUKAREEA KHAN, and governed with much vigour the difficult district of the Jalundhur Dooab, in both civil and military charge of that tract. YUHEEA KHAN escaped from Lahér, and hastening to Dehlee, laid his ‘complaint before the Vuzeer, his uncle KUMUR-00D-DEEN KHAN, who was at the same time privately informed, that SHAH Nuwaz Kuav, in fear of the consequences of his act, had opened a correspondence with AHMED Suau Abdalee. The Shah had recently seized Kabool and Peshawar in ejection of the Dehlee Soobahdar, Nasir KHAN, an event that had excited much alarm at the capital. The Vuzeer availing himself of his relationship appealed to his nephew's sense of honor, and addressed to him a strong remonstrance on his defection

8 LAHOR TAKEN BY AHMED SHAH. A. D. 1747.

from allegiance, desiring him not to seek the degradation of serving AHMED, the Yusool or mace-bearer of Nadir, but to be faithful to the hereditary sovereign of his family and race. The young man’s pride was touched, and althaugh doubtful what might be the issue of the complaint of his elder brother, he prepared himself to oppose the advance of the Dooranees, and withdrew from farther correspondence with AHMED SHAH. Undeterred by this change of counsels, the Abdalee crossed the Indus near the fort of Attuk, in the year 1747, and sent his domestic priest, SABIR SHAH, in advance to Lahér, hoping through his negotiations or intrigues to bind SHAH Nuwaz Kuan tohis first offers, or at all events to secure a friendly reception to his army. SHAH Nuwaz, however, was now staunch in his allegiance to Dehlee, and placed himself in the best posture of defence his scanty means would permit. He further gave to his court a pledge of fidelity by causing the agent of the Abdalee to be murdered. AHMED SHAH was greatly incensed at this violence done: to the person of his ambassador and confidential servant, and crossing the Ravee, marched immediately to attack SHan Nuwaz KHAN in the entrenched position he had taken up under the walls of Lahér. The resistance offered was slight; the defences were soon mastered by the Dooranee war. riors, and SHAH NuWaAz escaping fled to Dehlee; the city of Lahér was shortly after reduced, and its resources fell a prey to the Abdalee, who raised there a heavy contribution.

AHMED SHAH when at Dehlee in the train of NADIR SHAH; had not been an inattentive observer of the state of things at:ithat Court. The imbecility of MoHUMMUD

A.D. 1748. HIS FURTHER ADVANCE OPPOSED. ¥

SHAH, the overgrown power, the discords and intrigues of the great Ameers or grandees, and the little obedience paid to the royal authority at the capital as well as in the interior, had not failed to attract his attention, and the confusion likely to follow the departure of the invading army, afforded matter of speculation for an ambitious man seeking where eventually to push his own fortune. The unparalleled success which had attended his first efforts in Afghanistan, and the advantage to which he systematically turned his present means in laying the foundation of future grandeur, encouraged him to hope from what he saw and heard of the condition of things at Dehlee, that the time was favorable for an attempt to erect for himself an empire on the ruins of that of the house of TyMoor. Having mastered Lahér, therefore, he determined on an immediate advance towards Dehlee, and crossing the Beah and Sutlej without opposition, approached Sirhind. .

The Vuzeer KUMUR-O00D-DEEN KHAN was not deficient in energy, and made preparation to meet the invader. Calling out the principal chiefs of Rajpootana with their respective quotas, he placed the king’s eldest son Prince AHMED in nominal command, and with this force and the troops at the capital took up an intrenched position at the village of Munoopoor, nine miles from Sirhind. The Abdalee Shah having reconnoitered the position deemed himself too weak to attempt a storm of the works: encamping in the neighbourhood therefore, he directed his efforts against the supplies of the Dehlee army, and sent detachments to cut off convoys and intercept the communications with the capital. This led to continual skirmishes and partial engagements, which amused both

8 RETREAT OF AHMED SHAH. A. D. 1748.

armies for a month without producing any thing decisive. An event however then occurred that brought about an immediate change in the aspect of things. The Vuzeer was killed whilst at evening prayers by a random shot from the Dooranee artillery, and from that time forward there ceased to be any commander in chief in the Dehlee camp. The Rajpoot chiefs who had come upon his invitation, and were held together by his influence and reputation, feeling confidence in no other leader, began to desert the royal standard, and retired to their respective estates. The Abdalee hearing of this deemed the moment favorable to assume the offensive, and ordered an attack, notwithstanding the inferiority of his numbers. A panic fell on the imperial army and disorder began to spread in the camp. MEER Munoo, however, son of the deceased Vuzeer, seized the critical moment, and bringing a body of fresh troops to the points assailed, led them himself to the charge, and repulsed the Dooranees with considerable slaughter ; so much so that AHMED SHAH deemed it necessary to relinquish his designs for the present, and retired precipitately across the Punjab in order to repair his losses. His retreat was unmolested, and he recrossed the Attuk without making any effort to maintain his footing at Lahér. The Punjab was thus recovered for the Moghul, and the Government of Lahér and Mooltan was conferred by the Dehlee Court on MEER Munoo, withthe title of MooyYUNOOL-MOOLKE, in reward and acknowledgment of his service on this important occasion.

The invasion of the Abdalee, and the occupation of the forces on both sides in the struggle for empire on the plains of Sirhind, were favorable to the further

A.D. 1748. AHMED SHAH RETURNS. 9 rise of the Sikhs, whose depredations were for the interval unchecked, and who again showed themselves by day, and ventured even to satisfy their religious prejudices by stolen visits to the shrines of their faith at Unmritsur. The new Governor of Lahér, MEER Munoo, confirmed KAONRA MUL in the office of Dewan, and found the disorders created by these associations, and by fanatics of the sect who sprung up in numbers, to be one of the first objects requiring his attention. A small party of Sikhs had the audacity to throw up a mud work which they called Ram-Rounee, (but which having been since enlarged is now called Ramgurh) in the district and immediate vicinity of Umritsur, and Sikh plunderers scoured the country in all directions. Mr&&ER MuNoo surrounded and captured Ram-Rounee, and stationed detachments to preserve the peace of the country, who had orders to detain all Sikhs, and to shave their heads and beards. By these energetic measures the public confidence was restored: the Sikhs were again compelled to fly the country or hide their heads, and proselytes to their faith and habits became more rare. |

AHMED SHAH Abdalee had retired only to recruit his strength, and was by no means inclined to relinquish his designs on Hindoostan. In the following season from that of his first invasion, that is, after the close of the rains of 1748, he again crossed the Indus, and interrupted all MEER Munoo’s plans for establishing himself in his government and better ordering its administration. Being apprehensive that his force was too weak to resist the invader, he applied to Dehlee for reinforcements, and in order to gain time sent a mission to the Abdalee camp to offer terms of compromise and negociate for the Shah’s