Page 168 - Lohgarh

168 w Lohgarh : The World’s Largest Fort

told them that they should rest assured that due attention would be
paid to their security. 6 On 22 May, the Emperor ordered Zain-Ud-Din
Ahmed Khan, the Faujdar of Sarhind, to lead an army of eight thousand
soldiers to Lohgarh to crush the Sikhs. 7
On 29 May, the Emperor was in Thanesar (Kurukshetra). Here the
noble persons of the town told him that when Banda Singh attacked
this town, most of the vagabonds, who had joined the Sikhs, supplied
all sorts of provisions to them. They had pulled down most of the
mosques, mausoleums and mansions. They were still present in the
town. When the Emperor went to Akbarabad, they would settle score
with the people. At this the Emperor became angry and ordered his
attendant Rai Mann to accompany Sarbrah Khan Kotwal along with a
contingent of soldiers. The Emperor asked them that who called
themselves Nanak-worshippers (Sikhs) be captured and produced before
him. If they embraced Islam well and good, otherwise they should be
murdered, so that they were no more a source of trouble. Seventeen
persons were made captives. Fourteen of them chose to be Muslims.
Three persons who were servants of Chowdhry of Thanesar did not
accept Islam. At this the Emperor presented robes of honour to those
who accepted to be Muslims, and for the three ‘rebels’ he issued orders
that they should be killed and their bodies be cut into pieces and hung
in the vicinity of the minar (tower on the highway near the city. The
imperial orders were complied with. 8
The Emperor reached Delhi on 8 June 1712. He entered the Red
Fort on 11 June and sat on the throne. On 12 June he was told that
Banda Singh has established his police post at Sarhind. 9
th
On the 13 of June 1712, he (Jahandar Shah) was told that the hill
chief Jagat Chand of Kumaon had played a remarkable role in the
expedition against Banda Singh; but Fateh Shah of Gharhwal 10 had
helped Banda Singh. At this the Emperor ordered that Jagat Chand of
Kumaon be sent an order of appreciation, a valuable robe of honour
and a sword studded with pearls. The Emperor also issued orders that
Fateh Shah should be punished for his rebellious act.