Page 218 - Lohgarh

218 w Lohgarh : The World’s Largest Fort

At that time, the families of those persons, who were employees of
Bhai Lakhi Rai Vanjara’s tanda (trade caravan), and the families of
Sikligars (who used to manufacture weapons and ammunition for the
Gurus and Banda Singh) had been living in these hills and in the villages
in the foothills of the Fort. This Fort had been built by these Vanjaras
and the Sikligars and their forefathers.
It seems that the Mughals would not have only demolished the
Fort, but they would have even occupied these villages, one by one.
They might have either killed or expelled the Vanjaras and the Sikligars
and their families; and, some might have fled from their houses to
save themselves from the atrocities of the Mughal soldiers. Those
soldiers and the labor, which had been brought here, to demolish the
Fort, might have been given possession of the land and the houses
belonging to the Vanjaras and the Sikligars. Before 1716, not a single
Muslim used to live here. All this land belonged to Lakhi Rai Vanjara
and all his employees (Vanjaras) were Sikhs.
It is believes that the demolition of the Fort would have atleast
twenty years. A Fort, which was built in 70 to 80 years, at least half time
was needed to totally demolish it. It seems that Massa Ranghar
personally supervised the demolition of the Fort that is why he had
built his palace here. The palace, in which Massa Rangarh lived, the
ruins of which can still be seen in Machhrauli village till today. Similarly,
there is a village Mughalvali, where workers, who were engaged in the
task of demolition, might have been living there; hence, this place might
have come to be known as Mughalvali. Even now, all those Muslim
families which live in this area are the descendants of those who had
come here between 1716 and 1740.
Between Sadhaura and Lohgarh and in the foothills of the Fort,
there were more than 50 villages where Vanjaras used to live. The land
of these villages was the property of Lakhi Rai Vanjara; and it was
inhabited by his employees. The Mughals had killed most of them and
their lands given to those workers engaged in demolish of the Fort. In
spite of this, some Vanjaras still remained there in these villages. It is
possible that these Vanjaras might have co-operated with the Mughals
or surrendered to them. This too is possible that some Vanjaras returned