Page 81 - Lohgarh

Banda Singh Bahadur’s Actions from the Lohgarh Fort w 81

he began trembling as if he were facing his death. Coward Sucha Nand
took no time to run away, and, he did not stop before he reached
Sarhind.
8
Wazir Khan was still there, encouraging his soldiers; sitting on his
elephant, he was fully active in the frontlines; and when Baj Singh and
Fateh Singh saw him, they rushed towards him and attacked him. Wazir
Khan fought with great defence but was killed in the hand-to-hand fight
with them.
Some Sikhs tracked down Sher Mohammed Khan of Malerkotla too.
Just a couple of days earlier he had fought against the Majha Sikhs at
Behlolpur (in which his brother and two nephews had been killed and
he himself was wounded); now, here, he was the second in command
at Chappar Chiri. After the death of Wazir Khan, Sher Mohammed Khan
came in the front lines but was killed soon; and so was his other brother
Khawaja Ali .9 When all their commanders were killed, the remaining
Sarhindi soldiers also surrendered and begged for their lives. The Sikhs
told them: ‘You need not worry; we do not attack those who surrender’;
and they (Sikhs) let them leave safely but stripped them off their arms. 10
This battle lasted only for seven to eight hours. By noon, the Sarhind
army had been totally routed. 11
How was Wazir Khan Killed: There are several versions of the death
of Wazir Khan. According to Khafi Khan, Wazir Khan was hit by a bullet.
According to him Sher Mohammed Khan had attacked Binod Singh. But,
at the same time a bullet hit Wazir Khan and Sher Mohammed Khan
rushed to help him. 12
According to Kanhaya Lal too, Wazir Khan was killed by a bullet. 13
14
But Latif says that Wazir Khan was killed by an arrow. According to Mir
Ahsan Ijad (in Shah Nama), Wazir Khan saw Banda Singh and moved
towards him to attack him. When Baj Singh noticed this he kicked his
horse and came in between Banda Singh and Wazir Khan. Wazir Khan
shot his spear at Baz Singh which the latter caught with his hand and
threw the same back towards Wazir Khan. This spear hit the horse of
Wazir Khan and he fell down. Even in this position, Wazir Khan shot an
arrow at Baj Singh which pierced the arm of the latter. At this moment