Page 84 - Lohgarh

84 w Lohgarh : The World’s Largest Fort

was no form of injustice that Wazir Khan had not perpetrated on the
poor people; and, now, there was no seed of (cruelty) which did not
sprout; as he sowed, so did he reap.’ 15
Sucha Nand’s family too got its share of punishment; they were
stripped of their precious clothes and allowed just under clothes and
were compelled to beg through the streets of the town. The residents
were told that none should give them more than one kaudi (one
twentieth of a paisa) i.e. trifling. The Sikh army sentenced all the
criminals and guilty to death (Tarikh-i-Mohammed Shahi). Paradise-like
mansions of Sucha Nand and Wazir Khan became playgrounds of the
crows (Mohammed Qasim). 16

Bahadur Shah Receives the News of the Fall of Sarhind
Bahadur Shah was on his way from South towards Delhi, when on the
th
20 of May 1710, he got the news of the fall of Sarhind to the Sikhs and
the death of Wazir Khan; he issued orders to the chiefs of Lahore and
Delhi to suppress the Sikh rebellion. 17
18
Correct Date of the Battle of Chappar Chiri: Irvine mentions the
date of this battle as 24 Rabbi-ul-Awwal, but he calculates it as 22 May
1710 (whereas 24 Rabbi I corresponds to 12 May). It seems that he had
relied on an undated entry of Akhbarat-I-Darbar-I-Mualla, which was
19
written as a commentary, and, is not a daily diary of the Mughal court,
and, it seems that the translator had erred in converting the date from
Hijri to Julian/Gregorian calendar. On the other hand, as per an entry of
Akhbarat-i-Darbar-i-Mualla, 20 the report of this battle was given to
Bahadur Shah on the 20 of May 1710 when he was at Bahasu. It took
th
this news eight days to reach him (he could not have the report two
th
days in advance of the battle). So, the 12 of May 1710 is the correct
date. 21
Banda Singh’s Treatment of the Muslims

After their victory, the Sikhs hoisted the Sikh blue flag on the top of
22
the Fort. Banda Singh appointed Baj Singh Bangeshari as the Governor
23
of Sarhind and Aali Singh of Salaudi as his deputy. Although Banda Singh