Page 88 - Lohgarh

88 w Lohgarh : The World’s Largest Fort

New Sikh Calendar Issued

After the victory of Sarhind, Banda Singh issued a new Sammat
(calendar) also. The year 1710 C.E., Hijri 1122 and 1767 Bikrami were
now year 1 of the Khalsa Raj.

Banda Singh’s March Towards Malerkotla

Though Sher Mohammed Khan, two of his brothers and two of his
nephews were dead by now, the Sikhs still wanted to punish the
remaining rulers of Malerkotla too. Having settled at Sarhind, the Sikhs
now turned towards Malerkotla. When the Malerkotla Pathans got the
information that the Sikh army was marching towards Malerkotla, they
approached Kishan Chand, a rich Hindu trader and money-lender of
the area, and requested him to help them. Kishan Chand had already
met Banda Singh more than once, so he agreed to mediate. He went
towards the Sikh route and met Banda Singh on the outskirts of
Malerkotla. Kishan Chand requested him not to attack Malerkotla. Banda
Singh agreed and the state and the umraa of the city offered a huge
amount as tribute to the Sikh army and saved the state from
destruction. 27
Anup Kaur and Bulaka Singh

Sometimes earlier, a Sikh lady named Anup Kaur had laid down her life
to save her honour from being molested by some Malerkotla official,
and, after her death her dead body was not cremated but buried. Now,
after subjugating Malerkotla, the Sikh soldiers found her grave, extracted
her body and cremated it according to the Sikh rites. Similarly, at
Ghurani, the Ramraiyas (who had been excommunicated from the Sikh
Panth by Guru Gobind Singh) had been troubling a Sikh named Bulaka
Singh. Banda Singh went to the village and punished the rascal
Ramraiyas; besides, he appointed Bulaka Singh as the police chief of
the area.

Hindus & Muslims Embrace Sikhism
After the victory of Sarhind hundreds and thousands of Hindus joined