Page 90 - Lohgarh

90 w Lohgarh : The World’s Largest Fort

The Sikhs broke open a gate of the city and entered it, thus they captured
the city.
The Sikh army was joined by several Hindus, mainly Gujjars, as well
as some miscreants too. They had joined the Sikhs simply with an
intention to plunder; but when Banda Singh came to know about their
activities, he rebuked them and expelled them from his army. After
leaving him, these wicked Gujjar Hindus entered some villages around
the city and plundered people.
Saharanpur was mainly a Muslim city, and, the local Hindu residents
had generally been the victims of atrocities of the rulers; they felt
relieved when the Sikhs occupied the city. When the Sikhs became the
masters of the city, several elite and rich Muslims, now, began moving
out of Saharanpur. Banda Singh stayed here for several days. He changed
the name of the city from Saharanpur to Bhaagan Wala Nagar (Bhaag
Nagar).

Punishing the Pirzaadas of Behat

When Banda Singh was still in Saharanpur, some Hindus from Behat
(about 25 km from Saharanpur, towards the hills), came to see him and
narrated the story of their sufferings. They told him that the Pirzaadas
(literally: the sons of the Pirs, i.e. the descendants of the Muslim priestly
class) were very cruel to the Hindus; they would leave no chance to
molest the honour of their women folk. Banda Singh sent a large unit
of Sikh soldiers to teach a lesson to the Pirzaadas.
The Sikh army had not to suffer much loss before occupying the
city. When they were in full control of the town, they summoned all the
Pirzaadas in an open space and asked the people to narrate their crimes.
They found that all the Pirzaadas were guilty of cruelty, rape and other
crimes. All of them were executed there and then. It had happened in
the month of June 1710.

Unsuccessful Attack on Jalalgarhi

A few days after the occupation of Behat, the Sikh army decided to
attack Jalalgarhi (the Fortress of Jalal-ud-Din Khan). Here, Jalal-ud-Din