Page 92 - Lohgarh
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92 w Lohgarh : The Worlds Largest Fort
They complained about him to Gurbakhsh Singh, who arrested and
imprisoned him in Lohgarh Fort, and, also confiscated his property.
Gurbakhsh Singh, the Chief of Buria, in collaboration with Mihan Singh,
the caretaker of Lohgarh, misappropriated some of the wealth of the
Qazi, and, when Banda Singh came to know about this, he removed
Gurbakhsh Singh from his post and appointed Kishor Singh in his place,
enforcing quick and impartial justice.
Attack on Nanauta
th
On the 11 of July 1710, the Sikh army attacked Nanauta (about 30 km
from Saharanpur towards Jalalabad and 15 km from Rampur and
Jalalabad, both). The rulers of this town were known for their excesses
on the common man. The Sikhs captured the city and took away
weapons, money and other valuables from the mansions of the ruling
and rich-elite class. Those, who opposed the Sikhs, their houses were
set on fire. When the Sikhs left the town, it looked like a destroyed city,
hence it came to be known as foota shahr (literally: broken city).
According to Khafi Khan, Jalal-ud-Din Khan (Jalal Khan) had sent his
son Dindar Khan, his sister’s son Ghulam Mohammed Khan and brother’s
son Hajbar Khan to fight against the Sikhs in the battle of Nanauta.
Hajbar Khan was killed in this battle. Even after his death, Dindar Khan
fought bravely but lost the battle. Pir Khan and Jamal Khan, the nephews
of Mohammed Ali Khan, the chief of Saharanpur, too were killed in this
battle. 31
When the news of daring performance of Jalal Khan, in the battles
of Jalalgarhi and Ambaheta, reached the Mughal Emperor, he appointed
him (Jalal Khan) as the Chief of Saharanpur. The Emperor removed
Mohammed Ali Khan from the Chief-ship of Saharanpur for showing
cowardice at the time of the attack of the Sikhs in Saharanpur.
Awe in the Mind of the Umraa and the Minsters at Delhi
After the occupation of Saharanpur by the Sikhs, the rich, the affluent,
the umraa (aristocracy) and the ministers of the capital of the Mughal
Empire in Delhi, began living under the awe and terror as they