Page 93 - Lohgarh

Banda Singh Bahadur’s Actions from the Lohgarh Fort w 93

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apprehended a Sikh attack on Delhi itself. Iradat Khan writes: “From
Delhi to Multan, there was a commotion (about the Sikhs’ supremacy),
but from Thanesar to Lahore, it was so strong that nothing could be said
(with certainty). So much so that Asif Ali, Nizam-Ul-Mulk, too, was afraid
and he wrote a letter to the Emperor; and also reminded the officials in
Delhi that everyone should send the report about this commotion to the
Emperor... There, Diwan Bayotat, Diwan Hafiz Khan, Kotwal Raza Khan,
Fakhar-Ud-Din Bakhshi reporter, Mohammed Tahir reporter and Qazi
Darwesh Mohammed wrote separate letters to the Emperor. Asif-ud-
Daula, the Governor of Delhi, too, was very much afraid. The umraa,
along with their families and wealth, began fleeing Delhi from far-off
provinces.” (The non-Italic text is mine- Author).
In fact, the situation of the country around Delhi was very alarming;
the Sikhs had captured all the three states around Delhi, i.e., Sarhind,
Thanesar, Saharanpur. It meant almost blocking the Capital of the
Mughal Empire from the outside world; besides, the rulers of Lahore
too were afraid of the Sikh army.

Sikh Actions in Lahore and Riarki Area

The Sikhs of Majha (then pronounced as Manjha), the area between
the rivers Beas and Raavi, had already defeated the Mughal chieftains
of one of the areas of, in April 1709, i.e. about 7 months prior to the
first victory of Banda Singh in Samana in November 1709. It was in April
1709, when Chuhar Mall Ohri of Guru-Da-Chakk (Amritsar) had
instigated Aslam Khan, deputy chief of Lahore province, to attack Guru-
Da-Chakk, and, Aslam Khan had sent an army under the command of
th
Har Sahai, the chieftain of Patti. On the 6 and the 12 of April, 1709,
th
two battles took place, in which the Sikhs, under the command of Bhai
Mani Singh, Tara Singh of Dall-Vaan, Mohkam Singh Ohri and others,
defeated the aggressor army. The second battle resulted in several
casualties of the enemy, including their chief Har Sahai. After this
crushing defeat, the Mughals did not attack Guru-Da-check.
When Banda Singh had planned an attack on Sarhind, the Sikhs of
Majha too had joined Banda Singh. After the victory of Sarhind, some