The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c20.304

v4.c20.304

The army left Delhi on 19 January, 1748, and marched through Sirhind to Māchīwārā on the Sutlej. Meanwhile Ahmad Shāh Abdālī had left Lahore and, marching by Ludhiāna, avoided the imperial army and occupied Sirhind, between it and Delhi. Sirhind was plundered and all men bearing arms were put to the sword. Prince Ahmad was thus forced to retrace his steps and near Sirhind, as had now become usual with the demoralised forces of the emperor of Delhi, he entrenched himself before an army greatly inferior in numerical strength. Ahmad Shāh Abdālī's troops had captured part of the imperial train of artillery and had thus supplied themselves with arms and munitions of which they stood much in need. The imperial army, devoid of every military virtue, was besieged in its entrenched camp from 15 March to 28 March and on 22 March the death of Qamar-ud-dīn Khān, the minister, who was killed by a gunshot while he was sitting at prayers in his tent, still further discouraged the army and caused the desertion of all the Rājput chiefs.