Later Mughals v1.c9.s18.14

v1.c9.s18.14

About this time Khidmat Talab Khan replaced Zain-ud-din Ahmad Khan in Sarhind. He employed a large force to watch the issues from the hills. As the Sikhs had lost their strong places, with their stores of food, and the country itself had been devastated, it was impossible for them to subsist and they retired again into the hills. After a few months they reappeared in the plains from the direction of Jammu. The parganas of Kalanaur and Batala were plundered, in spite of the efforts of the faujdars, Suhrab Khan and Shaikh Muhammad Daim, and of Santokh Rai Qanungo. Mhd. Daim left his pargana and retired to his home in Kasba Bhairuwal, south-east of Amritsar. Rich and poor again forsook their homes, many went to Lahor, and many took refuge in the country of Jina and Dasoha.† At this time Abdus-samad Khan had marched southwards from Lahor to repress an outbreak of the Bhatti zamindars in the wild region known as the Lakhi jungle. He wished to carry out his repressive measures thoroughly, and therefore made no haste to return and deal with the Sikhs. In his absence Mir Ahmad Khan, faujdar of Gujarat, Iradatmand Khan, faujdar of Amanabad, Nur Muhammad Khan, ruler of Aurangabad and Parsarur, Shaikh Mhd. Daim and Suhrab Khan above mentioned, Sayyid Hifz Ali Khan of pargana Haibatpur Patti, Rajah Bhim Singh Kamboh, and Hardam son of Rajah Dharb Deo Jharotha,* assembled their forces, and marched against the Sikhs. Arif Beg Khan, the nazim's deputy, came out of Lahor and camped near Shahganj, for the protection of the city. The Guru's first position was at Kot Mirza Jan, where he threw up earthworks. Before he had completed his defences, the advance of the Muhammadans forced him to evacuate that place, and he then retired with 10,000 men on Gurdaspur, a small town founded by Bhai Dip Chand, a fakir.†