Later Mughals v1.c9.s18.20

v1.c9.s18.20

On the 13th Rabi II. 1127 (17th April 1715) reports were received at Dihli that, after plundering the town of Batala, the Guru had taken up his position in an earthen fort at Gurdaspur. This small town lies forty-four miles north-east of Amritsar, in the Bari Duaba. The Sikh leader made every effort to strengthen his defences and increase his store of supplies. He cut the canal known as the Shah-nahr and other small streams below the hills, and allowed the water to spread, so that owing to the quagmire thus formed, neither man nor horse could reach close to the fort. When the Muhammadans arrived, many of the Sikhs were out in the villages collecting supplies. Numbers of them were seized, brought in, and executed; the rest cut off their long locks, shaved their beards, and hid themselves in Lahor. The rest of the besieged showed great activity in the defence, but Abdus-samad Khan and his son, at the head of their own men and those of the faujdars, daily met and defeated the sorties of the garrison. Two or three times a day, forty or fifty of the Sikhs would come out to gather grass for their cattle, and when attacked they faced the Mughals with bow, gun, and sword. The common soldiers were so afraid of the Guru's sorceries that they prayed he might soon take to flight as before. The further progress of the investment was reported to Court in a letter received on the 26th Rabi II. 1127 (30th April 1715).*