Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c28.s5.1

v2.c28.s5.1

The Sikh bands, on return from the Doab (April 1766) attacked the Patiala State. Abdali’s shrewd diplomacy, by making Ala Singh (the founder of the Patiala royal family) a friendly tributary and also giving him the office of governor of the Sarhind district (now a Durrani territory), had set up this Phulkian Sikh against the trans-Satlaj or Manjha Sikhs. It was the Patiala Rajah’s interest to cling to Najib against the common enemy, and he had sent his son to Najib’s camp in the Rohtak district in October 1765, for concerted action against those Sikhs who were then out levying blackmail all over the country. In May 1766, when the Sikhs invaded the territory of Ala Singh’s successor, Amar Singh, and tried to capture his capital, Najib marched up to Mustafabad on the way to Patiala for helping the Rajah. Amar Singh, however, succeeded in averting the hostility of the Sikh bands (*Dal*) through the mediation of Jassa Singh Ahluwalia (the founder of Kapurthala), evidently by paying a subsidy. [*SPD.* xxix. 99. xxvii. 133. Patiala records.] Soon afterwards the rainy season began and suspended military operations till October next.