A History of Agriculture in India v2.c87.s7: Consolidation of Guerrilla Bands into Misals

v2.c87.s7.1

On the Baisakhi of 1748 the Sikhs passed their first historic *Gurmata* at the Akal Takht at Amritsar. The sixty-five bands of guerillas were consolidated into twelve *misals*. During this period the Punjab was ravaged by Ahmed Shah Abadali, who slaughtered a large number of the Sikh warriors. However, he could not crush the Sikhs. He failed to consolidate his hold on the Punjab. From 1764 to 1798, the *misals* practically ruled the Punjab. Ultimately, Ranjit Singh of Sakerchakia *misal* emerged as an outstanding leader of the Sikhs. He occupied Lahore on 6 July 1799, and founded a kingdom which lasted for half a century. After a fierce struggle, it succumbed to the British, whose power was based on industrial and agricultural revolution, which were the result of the discoveries of the laws of science and their practical applications.