Painda Khan whirled his horse round and round to find an opportunity of attacking the Guru and breaking his guard. At last both warriors and their horses stood still, and both sides began to speculate on their chances of victory. Painda Khan dis- charged an arrow which whizzed past the Guru's ear. The Guru ironically complimented him on his archery, and invited him to shoot again so that he might have no cause for remorse. Painda Khan discharged another arrow which also missed its mark. Upon this he was on the point of retreating through shame and vexation, when the Guru ad- dressed him : ' O jackal, wait a httle. Whither goest thou ? It is now my turn.'
The whole of Painda Khan's body except his ears was encased in armour. The Guru knowing this discharged an arrow at his ear with such unerring aim that he fell off his horse prone on the ground, and rose no more. This, however, did not end the battle. Din Beg now assumed sole command, and urged on his troops. Maddened by Painda Khan's death they fought with great desperation, but were unable to make any impression on the solid ranks of the Sikhs. On the contrary the Sikh forces caused great destruction among them. Ajmer Chand, seeing this, prepared for flight. The other hill chiefs followed his example. By this time Din Beg was severely wounded, and began to ask himself why he should try to keep the field any longer, since all those whom he had come to assist had ingloriously fled. He accordingly beat a retreat, and was pursued by the Sikhs as far as Ropar.
The Guru sent an officer to recall his troops as he did not think it became Sikhs to take the trouble to pursue cowardly and fugitive enemies. The Sikhs returned with horses, arms, and a vast quantity of other booty taken from the Muhammadans. The Sikh chronicler states that the enemies' heads remained on the field like so many pumpkins, and that kites, ravens, and jackals hovered round them impatient for a feast.
The Guru continued to keep his troops in readiness for defence whenever attacked. He sent for ar- mourers to make muskets, swords, and arrows, and filled his magazine with gunpowder and lead. He issued a proclamation that all Sikhs who came to see him should bring offensive and defensive weapons as offerings. Numbers, hearing of his bravery and piety, flocked to his standard. He baptized all comers and thus infused into them the spirit of the Khalsa.
The hill chiefs again took alarm and said to them- selves that the Guru who had defeated Painda Khan and Din Beg, though commanding an army of ten thousand men, would be soon emboldened to oust them altogether from their territories. They must therefore either kill him or expel him from Anandpur, and with this object they again thought it necessary to seek the assistance of the Dihli government. Raja Ajmer Chand was deputed as envoy, and it was resolved to provide him with costly presents for the Emperor.
Raja Bhup Chand, now Raja of Handur, braver than his fellows, opposed the dispatch of an envoy. He said that nothing could be gained by again seeking the assistance of the Emperor. They ought to be able to defend themselves. If all the hill chiefs concerned were to contribute reasonable contingents, they could muster a large army which would be more than sufficient to annihilate the Guru and his Sikhs. He, however, proposed as the most
LIFE OF GURU GOBIND SINGH 127
simple and feasible measure, to invest the Guru's capital, Anandpur, and starve its occupants into submission. Should any hill chief not join in this enterprise, the others were to hold no intercourse with him, but treat him as an enemy. The Ranghars and Gujars, who were their subjects and were at ancient enmity with the Sikhs, would now be valuable aUies against the Guru. The Raja of Handur con- cluded his address, ' O Ajmer Chand, a reed is a frail support, but a handful of reeds bound together is not easily broken. If we all join together, the Sikhs will be powerless to offer us resistance/
Raja Ajmer Chand was gained over by the proposal, and both he and Raja Bhup Chand sent envoys to all the hill chiefs. Upon this the Rajas of Jammu, Nurpur, Mandi, Bhutan, Kullu, Kionthal, Guler, Chamba, Srinagar, Dadhwal, and others came with their contingents. When they met in council. Raja Ajmer Chand thus addressed them : * Hear me, O rajas, the Sikhs are not merely my enemies. They are the common enemies of all. No one is able to withstand them. They cannot even be bribed by money into submission. We know not what their Guru's designs may be. He baptizeth Sikhs, and they beget Sikhs as wicked as themselves. We know not what the Guru whispereth into their ears, that night and day they think of nothing but harrying and slaying. Give me your counsel as to what you deem best to be done.'
The rajas were unanimous in promising that they would agree to any proposal made by Raja Ajmer Chand. If the Guru, they said, were put to death they might all reign in peace. Accordingly ammuni- tion was served out to the allied army over night, and before daybreak all were on their march to Anandpur. On arriving near the city the rajas drew up the following letter and dispatched it to the Guru : * The land of Anandpur is ours. We allowed thy father to dwell on it, and he ever paid us rent,
but thou payest us not a single kauri. Nay, thou hast originated a new reUgion, and laid our country waste. We have endured this up to the present, but can now endure it no longer. Wherefore we have come to blockade thy town and destroy thee and thy Sikhs. This is the time for thee to pay arrears of rent for the occupation of our land. We call on thee to do so, and undertake to pay it regularly every year for the future. If thou art not disposed to accept these terms, then prepare for thy departure from Anandpur or take the consequences.'
To this the Guru sent reply, * O Ajmer Chand, thou and thine allied rajas desire to take money from me ; but my father purchased and paid for the land and now the only further payment you deserve is with the sword. If you can deprive me of Anandpur, you shall have it with bullets added thereto. Seek my protection, and you shall be happy in both worlds. Seek the protection of the Khalsa too, and abandon pride. Part not with your senses and come to terms with us. This is the Guru's house, in which men shall be treated as they deserve. It is like a mirror. As men make themselves so they appear in it. If you proceed to hostilities with the Sikhs, they will not allow you to drink even a drop of water. Now is the time for a settlement. I shall act as a mediator between the Khalsa and you. You may then rule your states without apprehen- sion.*
Chapter XVI
It was now abundantly clear to the rajas that the Guru would neither make peace nor surrender. Next morning they beat the drums of war, and, as they had anticipated, large numbers of Ranghars and Gujars under one Jagatullah flocked to their stan- dard. The allied armies then proceeded with banners flying to Anandpur. In the van rode Kesari Chand,
LIFE OF GURU GOBIND SINGH 129
the haughty chief of Jaswan, bearing himself, it was said, Hke a mighty elephant. The Guru prepared for defence and briefly addressed his men : * O Khalsa, I am ever your companion and succourer. If you die fighting, you shall enjoy all the happiness reserved for martyrs, and if you survive and gain the victory, empire shall be yours/ The Sikhs were further encouraged by the arrival of five hundred men of the Manjha under Duni Chand, grandson of Bhai Salo, a distinguished Sikh who lived in the time of the fourth and fifth Gurus. Reinforcements from other quarters also arrived at this conjuncture.
The names of the weapons served out by the Guru to the Sikhs are given with minute detail : bows and arrows, teghe (cutlasses), katars (small daggers), jamdhars (two-edged dirks), sarohis (flexible swords), sangs (pikes), lances, bichhuas (daggers, literally scorpions), jamhuas (daggers), scimitars, selas (spears), pistols, and muskets. >
Within Anandpur were two forts, one called Fata* garh, the other Lohgarh. The Guru ordered his men not to advance beyond the city, but remain as much as possible on the defensive. Sher Singh and Nahar Singh, each commanding five hundred men, were told off to guard Lohgarh. The defence of Fatagarh was entrusted to Ude Singh, who received from Duni Chand command of the reinforcements of the Manjha. Meanwhile the allied armies advanced and fell on Anandpur like a flight of locusts.
Ajit Singh, the Guru's eldest son, now grown up to manhood, went to his father to offer him military service. He was, however, too shy to speak in his father's presence, and requested Ude Singh to speak for him. The Guru replied that it was the duty of all true Sikhs to fight for their religion, their country, and a good cause, and he was glad to see his son adopting their hereditary profession. The Guru conferred on him the command of a company of one hundred, and advised him, as he was still in-
SlKU. V K
experienced in warfare, to remain behind cover and await events.
Raja Ajmer Chand, reminding his fellow chiefs that this was really the most important engagement with the Guru, advanced with his troops. The hill chiefs opened fire with large guns on the Guru's fortresses. Raja Kesari Chandof Jaswan with his troops attacked Ude Singh's outposts. Arrows and bullets discharged from both sides fell like rain in the Indian months of Sawan and Bhadon.^ The Ranghars and Gujars, who appear to have fought with much determination, were now reduced to half their numbers, and showed a disposition to retreat. Raja Ajmer Chand went to Jagatullah, their leader, and remonstrated with him. He called on him to avenge the sack and destruction by the Sikhs of the Ranghars' towns of Nuh and Bajrur. Jagatullah succeeded in rally- ing his men, and they again began to fight with great valour. Ude Singh on seeing this brought forth the Guru's son and with a strong force led an attack on the enemy. Ajit Singh displayed great heroism and address, and the Sikhs following his example chopped off the heads of the enemy, as if they were water- melons. The Guru surveyed the battle from an eminence and continued to direct his arrows with fatal precision against the allied hosts.
Several brave Sikhs made a determined stand against the enemy and forced them to retreat. On seeing this the allied chiefs held a brief council of war, wherein it was decided to dispatch Kesari Chand to attack the right flank and Jagatullah the left flank of the Guru's position, while Ajmer Chand himself and his troops made a front attack on Anandpur. Jagatullah was soon shot in the chest by a bullet discharged from Sahib Singh's musket, and fell lifeless to the earth. Man Singh, one of the bravest of the Guru's Sikhs, arrived
LIFE OF GURU GOBIND SINGH 131
bearing the Guru's standard, and planted it on the spot as an indication to the enemy that the Sikhs would not retreat a single pace, or allow them to remove Jagatullah's body.
Raja Ghumand Chand, now chief of Kangra, came and sought to uproot the Guru's standard and hinder the Sikhs from taking possession of the body of the fallen chief of the Ranghars. Upon this the allied armies rallied, and then ensued terrific slaughter. Ghumand Chand and his troops plied their arrows incessantly, but failed to cause the Sikhs to retreat. The latter defended themselves until nightfall and retained possession of Jagatullah's body. The opposing armies then retired to their respective quarters for rest. The Guru comphmented his son and Sahib Singh, the slayer of Jagatullah, on their successful valour. It is stated that the leaves of the sal ^ tree were employed overnight to heal the injuries of the wounded.
The hill chiefs were in great dismay at the result of the battle, and held a council of war during the night. Raja Ajmer Chand apprehended from the resistance offered by the Sikhs to the removal of Jagatullah's body, that it would be useless to prolong the contest. If they had the same ill-for- tune on the morrow, there would be Httle left of the hill armies. The Raja of Kangra professed him- self ready to acquiesce in Raja Ajmer Chand's decision. The Raja of Mandi too was for peace, and advised suing for the Guru's pardon, seeing that he occupied Guru Nanak's spiritual throne, and there would be no indignity in appealing to him as sup- pliants. The Raja of Handur, however, did not consider that any reason for effecting a reconciha- tion. Raja Kesari Chand of Jaswan affected to despise the Guru's power, and promised to fight with more determination on the morrow and expel him from Anandpur.
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Next morning, when the hill armies proceeded to re-invest Anandpm', the Sikhs offered vaUant resist- ance. The allied troops contented themselves with concentrating their attack on one particular part of the city. The fighting continued with varying for- tune until the afternoon, when Ajit Singh prepared to renew the contest, and requested his father to observe how he comported himself in it. The Guru counselled caution, and forbade him to expose him- self unnecessarily. At the same time he sent thou- sands of Sikhs to support him in what he declared was a war for the defence of their religion. The allied armies rushed against them with the violence of a torrent issuing from the Himalayas in the height of the rainy season.
Whithersoever Ajit Singh discharged his arrows, they were messengers of death. When his horse was killed under him he fought on foot, and inflicted great destruction on his opponents. He communi- cated his martial enthusiasm to his Sikh warriors, with the result that the hill armies began to retreat. Raja Kesari Chand, seeing this, addressed them severe reproaches, whereat they rallied and again began to ply their weapons. At the same time the enemy now clearly saw that they could not over- power the brave Sikhs, but must trust to time and the starving of the garrison for the success of their enterprise.
The siege lasted for about two months, with the usual incidents appertaining to that mode of war- fare. The Sikhs at one time determined to remove the entrenchments of the enemy, and put them all to the sword without firing a shot. They accord- ingly made a night sortie in which several of the hill leaders were slain.
As the hill chiefs unsuccessfully prolonged the blockade. Raja Kesari Chand prepared to intoxicate an elephant and direct him against the city. Kesari Chand compared the defences of the city to paper
LIFE OF GURU GOBIND SINGH 133
and sand, which would fall to the ground at the touch of the elephant's trunk. The Raja of Mandi again raised his voice in favour of peace and sub- mission to superior force. Kesari Chand, however, swore that if he did not take the fort by evening, he was no true son of his parents. All the future punishments attaching to great crimes against the Hindu rehgion should be his, if he failed in his enterprise. He represented that in point of numbers the Sikhs were not even as salt in the porridge of the hillmen.
When the Guru heard of Kesari Chand' s boasts he said that Duni Chand, who had brought the reinforcement of Manjha troops, was his elephant, in comparison with whom Kesari Chand' s elephant was as an ant. Duni Chand, however, had no such confidence in his own strength and prowess, and counselled peace with the hill chiefs. He com- plained that the Guru was violent and quarrelsome, not mild and patient Hke his father. He therefore advised the Sikhs to fly from such a leader. None of the Guru's immediate followers would Hsten to such advice, but Duni Chand succeeded in per- suading the troops he had brought with him to promise to desert to Dhir Mai in Kartarpur and adopt him as their guru. The plan of escape pro- posed was to descend by scaUng-ladders. When Duni Chand was in the act of descending, his scahng- ladder gave way, and he fell heavily to the ground and broke his leg. This interfered with his design of going to Kartarpur to place himself and his troops under Dhir Mai's orders, and he consequently thought it advisable to return to his own home in Amritsar.
The next morning the Guru after his devotions observed that no soldier of Duni Chand's contingent was present. In reply to his inquiries, his Sikhs told him of the flight of Duni Chand and his followers during the night. The Guru calmly remarked, ' He
who hath run away through fear of death shall find death awaiting him at home/ The conduct of Duni Chand, notwithstanding his efforts to con- ceal it, became known in Amritsar. All the Sikhs of that city were thus enabled to avoid intercourse with him, and he became an object of social as well as religious detestation. One night as he rose from his bed he was bitten by a cobra, and died almost immediately. His grandsons with his leading soldiers afterwards went to the Guru to pray him to efface the stigma attached to the family — a prayer which the Guru graciously granted.
As proposed by Raja Kesari Chand, an elephant was intoxicated and prepared for the attack on Anandpur. All his body except the tip of his trunk was encased in steel. A strong spear projected from his forehead for the purpose of assault. Thus arrayed and prepared for offence and defence, he was directed towards the gate of the fort. After him came the hill rajas with their armies. They were overjoyed as they joined in the unwonted pro- cession, and made certain that on that very evening the fort would fall into their possession. The Guru asked Vichitar Singh, one of his bravest and most powerful soldiers, to become his elephant, and he cheerfully consented. The Guru gave him a trusty lance and said that as Vichitar Singh was prepared to resist the mad elephant, so some Sikh should now go to cut off Kesari Chand's head. Ude Singh offered his services for the purpose, and received the Guru^s blessing and a sword. On this he dashed into Kesari Chand's ranks like a tiger into a herd of deer.
Kesari Chand's elephant was specially directed against the fort of Lohgarh. On his way he killed some Sikhs, and so alarmed the sentries at the gate, that they deserted their posts and fled within the city for protection. Vichitar Singh found means of opening the gates and went forth to meet the furious
r
LIFE OF GURU GOBIND SINGH 135
animal. He raised his lance and drove it through the elephant's head armour.^ On this the animal turned round on the hill soldiers, and killed several of them with the offensive weapons attached to his trunk. Some he trod under foot and others he impaled on his tusks, so that he became a powerful ally of the Sikhs. The hillmen made great efforts to stop his career, but in vain.
Meanwhile Ude Singh continued to advance against Kesari Chand, challenged him, called him a great jackal, and asked why he was fleeing from his fate. Ude Singh vowed that he would take vengeance on him for all the Sikhs slain. Kesari Chand, infuriated at his taunts, discharged an arrow which lodged in Ude Singh's saddle-cloth. Ude Singh on this dashed forward sword in hand, and with one blow cut off Kesari Chand's head. Then poising the head on his spear, he rode into the fort to exhibit it as a tangible proof of his victory. Upon this the Sikhs ralHed, and cut off all the foot soldiers of the hill army within reach. Muhakam Singh, one of the Guru's five beloved, shore off the mad elephant's trunk with one blow of his sword. The animal then hastened to the Satluj to bring his pains and his unsuccessful career to an end by self- destruction.
What remained ahve of the hill army now took to flight pursued by the bravest of the Sikh warriors who slew them in numbers. In this retreat the Raja of Handur was severely wounded by the brave Sahib Singh, who thus added another to his long catalogue of triumphs.