In the year of the Hegira 1169, Ahmed Shah Durranny again A H. 1169.
A D. 1755. invaded Hindostan, and came to Lahore.—By this time, the Sicks were become very numerous, and their Dul was in the neigh­bourhood of Lahore; but they were afraid to attack the Durranny army: however, they plundered all people who straggled from the camp, and cut off provisions going to it.—But the Durranny Shah being desirous of getting as soon as possible to Dehly, took no notice of these insults.

After plundering Dehly, Muttra, and all the circumjacent towns and villages, and exercising unheard of barbarities, the Durranny Shah marched back to Kandahar; leaving a chief of the name of Ahmed Khan, to command in Sirhind, and his own son, the Prince Timur Shah, with an army under the command of Jehan Khan, one of his best officers, to collect the Subahs of Lahore and Multan.

Jehan Khan from a principle of religiòus zeal, destroyed the places of worship belonging to the Sicks at Amrutsur, and filled up the sacred Tank, which they so highly venerate: upon which the Sicks collected together under their chiefs from all quarters, and blockading the city of Lahore, collected the revenues of the country all round for their own use. Jehan Khan with the Prince, marched out to give them battle; but after several actions, finding the Sicks too numerous for him to contend with, he retreated to Kandahar.

Upon this occasion, Jessa Sing Kelal, who was at the time com­mander in chief of the Dul, struck rupees in his own name, at the royal mint at Lahore, with the following inscription, “Jessa Kelal conquered the country of Ahmed, and struck this coin by the Grace of God.”

After the retreat of Jehan Khan, the Court of Dehly appointed Adina Beg Khan to be Subadar of Lahore; but the force with which he was furnished by so weak a government, was not equal to encountering the Sicks: he was therefore obliged to stop at Sirhind; and finding that he could not obtain any assistance from the administration at Dehly, he applied to the Marhatta chief Rogonaut Row, who at that time commanded a large army in the Province of Agra, and offered to assist him in reducing Punjab; to which the Marhatta chief agreed, and marched to Sirhind; where he was joined by Adina Beg Khan with his own army, and some of the inferior Sick chiefs, whom he had brought over by great promises.

Their first operation was to expel and plunder Ahmed Khan, whom the Durranny Shah had left to command in Sirhind.—On this occasion the Sick chiefs, who had joined Adina Beg Khan, plundered the town of Sirhind; which gave great offence to the Marhatta chiefs, who projected falling upon the Sicks, and plun­dering them in return: which coming to the knowledge of Adina Beg Khan, by whose influence these Sicks had been induced to join the Marhattas, he gave them immediate notice of the design which was formed against them, upon which, they marched away in the night.

The Sick leaders who were in possession of Lahore, did not think their army a match for the Marhattas, when reinforced by Adina Beg Khan, they therefore drew off to the skirts of the mountains; and the Marhattas established garrisons in Lahore, Multan, &c. But their government was of short duration, for soon after this, attempting to expel the Rohillas from their possessions, Nujeab ul Doulah, the principal Rohilla chief, applied to the Durranny Shah for assistance:—alledging, that being his subjects,* they could apply to no one else for redress; and that, therefore, they entreated he would support them against the infidels.

Ahmed Shah Durranny accordingly left Kundahar, with his whole force; and as soon as it was known that he had crossed the Attock, all the Marhatta garrisons in Lahore and Multan, fled without waiting for his nearer approach.