In 1164 A.H. (1750-1 A.D.) Ahmad came by forced marches to Láhore, and began to devastate the country. In the month of Rabí'u-l awwal he crossed the Chináb, and encamped between Sodrá and Wazírábád. Mu'ínu-l Mulk also, at the head of a formidable army, crossed the Ráví, which flows under the city of Láhore, and pitched his tents in front of the invader. For some time there was continued firing with guns and matchlocks, and the whole country between the Ráví and Chináb was desolated by the ravages and massacres committed by the Durránís. In those days the writer of these leaves was engaged in learning the Kurán by heart. In the end, neither party gained any per­ceptible advantage. The Durránís suddenly broke up their quarters, with the intention of crossing the Ráví, and plundering the district and city of Láhore. Mír Mannú marched back in alarm to the city, barricaded all the streets, and strengthened the interior defences. Every day there were skirmishes, till at last the supply of provisions was closed on all sides. There was such a dearth of corn and grass that with the utmost difficulty two sírs of wheat flour could be had for a rupee, to say nothing of rice. To procure for horses other forage than rushes or house-thatch was next to an impossibility. This obliged Mír Mannú and his army to take the field. He sallied out with his right and left wings, and fanned the embers of war into a flame. The chief agent of Mír Mannú was a man named Kora Mal, who had been a corn-chandler, and could scarcely earn his bread, but had now become master of immense riches, and had obtained kettle-drums and flags, with the governorship of Multán. With him, Adína Beg Khán Bahrám Jang* had for certain reasons taken some cause of offence, and retired to his own government in the (Jálandhar) Doáb. Adína Beg now reluctantly joined Mu'ínu-l Mulk against the Durránís, and, availing himself of his opportunity in the midst of battle, instructed one of the Afgháns of Kusúr to put an end to the existence of that unworthy wretch Kora Mal by a musket-ball.* In consequence of his death, the army of Mír Mannú suffered a complete defeat, and he was obliged to send for his horse, and, advancing with some of his personal attendants, proceeded to kiss the threshold of the Durrání, who honoured him with the grant of a valuable khil'at and the title of Farzand Khán.

Reign of 'Álamgír II.

In the third year of the reign of 'Álamgír II., the minister Gházíu-d dín Khán, having released Wálá Gauhar, the eldest son of 'Álamgír, from prison, took him towards Láhore. He went as far as Lúdhiyána, and then returned, and having sent for the daughter of Mu'ínu-l Mulk from Láhore, he married her. He deprived the Emperor of all power whatever, and conducted all the affairs of the State. A misunderstanding arose during this year between him and Najíbu-d daula, which at this very day is the cause of all the disorganization which is ruining the country.

Najíbu-d daula, having found means of secretly communicating with the Abdálí, invited him to come to Hindústán. Accord­ingly, in the beginning of the fourth year of the reign, he came to Dehlí, and, having ravaged it, proceeded to Mattra, where he massacred the inhabitants, broke the temples, and having plun­dered the town of immense wealth in property and cash, he cut the very nose of Hindústán, and returned to Láhore, where he gave his youngest son the title of Tímúr Sháh; and left Jahán Khán there with the designation of minister. Wazíru-l mamálik Gházíu-d dín Khán marched his army into the provinces of Alláhábád and Oudh, but returned to Dehlí without meeting with any success. Najíb Khán and Kutb Sháh, having collected a force, plundered the house of Gházíu-d dín Khán, carried off all the cash, furniture and jewels which were found in it, and also dishonoured his zenána. Gházíu-d dín, assembling a body of men, sat watching the opportunity of vengeance, but in vain.

Adína Beg Khán, being sorely pressed by the army of the Abdálís, invited Malhár, Raghú and other Mahratta chiefs from the Dakhin, gave them fifty lacs of rupees, and proceeded to attack the officers of the Abdálí. He first overcame the Faujdár of Sirhind,* whose name was 'Abdu-s Samad Khán, and who was stationed in that city with a body of 20,000 Rohillas, horse and foot. After subjugating the whole of that district, Adína Beg proceeded to Láhore. When he reached that city, Jahán Khán, with Prince Tímúr, pitched his tents at Kachchí-saráí, and having intrenched himself, prepared for action. Adína Beg Khán joined his forces with those of the Mahrattas, and Jahán Khán, having sustained a defeat, fled towards Pesháwar with two hundred horse, leaving all his treasure and property to be plundered by the enemy's army.

Adína Beg Khán, on the achievement of this unexpected victory, ordered the happy occasion to be celebrated by beat of drums. He dismissed the Mahratta army to Dehlí, and himself proceeded to Batálá, where he fixed his head-quarters. He then turned his attention to the appointment of governors for the provinces of Multán, Thattá, and Láhore. Soon after this he died a natural death, on the 11th of Muharram, in the fifth year of 'Álamgír's reign, and the province of Láhore again came into the possession of the Sikhs.

Gházíu-d dín Khán sent Jhankú Mahratta against Najíbu-d daula, who, being unable to oppose him, departed to Sakartál on the banks of the Ganges, where he fixed his batteries, and pre­pared for resistance. He sent his envoy to Ahmad Sháh Abdálí to solicit assistance. The army of Jhankú invested him closely, and after four months' fighting, it crossed the Ganges near Hardwár, where the river was found fordable, and overran the country. Nawáb Shujá'u-d daula, son of Wazíru-l mamálik Mansúru-l Mulk Safdar Jang, who was coming to aid Najíbu-d daula, arrived soon after, and expelled the Mahrattas from the territory of the Afgháns. Gházíu-d dín Khán, on receiving the news of Shujá'u-d daula's arrival, marched from Dehlí and joined the camp of Jhankú. He then directed some of his sardárs to go to the fort of Sháh-Jahánábád, and put 'Azízu-d dín ('Álamgír) to death.

In the mean time Ahmad Sháh Abdálí reached the environs of Sirhind, and defeated the Mahratta army which was quartered in that district. On receiving the intelligence, Jhankú advanced to oppose the Abdálí. Najíb Khán, finding an opportunity, joined the Abdálí's camp at Saháranpúr, by forced marches. Jhankú, having sustained a repulse at that place, came to Dehlí, where he fought a very severe battle, but was at last obliged to fly.

The period of 'Álamgír the Second's reign is said to be six years, and that of his life about sixty. The events above re­lated took place in A.H. 1174 (1760-1 A.D.).

I will minutely relate the Abdálí's victory over the Dakhin army, when we enter upon his history in detail. I content myself here with giving a concise narrative of it as follows. When Jhankú sustained a defeat from the army of the Abdálí, and fled away with Gházíu-d dín Khán, the Abdálí sacked Dehlí and encamped at Anúpnagar. Shujá'u-d daula also came there and kissed his threshold. After the rainy season, Bháo Wiswás Ráí, with the son of the Rája his master, marched from the Dakhin at the head of 200,000 horse, 20,000 foot, and 300 guns. He entered the city of Dehlí, and having taken the fort from the officers of the Abdálí, proceeded to Kunjpúra and Sirhind. 'Abdu-s Samad Khán and seven other officers who were stationed at the former place, with a body of 20,000 horse and foot, offered resistance, and after a battle of about one hour, were all slain. Bháo plundered Kunjpúra, sent those who were taken alive to prison, and pitched his tents on the banks of the Jumna.