Capture of Lahore (1797)

Capture of Lahore
Part of the Afghan–Sikh Wars
Lahore Citadel
Date 31 December 1796 Location Lahore, Punjab Territorial changes Durrani Empire recaptures Lahore. [1]
Belligerents
Durrani Empire	Sikh Confederacy
Commanders and leaders
Sher Muhammad Khan Wazir	Lehna Singh Bhangi (Not present)

The Capture of Lahore took place on 31 December 1796. The city of Lahore was surrendered to the Afghan forces of Zaman Shah Durrani peacefully, without battle, resulting in a temporary restoration of Durrani control over Lahore.

Background

By the late eighteenth century, Lahore was under the control of various Sikh chiefs who administered the city and its fort, while Sikh confederacies dominated much of the surrounding countryside. Shah Zaman, the young ruler of the Durrani Empire, undertook a series of invasions of northern India in an effort to revive Afghan authority over Punjab and to check the growing power of the Sikhs. ^[2] During his campaign of 1796, Shah Zaman advanced from Peshawar towards Lahore, leaving Nasir Khan in command at Rohtas Fort and Nasirullah Khan in Gujrat with detachments of cavalry to secure his lines of communication. As the Afghans moved forward, Sikh groups in the rear attacked Durrani outposts and expelled Afghan thanadars from several posts in the tract between the Jhelum River and the Chenab River. ^[2]

Capture

As Afghan forces approached, Lahna Singh, the Sikh administrator of Lahore, allowed many residents of Lahore and nearby Shahdara to withdraw to safer places. He summoned leading Muslim notables of the city, including Mian Chiragh-ud-din Shah Sultanpuri, Mir Ghalib Shah and Mian Muhammad Ashiq, and handed over the civic authority to them, assuring that the fort and city would be left intact. He requested that they intercede with Shah Zaman to secure lenient treatment for the population before withdrawing with a small escort towards the fort of Haji Saeed Khan. ^[3] On 31 December 1796, Sher Muhammad Khan Wazir entered Lahore at the head of about 12,000. ^[3] The Muslim leaders of the city delivered the keys of the Lahore Fort to him, and proclamations were issued on behalf of Shah Zaman forbidding his troops to commit outrages against the inhabitants. Afghan officers wishing to reside inside the city were ordered to rent houses with the consent of their owners, and the reopening of shops followed the assurances of protection for life and property. ^[3] Shah Zaman himself entered Lahore on 1st January 1797 and was ceremonially welcomed by the inhabitants, who greeted him with showers of silver flowers. Contemporary accounts describe him as a twenty-six-year-old warrior, wearing a black sheepskin cap and issuing brief, strict orders that made a strong impression on the citizens. He held court in the Diwan-i-Khas, heard reports of about 5,000 Sikh fighters assembled near Amritsar, and addressed letters to the Sikh chiefs summoning them to his presence. The Raja of Patiala, Sahib Singh, sent a written submission expressing his obedience and willingness to attend the Afghan ruler wherever ordered. ^[3] Seated on a movable throne, Shah Zaman inspected the defences of Lahore and ordered repairs to several parts of the fort complex, including his sleeping chamber, the prayer room, the Saman Burj and the Naulakha pavilion. He stationed selected Durrani troops in the Shalimar Gardens and issued strict orders that no one should oppress the people of Lahore, threatening severe punishments. Some Afghan soldiers accused of abuses reportedly had their noses cut off and were paraded publicly as an example. ^[4] Despite these measures, the situation in the city remained tense. When it was reported that Hindu and Muslim shopkeepers had failed to illuminate their houses and shops in celebration, Shah Zaman imposed a poll tax. Although Muslims were later exempted after petitions, the tax was collected repeatedly from Hindu households, with Afghan soldiers stationed at their doors and using force to extract payments. The levy caused hardship and led to distress and even suicides among some inhabitants, while the Afghan ruler distributed robes of honour to local headmen and struck coins in his own name after the tax had been realised. ^[4]

Aftermath

On 5 January 1797, Shah Zaman held a public durbar in the Diwan-i-Am where messengers announced that several Sikh chiefs including Baghel Singh, Tara Singh, Sahib Singh, Karam Singh and Gulab Singh were assembling near Amritsar to coordinate resistance. The Afghan ruler immediately broke up the court and marched towards Amritsar with his army. ^[5] When he reached the vicinity of the Shalimar Gardens, further reports arrived that the Sikh forces had already withdrawn from Amritsar after performing religious ceremonies. Intelligence agents claimed that the advance of the Afghan army had spread such fear throughout the country that armed resistance dispersed before a direct confrontation could occur. Although the capture of Lahore temporarily re-established Durrani authority over the city, the broader objective of permanently subduing the Sikh power in Punjab was not achieved, and Sikh influence would soon resume its expansion in the region. ^[5]

References

1. www.DiscoverSikhism.com. History Of The Sikhs Vol. IV The Sikh Commonwealth Or Rise And Fall Of Sikh Misls. p. 473.
2. www.DiscoverSikhism.com. History Of The Sikhs Vol. IV The Sikh Commonwealth Or Rise And Fall Of Sikh Misls. p. 471.
3. www.DiscoverSikhism.com. History Of The Sikhs Vol. IV The Sikh Commonwealth Or Rise And Fall Of Sikh Misls. p. 472.
4. www.DiscoverSikhism.com. History Of The Sikhs Vol. IV The Sikh Commonwealth Or Rise And Fall Of Sikh Misls. pp. 472–473.
5. www.DiscoverSikhism.com. History Of The Sikhs Vol. IV The Sikh Commonwealth Or Rise And Fall Of Sikh Misls. p. 473.