A history of the Sikhs, from the origin of the nation to the battles of the Sutlej.

CHAP. VII SAIYID AHMAD AT PESHAWAR

189

was defeated and mortally wounded, and Peshawar was 1830.
perhaps saved to his brother, Sultan Muhammad, by the Butdefeat
presence of a Sikh force under the Prince Sher Singh and Yar MuGeneral Ventura, which had been moved to that quarter hammad,
who dies of
under pretence of securing for the Maharaja a long-promised his wounds,
horse of famous breed named Laila, the match of one of 1829.
equal renown named Kahar, which Ranjit Singh had already
prided himself on obtaining from the Barakzai brothers.'
The Sikh troops withdrew to the Indus, leaving Sultan Saiyid Ahmad Shah
Muhammad Khan and his brothers to guard their fief or crsses the
dependency as they could, and it would even seem that Indus,
Ranjit Singh hoped the difficulties of their position, and the 1830
insecurity of the province, would justify its complete reduction.2 But the influence of Saiyid Ahmad reached to
Kashmir, and the mountaineers between that valley and the
Indus were unwilling subjects of Lahore. Ahmad crossed
the river in June 1830, and planned an attack upon the
Sikh force commanded by Harl Singh Nalwa and General
Allard; but he was beaten off, and forced to retire to the He is compelled to
west of the river. In a few months he was strong enough to retire, but
attack Sultan Muhammad Khan; the Barakzai was de- falls upon
and routs
feated, and Peshawar was occupied by the Saiyid and his Sultan Mu' Ghazis'. His elation kept pace with his success, and, hammad
IKhan, and
according to tradition, already busy with his career, he occupies
proclaimed himself Khallf, and struck a coin in the name of Peshawar,
'Ahmad the Just, the defender of the faith, the glitter of 1830
whose sword scattereth destruction among infidels'. The
fall of Peshawar caused some alarm in Lahore, and the force
on the Indus was strengthened, and placed under the
1 Cf. Murray, Ranjit Singh, pp. 146, 149. The followers of Saiyid
Ahmad believe that poison was administered, and describe the
' Ghazi' as suffering much from its effects.
General Ventura at last succeeded in obtaining a Laila, but that
the real horse, so named, was transferred, is doubtful, and at one
time it was declared to be dead. (Capt. Wade to the Resident,
Delhi, 17th May 1829.)
2 Capt. Wade to the Resident, Delhi, 13th Sept. 1830. The
Mahiaraj also reserved a cause of quarrel with the Barakzais, on
account of their reduction of the Khattaks, a tribe which Ranjit
Singh said Fateh Khan, the Wazir, had agreed to leave independent.
(Capt. Wade to Government, 9th Dec. 1831.)