ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>SH&#256H ZAM&#256N</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="SHH,ZAMN"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279SH&#256H ZAM&#256N, son of Taim&#363r Sh&#257h and grandson of Ahmad Sh&#257h Durr&#257n&#299, became the ruler of Afghanistan in May 1793 at the age of 23. As soon as Sh&#257h Zam&#257n came to the throne, he proclaimed his intention of re-establishing the Af<u>gh</u>&#257n sway in India. His first attempt to conquer India brought him as far as Hasan Abd&#257l; he had to return to Afghanistan to put down a revolt by his brother, Mahm&#363d. Two years later he was back in the Punjab again and, in addition to retaking Hasan Abd&#257l, he captured Rohtas from the Sukkarchakk&#299&#257s, Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh thus being the first Sikh chieftain to suffer aggression at his hands. Once again Sh&#257h Zam&#257n had to return home, this time to prevent an invasion of his own country from the west. Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh did not have much difficulty in recovering Roht&#257s, but the Punjab had not yet seen the last of Zam&#257n and his armies.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the autumn of 1796 Sh&#257h Zam&#257n crossed the Indus for the third time with the intention of proceeding to Delhi. He had a well-equipped army of over thirty thousand men, and was assured of help from many quarters. As the news of the invasion spread, Sikh chiefs evacuated their families to the hills and forgathered in Amritsar. The two Sikh chiefs whose territories lay on the Af<u>gh</u>&#257ns' route to Lahore were S&#257hib Si&#7749gh Bha&#7749g&#299 and Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh. S&#257hib Si&#7749gh made a feeble attempt to halt the invaders. Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh also left his district and repaired post-haste to Amritsar. The majority of the <i>sard&#257rs</i> who met in Amritsar felt that the best they could do was to retreat to the hills, and close in on the Af<u>gh</u>&#257ns when they were returning home with the booty. Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh exhorted them to stay in the plains to defend the people from whom they had been receiving a protection tax for many years. Many chiefs agreed to support him and he, taking command of the Sikh forces, cleared the Lahore countryside of the Af<u>gh</u>&#257ns and threw a cordon round the city. Every night he organized raids on different suburbs, keeping the invaders on the defensive.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In January 1797, Sh&#257h Zam&#257n received intelligence that his brother, Mahm&#363d, was again up in arms against him. He left his ablest officer, Ahmad <u>Kh</u>&#257n Shah&#257ñch&#299b&#257sh&#299, with twelve-thousand Af<u>gh</u>&#257n soldiers in the Punjab and took the road back to K&#257bul. The Sikhs followed closely at his heels, harassing him all the way up to the Jehlum. Ahmad <u>Kh</u>&#257n, who attempted to attack Sikhs from the rear, was trounced at R&#257m Nagar. Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh decimated his columns fleeing towards Gujr&#257t.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On 27 November 1798, Sh&#257h Zam&#257n again entered Lahore. An Af<u>gh</u>&#257n detachment was sent towards Amritsar. Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh accompanied by other Sikh <i>sard&#257rs</i> met it about 10 km outside the city and, after a fierce three hour encounter compelled the Af<u>gh</u>&#257ns to retreat. The Af<u>gh</u>&#257ns were pursued to the walls of Lahore.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sh&#257h Zam&#257n was compelled to return to Afghanistan where his brother, Mahm&#363d, was again stirring up trouble. As soon as the news of Sh&#257h Zam&#257n's departure for Afghanistan reached the Sikhs at Amritsar, they broke camp and hurried back to reclaim their estates. Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh quickly reoccupied Gujr&#257&#7749w&#257l&#257 and went in pursuit of the Af<u>gh</u>&#257ns, keeping up a running fight with them right up to A&#7789&#7789ock. Sh&#257h Zam&#257n, still ambitious of establishing an empire in Hindust&#257n, made overtures to Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh by sending him presents of horses and expensive dresses. Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh responded by restoring to him cannon the Sh&#257h had lost in the Jehlum river in his hurry to escape.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sh&#257h Zam&#257n, who made four attempts to conquer India, was overthrown by the B&#257rakza&#299s who installed Mahm&#363d in his place. Mahm&#363d put out Zam&#257n's eyes and turned him out of K&#257bul. The blind and dethroned Sh&#257h Zam&#257n took asylum at R&#257walpi&#7751&#7693&#299 where he was met by Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh who invited him to come and stay in Lahore. Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh settled upon him a monthly allowance of 1,500 rupees and on his (Sh&#257h Zam&#257n's) arrival in Lahore accorded him a welcome befitting his rank.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sh&#257h Zam&#257n died many years later a quiet and neglected pensioner of the British government at Ludhi&#257&#7751&#257.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> S&#363r&#299, Sohan L&#257l, <i>'Umdat ut-Tw&#257r&#299<u>kh</u></i>. Lahore, 1885-89<BR> <li class="C1"> Shahamat Ali, <i>The Sikhs and Afghans</i> (Reprint]. Patiala, 1970<BR> <li class="C1"> Burnes, Alexander, <i>Cabool</i>. London, 1843<BR> <li class="C1"> Ganda Singh, <i>Ahmad Shah Durrani</i>. Bombay, 1959<BR> <li class="C1"> Gandhi, Surjit Singh, <i>Struggle of the Sikhs for Sovereignty</i>. Delhi, 1980<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Sard&#257r Si&#7749gh Bh&#257&#7789&#299&#257<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>