1869.] Tlie District of Ludiana, 93 



even in its desolation, is to every Sikh an accursed spot, as the city 

 where the Guru's two sons were murdered. In 1762, a great battle 

 was fought about twenty miles south of Ludiana between Ahmad 

 Shah and the Sikhs, a battle in which the Sikhs were defeated with 

 great slaughter, and which they still remember by the name of 

 " Grhulu Grhara" (Cunningham's History of the Sikhs, pages 100-101). 

 But in the following year the Sikhs gained as great a victory, 

 sacked and destroyed Sarhind, and established their supremacy 

 throughout the province. The Sodhis established themselves at Machi- 

 wara; the Jagadri, Jhind, Nabah, and Patiala chiefs in the south, 

 and the Alhiiwalia family at Jagraon. Ludiana itself was occupied 

 for a time by Hindu Rajputs of the Halwara got. They were ex- 

 pelled and succeeded by the Rais under Rai Kulla. During the 

 rule of his successor, Rai Muhammad, in S. 1822, Nattu and Chiihar, 

 his representatives in Ludiana, repaired the fort, each mahalla of 

 the city building a portion. For some years, they kept off the Sikhs 

 by payment of black mail, but the neighbourhood was laid waste. 

 When the plundering expeditions of the Sikhs were announced, a 

 drum was sounded to give warning, and the people took refuge in 

 the fort. The city was plundered over and over again, by Bhag 

 Sing Bheiiya, by the sardars of Khan ah, by Kami Singh Narmalla 

 of Shahabad, by Bhanga Sing of Thanesar, and others. On the death of 

 Rai Muhammad and the accession of the child Rai Hyas, the en- 

 croachments of the Sikhs became greater ; but the thanahdar of the 

 Rais at Ludiana, whose name was Husain, defended the city with 

 great bravery. It was then that Bedi Sahib Sing, already referred 

 to, invaded the territory of the Rais. He penetrated as far as Maler 

 Kotla, destroying Maler itself, and profaning the shrine of Shaikh Ji. 

 Most of the Jat zamindars fraternised with him. At last, one night, 

 the citizens of Ludiana admitted the Bedi, while the Rais retreated 

 to the fort. Then it was that the Rais applied to George Thomas, 

 and by his assistance expelled the Bedi. To oppose Thomas, Lai 

 Sing of Kaital and Bhag Sing of Jhind applied to Perron, the well 

 known French general in the Mahratta service. He sent a subordi- 

 nate, whom the local history calls Loi Sahib (probably Louis Bour- 

 quin), who defeated Thomas. But the Rais found means to appease 

 the conqueror, and were allowed to retain their dominions on pay 



