SKETCH OF THE SIKm^ 227 



prayer to the <5feityi and a declaration! of his' intention te compose for the 

 use of his disciples, a still krger work, by which the Sikhs conceive that 

 he meant the jjrest ©f the l>asama Padshah ka Gmnt'h, of v/hich the 

 Vkhitra Mdta'c ioims the ^rst se6tion. 



An account of Govind's war with the Rdjd of Kahilur'^ is found in a 

 work written in the D^^^r, or mountain diale6l of the P'enjdbi tongue, 

 which gives an account of some other adtions of this chief. Though this 

 account is greatly exaggerated, it no doubt states some fa6ts corre6tly, 

 and therefore merits a brief notice. According to this authority, the Rd- 

 jds of Kahilur, JiswdU and others, being defeated and disgraced in seve- 

 ral a6lions, applied to the court of Aurungze'b for aid against Guru' Go- 

 viNcJ, from whom they stated that they had received great injuries* When 

 the emperar asked wha made the complaint, the answer was, " It is the 

 '* chief of Kahilur, thy servant, who has been despoiled of his country by 

 *' violence, though a faithful Xemmdar, (land-holder) and one who has 

 " always been punctual in paying, his contributions." Such were there- 

 presentations, this author states, by which they obtained the aid of an ar-^ 

 my from the emperor. 



Their combined forces proceede^d against Gu'ru' Go'^rNo arid his fol- 

 lowers, who were obliged to shut themselves up in th^ir fortresses, where 

 Ihey are said to" have endured every misery that sickness and famine can 

 bring upon a besieged place. G6viNi>, after suffering the greatest hard- 

 ships, determined to attempt his escape. He ordered his followers to 

 leave the fort, one by one, at midnight, and to separate the moment they 



• * Kahilur ox Kahlbre^ is sitaatct! orr the SatUj, aboye Mlili'haxictl. It is near (be moun- 

 tains, through which tliat river flows into tlie Penjab. Another place, of the name'df 

 Kahlur or Kalhjrc, is situated a short distance from Lahore, to the N. E. of that city. • 



