^38 SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. 



went out. The misery of this separation, which divided the father from 

 the child, the husband from the wife, and brothers from sisters, was hor- 

 rible, but it was the only chance which they had of safety; amd his orders 

 were obeyed. He himself went among the rest, and after undergoing 

 great fatigue, jand escaping many dangers, he arrived at Chamkour, by the 

 Raj a of which place he was received in a kind ^nd friendly manner. 

 ]^is enemies had entered the fortress which Govind left, the moment he 

 iled, and made many prisoners ; among which were his mother and his two 

 children, wh© were .carried to Foujdar Kha'n, the governor of Sirhind^ 

 "by whos,e orders they were inhumanly massacred.* The army of the 

 emperor, aided by the Rdjds hostile to Govind, next marched to Cham- 

 kcur^ and encompassed it on all sides, Govind, in despair, clasping his 

 hands, called upon the goddess of the sword. -f ** The wor'd sees," he 

 exclaimed, " that we have; no help but thee !" saying which, he prepared^ 

 ^yith his few followers^ to make the most desperate resistance, 



'S'fj^jjj. emperor's army, employed afe this |)eriod against G&vind, was 

 commanded by -Khwa'j-eh Muhammed and Nahar Kha'n, who deputed, 

 at the commencement of the siege, an envoy to X\iQ Sikh leader, with th6 

 Jollowing message: " this army is not one belonging to Rdjds and Rdnds: 

 ^« it is that of the great AuRUNGZEBr shew therefore thy respe6l, and 

 «* embrace the true faith." The envay proceeded, in the execution of his 

 Mission, with all the pride of those he represented. *' Listen/' said he^ 

 from himself to Gu'ru' Govind., *^ to the words of the JsTawdb: leave 

 ''^ jpff^conte^iding ^with us, and playing the infidel; for it is evident you 



* The Muhammedan authors blame Vi'zi'r Kha'n for this uunecessarj and jtopolitic.act 



■pi barbarity. iV~ ;,-.>■. . ■'•. -.' --, p, -.■.■. :■. 



i.BHAV.A'Nl' D,UBGA'- , --r.A-NA ;:..^,. ■..-..• ... 



