1881.] 
77 
C. J Rodgers —On the Coins of the Sikhs. 
After the imperial government had seen what the outcome of the Sikh 
movement was, there was not much enquiry as to their principles and doc¬ 
trines. They were disturbers of the public peace, and as such they were 
hunted and slain. 
We have now to trace briefly the history of the next 83 years in the 
Panjab. In 1799 A. D. Ranjit Singh took Lahore. But from the death 
of Banda to the accession of Ranjit Singh an interval of 83 years has to 
be accounted for. It will easily be understood that the chance of plunder, 
combined with the performance of a : religious act, would serve as sufficient 
stimulus in the heart of every Sikh to action against the Musalman autho¬ 
rities Unfortunately opportunity was not wanting. The imperial family 
at Dehli was like a wheel of sixteen spokes. The first had been strong 
enough. But they had been prosperous. Prosperity had begot luxury and 
luxury, debauchery. The successors of Akbar and Babar could no longer 
rule. The empire lay at the mercy of any one strong enough and bold 
enough to take it. Nadir Shah invaded India in 1738-9. The results of 
his invasion are well known. Both before and after this Persian incursion 
there was a Muhammadan governor of Lahore. The Sikhs, who formed 
themselves into plundering companies, were on several occasions out-man- 
ceuvered, taken, and executed. After the death of Nadir, Ahmad Shall 
Abdalli or Durrani obtained the ascendancy in Kabul, and of course he 
regarded India as his lawful prey. But from the death of Banda to Ahmad 
Shah’s first invasion of India in 1718 A. D. there is a space of 32 years. 
During this time Sikhism, in spite of Muhammadan suppressions had pros¬ 
pered, as all wrong prospers where it is not exterminated. Hence during 
this first invasion the Sikhs erected a small fort at Amritsar. This fort, 
when the invasion was over, was destroyed by the Muhammadan governor 
of the Panjab. The invader was a Muhammadan and the defender was a 
Muhammadan, hence both were to the Sikh his legal prey. Lahore was 
taken a second time by Ahmad Shah in his third incursion in 1752 A. D. 
In this period of change the Sikhs prospered and increased in numbers. 
The fourth invasion of the Abdalli took place in 1755-0, Prince Tai- 
min was then made governor of Lahore. He drove the Sikhs out of Amrit¬ 
sar and destroyed the stronghold they had erected. But in his turn he 
was so harassed by the Sikhs that he was obliged to retire to Multan, and 
the Sikhs occupied for a short time Lahore and Amritsar. It was during 
this temporary occupation of Lahore that the first Sikh rupee is said to 
have been struck by Jassa Singh Kullal, the Sikh leader. It had on it 
the following inscription in Persian :— 
J2R La. 
♦ V 
