Yes. Chattahs of Gujranwala also allied with Afghans in 1797 against sikhs.
BY LEPEL H. GRIFFIN
Nur Muhammad was bom in 1704. When he grew up his friendship was sought by Raja Banjit Deo of Jammu and by the chiefs of Multan, for the Chattahs had now grown powerful and Nur Muhammad was their acknowledged chief. When Nur Muhammad ^^97 old^ Ahmad KAan^ his younger son, a brave and skilful soldier led the Chattahs to battle. The great enemies of the tribe were the Sukarchakia chiefs of Gujranwala, who were ever striving to extend their possessions. In the time of Sardar Charrat Singh the Chattahs held their own, and Ahmad Khan, in 1765^ captured the celebrated Bhangi gun which Charrat Singh had placed in Gujranwala.
Soon after this Ahmad Khan and his brother Pir Muhammad quarreled, and fought for some time with varying success and among the killed were Bahram Khan and Kadar Baksh sons of Ahmad Khan^ and Fatah Muhammad his nephew. At last Pir Muhammad sought help from Gujar Singh and Sahib Singh Bhangi who invited Ahmad Khan to a conferencei captured him and shut him up without water till he agreed to resign the great gun which was carried to the fort of Gujrat.
Mir Manuj the viceroy of Ahmad Shah Duranii laid siege to the fort of Manchar for some months without success^ but when the Emperor himself invaded the Panjab, he seems to have treated
the Chattah chiefs with consideration and to have confirmed them in their possessions. Sirdar Charrat Singh, the Chattah enemy died in 1774^ closely followed by Nur Muhammad and his son Pir Muhammad.
The towns founded in the Gujranwala district by these chiefs are neither few nor unimportant. Among those founded by Nur Muhammad were Ahmadnagar, Ghadhi Gul Muhammad and Rasul-
nagar, renamed by the Sikhs Ramnagar^ while Pir Muhammad built three difibrent forts called after his own name, also Kot Mian Khan^ Alipur, renamed by the Sikhs Akalghar, Naiwala^ Kot Salim^ Kot Ali
Muhammad and Fatahpur. Ghulam Muhammad^ who succeeded to the estate succeeded also to the hatred of the Sukarchakias.
Both Sirdar Mahan Singh son of Charrat Singh and Ghulam Mukammad were able
and brave men^ and it was clear that peace could only result from the death of one or the other. For a long time the advantage lay with the Chattahs and Mahan Singh was defeated on several occasions. Once he
besieged Jhokian, held by Mian Khan, uncle of Ghulam Muhammad^ who came down in haste to reUeve it. After some hard fighting, peace was agreed upon, but in an unguarded moment the treacherous Sikh seized
Mian Khan carried him off prisoner and blew him from a gun.
At length, in 1790, Mahan Singh, having become very powerful, assembled his forces and besieged Manchar. The siege lasted for more than six months, and the Sikhs lost a large number of men. The young Ranjlt Singh himself was in great danger, for Hanhmat Khan uncle of Ghulam Muhammad^ charged bis escort with a few sowars and climbing upon bis elephant, was about to kill the child, when he was stiack down by the attendants. Ghulam Muhammad seeing that he could no longer hold the fort, offered to surrender if he were allowed to leave for Mecca in safety. This Mahan Singh promised solemnly, but he had hardly sworn his truth, than one of his men, by his orders or with his connivance, shot the brave Chattah chief through the head. Mahan Singh then gave up Manchar to plunder, and seized the greater part of the Chattah territory.
Jan Muhammad son of Ghulam Muhammad escaped to Kabul, from whence he returned in 1797, with Shah Zaman, and by the aid of the Afghans recovered his possessions on the Chenab ; but when his protec-
tor had returned to Afghanistan, Ranjit Singh attacked Rusulnagar, determined to destroy for ever the Chattah power. The besieged made a gallant resistance, but day by day their numbers and their strength
diminished. Unlike the divine twin brothers who fought so well for Bome by Lake Begillus, the Muhammadan saints abandoned their followers, for the story is that the Chattahs asked a famous fakir who
lived at Rasolnagar to aid them. '^ How can I help you,'' wis his reply, *^ when I see the holy ^ Mahbub Subhani, dressed in green, fighting on the side of Ranjit Singh." At length Jan Muhummad was killed by
a cannon shot and the fort surrendered.