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GUJRAT (32°34`N, 7405`E). a district town in Pakistan, is sacred to Guru Hargobind, who stayed here for some time on his way back from Kashmir in 1620. Here he was met by the famous Muslim divine Shah Daula, well known to a local Sikh, Bhai Garhia, who also served as a masand in Kashmir preaching Guru Nanak`s word.
AFGHAN SIKH RELATIONS spanning the years 1748 to 1849 go back to the first invasion of India by Ahmad Shah Durrani, although he must have heard of the Sikhs when in 1739 he accompanied Nadir Shah, the Iranian invader, as a young staff officer. Having occupied Lahore after a minor engagement fought on 11 January 1748 during his first invasion of India, Ahmad Shah advanced towards Sirhind to meet a Mughal army which he was informed was advancing from Delhi to oppose him. On the way he had two slight skirmishes at Sarai Nur Din and at the Vairoval ferry, both in present day Amritsar district, with a Sikh jatha or fighting band under Jassa Singh Ahluvalia.
AHMAD SHAH DURRANI (1722-1772), the first of the Saddozai rulers of Afghanistan and founder of the Durrani empire, belonged to the Saddozai section of the Popalzai clan of the Abdali tribe of Afghans. In the 18th century the Abdalis were to be found chiefly around Herat. Under their leader Zaman Khan, father of Ahmad Khan. they resisted Persian attempts to take Herat until, in 1728, they were forced to submit to Nadir Shah. Recognizing the fighting qualities of the Abdalis, Nadir Shah enlisted them in his army.
CAMPBELL, WILLIAM (d. 1866), a Scotsman, who came to Lahore in September 1828 and was employed in the Sikh cavalry and given command of a regiment of 1200 horse. He soon gained the favour of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, but was dismissed from the service in August 1829 on a charge of misbehaviour towards a woman, and sent across the River Sutlej under an escort. Later, he served the Afghan rulers. He died in Kabul in 1866.
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