The Budha Dal numbering about 60,000 under the leadership of Jat sikh Chiefs Nawab Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and Baghel Singh Dhaliwal marched towards Delhi in February, 1783. At this time the whole northern India was in the grip of one of the severest famines called Chalisa. They commenced their depredations at Ghaziabad, 20 kms south of Delhi.This place was thoroughly plundered. Bulandshahar, 50 kms from Delhi,was attacked next. Khurja, 33 kms farther south, a famous market for grain and ghi, was completely sacked. Gian Singh’ writes: “When the Sikhs entered this town,the people fled away. The Sikhs caught the rich men of the place, tied them to pillars and by severely beating them compelled them to disclose the places of their hidden treasures. When the Sikhs had looted the town, Baghel Singh and Jassa Singh spread a cloth, and asked the chiefs to give away one tenth of their booty in cash for the service of the Guru. The sum collected amounted to one lakh of rupees. The money was spent on Hari Mandar at Amritsar.” Now they advanced farther south. Aligarh 126 kms from Delhi, Hathras 156 kms, Tundla 204 kms, Shikohabad 241 kms, were all looted. Farrukhabad 107 kms from Shikohabad was reached in adash. The palace of the Nawab was ransacked. The town was given over to pillage. Large quantities of gold, ornaments,diamonds,pearls, including the Nawab’s golden huqga and a stick studded with diamonds fell into Baghel Singh’s hands.
References :-
- History of Sikhs -Vol. IV ,The Sikh Commonwealth or Rise and Fall of Sikh Misls By Hari ram gupta.
- panthprakash, p.912