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HISTORY 27
prosperity, only disturbed by the rebellion of the Mirzas, who were
defeated at Talamba in 1573, and by the flight of Dara Shikoh through
the province. The town became the head-quarters of a Subah covering
the whole of the South-West Punjab and at times including Sind. Even
when the Mughal power began to wane Multan no longer felt the first
shock of invasion, the route through Multan and Bhatinda being now
too dry to give passage to an army. In 1748 a battle was fought near
Multan between Kaura Mal, deputy of Mir Mannu, the governor of
the Punjab, and Shahnawaz, who had received a grant of the province
from the late emperor Muhammad Shah. Kaura Mal was victorious,
but fell later fighting against Ahmad Shah Durrani. Multan in
1752 became a province of the kings of Kabul, ruled for the most
part by Pathan governors, chiefly Sadozais, who ultimately founded
a virtually independent kingdom. Their rule, however, extended over
only half the present District, the southern portion being under the
Nawabs of Bahawalpur. The Marathas overran the province in 1758,
but the chief feature of this period was the continual warfare with the
Sikhs. From 1771-9 the Bhangi confederacy held the north and
centre of the District, but they were expelled by Timur Shah, and from
1779 to I8T8 Nawab Muzaffar Khan Sadozai was in power in Multan.
His relations with the Bahawalpur State were strained, and he had to
face unassisted the repeated onslaughts of the Sikhs, which culminated
in the capture and sack of Multan by Ranjlt Singh in 1818.
After passing through the hands of two or three Sikh governors,
Multan was in 1821 made over to the famous Dlwan Sawan Mai. The
whole country had almost assumed the aspect of a desert from frequent
warfare and spoliation; but Sawan Mai induced new inhabitants to
settle in his province, excavated numerous canals, favoured commerce,
and restored prosperity to the desolated tract. After the death of
Ranjit Singh, however, quarrels took place between Sawan Mal and
Raja Gulab Singh ; and in 1844 the former was fatally shot in the
breast by a soldier. His son Mulraj succeeded to his governorship,
and also to his quarrel with the authorities at Lahore, till their constant
exactions induced him to tender his resignation. After the establishment
of the Council of Regency at Lahore, as one of the results of the
first Sikh War, difficulties arose between Diwan Mulraj and the British
officials, which culminated in the murder of two British officers, and
finally led to the Multan rebellion. That episode, together with the
second Sikh War, belongs rather to imperial than to local history. It
ended in the capture of Multan and the annexation of the whole of the
Punjab by the British. The city offered a resolute defence, but, being
stormed on January 2, 1849, fell after severe fighting; and though the
fort held out for a short time longer, it was surrendered at discretion
by Mulraj on January 22. Mulraj was put upon his trial for the
VOL. XVIII, C