Page:The Sikhs (Gordon).djvu/111

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SARDAR RANJIT SINGH.
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was looked on as riches. He joined a misl at the time of the first Afghan invasion in 1748, which by plundering the baggage and stragglers of the army secured much booty for its members. A wound in action led to his death in 1752, when his son Charat Singh, grandfather of Ranjit Singh, succeeded to his patrimony of three ploughs and a well, representing about thirty acres of land. He separated himself from the misl his father had joined, formed an independent band of 150 horsemen, and became a noted freebooter and guerilla leader during the stormy times of the repeated Afghan invasions. He took forcible possession of some villages, united with another successful leader like himself, and formed a misl, of which he became the active chief, calling it after the name of his native village. He next captured a town held by the Government troops, killed the commander, and carried away much plunder and munitions of war, then built a fort as his stronghold, which was attacked by the

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