Conquest of country from Lahore to Attock by Sardar Gujjar Singh Bhangi - took twelve years.

 The country between rivers Jhelum and the Indus was full of ravines, and it was an arid area.

Between Rohtas and Rawalpindi, a distance of about 100kms Jherar, Jagatpur, Perwala and Pakoke Sarae were the strongholds of the Gakhars, a hardy and numerous tribe of great valour. Sultan Mukarram Khan of Perwala, Karmullah Khan of Dhani, and Mansur Khan of Gheb submitted to Gujar Singh.

The districts of Dhani and Gheb were famous for a fine breed of horses and mules. It enabled Gujar Singh to equip his army better.

Pothohar also fell to Gujar Singh. It consisted of two parganahs, Wangli and Perwala. Wangli contained eight tappas with its headquarters at Karla Town.

In addition to Gakhars, there were other tribes such as Awans, Dhunds and Gulers. They were widely scattered. But their thickest population was in the districts of Jhelum and Rawalpindi.

In Jhelum district they occupied the tracts of Awan Kari lying across river Gabir. They occupied a strong position in Rawalpindi district. The Awan strongholds in Rawalpindi districts were at Chihan, Jand Bugdial and Sarwala. An Awan clan known as Guleras, notorious for marauding activities, lived to the north of Rawalpindi. The Dhund tribe, a lawless and refractory people, inhabited the hilly region to the north of Rawalpindi between Hazara and Murree. Their citadels were at Dewal, Kahuta and Murree. It was with such people that Gujar Singh had to deal with.

Rawalpindi in those days was an insignificant place. It consisted of a few huts of Rawal Hindu mendicants, but Gujar Singh realised the strategic importance of the place being situated at the junction of two highways from Kabul to Lahore and from Kabul to Kashmir.

Gujar Singh along with his son Sahib Singh captured Rawalpindi in the winter of 1767.

Gujar Singh gave charge of Rawalpindi to Milkha Singh Thepuria (who Maharaja Ranjit Singh later held in high regard and called “Baba”). In fact, Maharaja Ranjit Singh also held Gujjar Singh in such high esteem that his court historian Sohan Lal Puri records that Ranjit said he “was blessed to be one-eyed” like the great Gujjar Singh Bhangi!

Gujar Singh proceeded further to Hasan Abdal, 46 kms from Rawalpindi, and entrusted it to Kala Singh Bhangi - Kala Singh established his seat at Kali Sarae though later it was known as Kala Sarae after him.

Gujar Singh went ahead to Attock 53 kms from Hasan Abdal, assigned the area between Hasan Abdal and Attock to a Brahman named Ran Singh Pada. His headquarters was also at Kali Sarae.

Both Milkha Singh and Ran Singh had to work as a joint team, with Milkha Singh’s wife exercising supervision over them to suppress local rebellions between Rawalpindi and Attock.

Tappa Tarali and Qila Rotala were given to Chait Singh brother of Gujar Singh.

Kalra and Pothohar were assigned to Jodh Singh Atariwala (of the later famous Sidhu Sardars of village Attari who produced Sardar Sham Singh Atariwala, Raja Chatur Singh Atariwala and Raja Sher Singh Atariwala).

Attock

Between Rawalpindi and Attock there was Margalla Pass. It separated KiWichitta and Khairimurat hills. At Attock there was not a single tree on the plain. It was as level as a sheet of water. The town was situated inside the fort. It lay on the spur of a hill sloping towards the river Indus. Hence its inside was visible from the western bank of the river. The mud fort of Khairabad situated on the other bank of the Indus opposite Attock commanded the full view of the fort of Attock. The western side of the fort was washed by the Indus.

The fort was a triangle in shape, and its other two sides were surrounded by two ravines. Each side of the hill of-Attock was about 3 kms long. There was no well inside the fort. Water was available from the Indus through a passage called Abduzd. The river washed the hills on two sides. The current of water in the Indus at Attock was about 80 metres wide, being the narrowest in the plains, and 20 metres deep. In 1800 the water rose to a depth of 23 metres.

Alushakhsa jagirs

The subjugation of the warlike tribes in the north-western Panjab

was effected by Gujar Singh Bhangi in about twelve years. The Awans, Dalals, Gakhars, Ghebas, Guleras, Janjuas, Jodras, Khatars, Runials and Tarkhelis of the Jehlam and Rawalpind districts and theSalt Range, aLl gave way before him. In this difficult task he wasassisted by Charat Singh Sukarchakia. By 1770 the Gakhars werecompletely subdued.

Source : Dr Hari Ram Gupta’s History of the Sikhs.