Khán's turn to be angry, and he demanded the restoration of the fort, but Ranjít Singh refused until he should receive his share of the Kashmír plunder. Fateh Khán, in April 1813, set out from Kashmír, leaving his brother, Azím Khán, behind as governor, and invested Attock. A relieving force was hurried up from Lahore, and Mokham Chand was again in chief command. For long the armies lay opposite each other, the Sikhs suffering somewhat in the frequent skirmishes and afraid to force a general engagement, till the garrison of the fort had exhausted its supplies, and it was necessary to relieve it or abandon it altogether. The Diwán then determined on fighting, and at Haidaru, a few miles from Attock, he drew up his force in order of battle.
It was opened by a brilliant cavalry charge led by Dost Muhammad Khán, afterwards the celebrated ruler of Kábul, which broke the Sikh line. One Sikh wing was thrown into complete disorder, and lost some guns. The Afgháns, thinking the victory won, dispersed to plunder, when the Diwán led up his reserves in person and drove back the enemy at all points with great loss. Fateh Khán had already fled, believing Dost Muhammad to be slain, and the Afghán army retired upon Kábul, whence the Wazír led an expedition against Herát to endeavour to recover the reputation he had lost before Attock. This action of Haidaru was fought on the 13th July, 1813, and was the first time that the Mahárájá had met the Afgháns in a pitched battle. It had important and
