The Great Rescue
In April 1761, Abdali was returning triumphant having destroyed Maratha power at the third battle of Panipat. His booty included 22,000 Hindu women being taken to Afghanistan to be sold into slavery. On the way they were to be used by the Afghan soldiers to satisfy their lust.
So far, the Sikhs had watched this theater from a distance by not taking any sides in this battle. The Sikhs were at Sarbat Khalksa, their bi-annual meeting at Amritsar when the relatives of the women pleaded for help. They heard of the slaughter of innocent, rapes of women, and capture of more than twenty thousands Maratha women by the afghans. They heard of the fate of their country's daughters being driven away as Abdali's bounty. Their ire was aroused. All the Khalsa Misls got together and passed a resolution that Abdali is taking Indian women as slaves to his country after plundering the city of Panipat and they will free all the slaves.
SikhMisls (106K)
Sikh Misls attacking Ahmad Shah Abdali's Army
Organizing themselves in small bands, the Sikhs decided to attack the rear of Abdali's army carrying the Indian women as captives. Jassa Singh led the a volunteer force and caught up with the Afghans at the River Sutlej at Goindwal. The Afghans were dismayed at the swiftness and ferocity of Sikh attack. Before they could gather themselves to counter the attack, the Sikhs rescued the Maratha women and carried away much of Abdali's booty.
The Sikhs rescued many Maratha women who were being carried off to Afghanistan as slaves. Many widows were not accepted back by their families and instead married Sikh soldiers.
Jassa-Singh-Ramgarhia (1055K)
Sardar Jassa Singh of Ahluwalia Misl
This action of Sikh Misls required great audacity, swift and faultless execution and a complete indifference to danger. Jassa Singh became a household name in north India for his heroics and was appointed as the "Jathedar" of all Misls at the next Sarbat Khalsa.
Abdali reached the safety of Kabul with a bruised ego and a broken nose. He had to wear a silver mask for the rest of his life to cover his severed nose. He came back to Punjab to avenge this humiliation and massacred thousands of Sikhs and destroyed Harmander Sahib, Amritsar. Sikhs rose again and liberated the Harmander Sahib, hounding Abdali back to his rat hole in Afghanistan.