Chapter 136: Fall of the Traitors
November 1838 – Jammu Hills
The final phase of the campaign came swiftly.
Nau Nihal Singh's forces had broken through the outer defenses with relentless pressure. The combination of disciplined infantry advances, precise artillery barrages, and targeted raids by mobile units had shattered Dogra morale. Many hill chiefs, seeing the inevitability of defeat and disgusted by the Dogra betrayal, had surrendered or switched sides outright.
The main Dogra stronghold — a fortified complex overlooking the key valley — was now surrounded.
Nau Nihal stood on a forward ridge with Jawahar Singh, studying the enemy positions. "They have nowhere left to run. Offer them one final chance to surrender. If they refuse, we end this today."
Jawahar nodded and gave the signal. A Sikh herald approached under a white flag, delivering Nau Nihal's ultimatum: surrender the traitors and lay down arms, or face total assault with no mercy for the leaders.
The response came quickly — defiant gunfire from the walls.
"So be it," Nau Nihal said coldly. "Attack."
The final assault was decisive.
Sikh infantry advanced in tight European-style formations under covering artillery fire, scaling the heights and clearing defensive positions with bayonets and musket volleys. The one thousand elite revolver cavalry struck from a flanking valley where the terrain allowed, delivering devastating close-range volleys before withdrawing to reload and strike again. The three thousand lancers charged where openings appeared, breaking Dogra lines.
From inside the fort, Raja Dhian Singh Dogra watched his dream collapse. His brothers fought desperately beside him, but the Sikh advance was unstoppable. The moral weight of their crimes — the assassination attempt on the Maharaja and the murder of Prince Kharak Singh — had drained the will of many of their own men.
"Hold!" Dhian Singh shouted, but his voice was drowned out by the roar of battle.
Sikh forces breached the main gate. Hand-to-hand fighting erupted in the courtyards. Jawahar Singh led a company of revolver cavalry through the breach, clearing defenders with rapid fire and saber strikes.
In the chaos, Raja Dhian Singh Dogra and two of his brothers were cornered. They fought fiercely, but were overwhelmed. Dhian Singh was captured alive, wounded and furious, while his brothers fell in the fighting.
By sunset, the stronghold was secured.
Nau Nihal Singh entered the captured fort on foot, surrounded by his guards. The sight of the Dogra leaders in chains brought a grim satisfaction. He stood before the captured Raja Dhian Singh Dogra, who glared at him with hatred.
"You think this ends anything?" the Dogra spat. "The British will not let you consolidate power here."
Nau Nihal's voice was calm and cold. "The British used you as a tool and abandoned you. Your betrayal cost my father his life. Justice has been served. Jammu and Kashmir will now fall under direct Khalsa control."
Dhian Singh was taken away in chains, along with surviving members of his inner circle. The remaining Dogra forces surrendered or scattered.
News of the victory spread rapidly across the empire.
In Lahore, Maharaja Ranjit Singh received the report with solemn approval. The traitors had been brought to justice. Direct control over Jammu and Kashmir would now begin — though full integration and pacification of the region would take time and careful governance.
Nau Nihal Singh stood on the captured walls as the Khalsa banner was raised high. He thought of his father's final words and the path ahead.
The campaign had succeeded.
The Dogras had been broken.
But the Shadow Blade knew the real work — consolidating control, rooting out remaining resistance, and integrating Jammu and Kashmir fully into the empire — was only beginning.
He looked toward the distant peaks, his expression resolute.
The Khalsa had delivered justice.
Now it would build strength from victory.