[2][4][3][5][12][13] In 1758, Sikh Misls, Adina Beg and the Marathas, conquered Lahore and captured Afghan soldiers who were responsible for filling the Amritsar Sarovar with debris a few months earlier.

Ahmed Shah Abdali returned from Delhi in March 1761 after defeating Marathas in Third Battle of Panipat with much gold and more than 22,000 girls as prisoners who were to be sold to the Afghans in Kabul.

[19] When Ahmad Shah Durrani returned for his sixth campaign of conquest (his fifth being in 1759–1761), Sikh fighters were residing in the town of Jandiala, 18 kilometres (11 mi) east of Amritsar.

The place was the home of Aqil, the head of the Nirinjania sect, a friend of the Afghans, and an inveterate enemy of the Sikhs.

[11] The Sikh fighters had retreated with the view of taking their families to safety in the Haryana desert east of their location before returning to confront the Afghan invaders.

When the Afghan leader came to know of the whereabouts of the Sikhs he sent word ahead to his allies in Malerkotla and Sirhind to stop their advance.

Durrani then in less than 48 hours set about on a rapid march, covering the distance of 240 kilometres (150 mi) and including two river crossings.

Then they would make their way to the desert in the south-west by the town of Barnala, where they expected their ally Ala Singh of Patiala to come to their rescue.

[20] Several Durrani fighters were killed by the Sikhs while trying to protect the cordon where Qasim Khan fled the battle with his troops to Malerkotla.

"[11] More than once, the troops of the Afghan invader broke the cordon and mercilessly butchered the women, children and elderly inside, but each time the Sikh warriors regrouped and managed to push back the attackers.