Juniper Publishers-Famous Governors of Multan Under the Sikh Regime in Punjab
Juniper Publishers- Open Access Journal of Social Sciences & Management studies
Introduction
The land of Multan has been remained the target of
insurgent activities of the foreign invaders and dictators. These
foreign forces not only exploited its brave, hardworking, fearless and
dauntless people but also divided it into pieces. They attracted the
local people with the lust for earning and enrolled them in the army
because their sole aim was to prepare them for fight against their
accused enemies. These foreigners belonged to different religions,
civilizations and geographical tracts. Multan has also enjoyed the
Muslims rule for three centuries. During this period, it maintained its
social, political and religious position till 1707. Multan was a vital
province which was vanquished by Ranjit Singh in 1818. He, till the
permanent governor of Multan, ordered to Misr Diwan Chand to stay here
for proper arrangements. At that time, its condition was far behind from
attractive [1]. Individuals of the city had been lustfully plundered by
the Sikh soldiery. The agriculturists had surrendered the fields and
the populace had betrayed the town. The silk makers and weavers had
stopped their activities and the trade was at a halt [2]. During the
Sikh period, the Muslims had to face tyranny and injustice. From 1818 to
1821, many changes occurred in the history of Multan and six Nazim
(governors) were appointed in which Sukhdayal was the first [3].
Statement of the Problem
After the death of Aurangzeb Alamgir, the Mughal
Empire began to scatter. At last Ahmad Shah Abdali conquered Multan in
1752. In 1766, the Sikhs and the Afghans fought many battles but the
most important and decisive adventure occurred in 1818. During this
battle, Ranjit Singh conquered Multan and killed Muzaffar Khan, the
governor of Multan, and succeeded in establishing the Sikh Raj here. The
Sikhs, in such a way, looted, killed the masses and destroyed Multan
that history will not face such kind of destruction and catastrophe. The
political circumstance also stayed extremely melted and geo-political
changes frequently occurred so that no unfaltering predominant
proprietorship was made. Different Muslim feudal chiefs were staunch
supporters of the Sikhs, yet this was not satisfactory to protect their
control in the Punjab. During his regime in Multan, he appointed many
Governors (Nazims) one after the other but no one, in prestige and
reputation, could reach to Sawan Mal. After having been appointed the
Governor of Multan, he reconstructed Multan and attended towards his
subjects. So, keeping all these occasions, conditions and essentialness
of this period as a primary concern, I decided to conduct a research
entitled with “Famous Governors of Multan under the Sikh Regime in
Punjab”
Hypothesis/Research Questions
a) Personalities exist but it is conceptualized in collective terms. Is it true?
b) Can a system of check and balance serve as a check on popular political passions?
Significance of The Study
The first half of the nineteenth century was a time of radical
changes in the Punjab, especially in Multan, which was dominated
by the Sikhs. During proposed period, the Muslim rule was on
the verge of closure and the new Sikh rulers were attempting to
obtain the entire Subcontinent. The present work related to the
politico-economic lifestyle of the general population of Multan and
the governmental system from 1821 to 1843. Its main aim is to
examine the role of invaders of Multan in promoting or demoting
Sikh rule and development and is to highlight the origin and role
of Ranjit Singh in history of Multan. This period is momentous
in the historical backdrop of Multan because it was the time
of decay of the Mughal-Afghan reign and the rise of the Sikhs.
They rose as autonomous rulers of the Punjab, including Lahore,
Multan, Peshawar and Kashmir, by dint of their own arms and
forecasted to build up a jurisdiction under Ranjit Singh. Multan
stayed under Muslim power for about eight centuries, however,
disappointingly, no steady and secured control could build up here
and the populace, remained destitute, offensive and backward in
perspective of socio-political and financial conditions.
Literature Review
After the fold of the Mughal Empire, the bigger part of the
Punjab was again attached to the Sikh kingdom. This work has a
multidimensional structure in which local history, the attitude of
trespassers towards people of Multan, traditions and its reaction
has been covered. History of the Sikh rule in Multan indicates
its hostility and, a long time ago, settled custom of communal
bitterness. Local historians have also observed all the disparities
and profound religious resentment in pre-colonial Punjab. For
instance, the general population of Multan can be seen in the
shape of three groups: the Muslims, the Hindus and the Sikhs, yet
there was not a single parameter in native historian’s works by
which we could separate the general population of Multan into
social gatherings. The criteria, they utilized, ranged from sectarian
belief, religion, occupation and tribe.
Other than this, the formation of local identity draws out the
design of regional contrasts. Local history is productive for local
studies. It, more extensively, highlights the regional conditions as
well as present angle of dream to look at challenging situations.
Furthermore, the regional history, when a locality has more
extensive part to play in its geographic situation, becomes
significant to understand general histories. Sukhdayal was the
first governor of Multan. According to Kohli (1971), he was a vital
Hindu of Ranjit Singh’s court and he, as a Nazim of Multan, got
salary of 36000 rupees per annum [4-7]. He participated in the
initial campaign of Attock in 1812 and captured it in 1813 which
proved a gateway towards the territories of the North-West [8].
At that time, it was under the control of Jahandad Khan who was
the brother of Ata Muhammad Khan and the Governor of Kashmir
[9,10]. Ranjit Singh concentrated on its key preference and
persuaded that he did not check and tide the trespassers unless
he would conquer it.
After the victory of Kashmir, Jahandad Khan felt that the ball
is in his court, so he met Ranjit Singh and consented to surrender
the citadel on the condition that he would be given legitimate help
to expel Wazir Fateh Khan from the fort. (Murray, 1846) Ranjit
Singh quickly offered him the Pargna of Wazirabad as a Jagir and
dispatched his armed forces under the headship of Fakir Aziz-ud-
Din, Bhawani Das, Mit Singh and Sukhdayal to assume charge of
the Attock Fort [11,12].
In 1817, Jhang had also granted him at the cost of 400000
rupees and then it was raised to 410000 in 1821 [13]. On June 02,
1818, Multan was apprehended, and a huge plunder fell to the Sikh
troops. Sukhdayal repaired fortress by financing of 3000 rupees
daily [7]. He attained the Ijara of the Sairat for thirteen lac rupees.
Under the Sikhs, the Ijardari framework was not limited to the
lands. Truly, taxes or Sairat other than the land revenue were also
given in Ijara to imperative and liable authorities of the State [7].
However, in Kashmir and Multan, Ijara could be substitute with
direct accumulation. The magnitude of revenue, gathered through
Ijara, seemed to have been significant. In many areas, the quantity
of the Ijara was close to the quantity of the revenue on behalf of
the Government. The Ijaradar was given a little edge to meet the
costs, regarding the collection, to get his share of benefit. Yet, the
Mushakhasa was also enforced in the light of records of collections.
If the income of a specific region expanded, the revenue of Ijara
was raised too. Before giving a region in Ijara, the Maharaja got
the right data with respect to the wage from the revenue of that
region. By commenting on Sukhdayal, the Maharaja mentioned
that he was an extremely valour and brave man, so he, for his
preservation, granted him a home of 10000 rupees [11,12]. As I
described that he received 36000 rupees per annum, yet he could
not gather revenue competently and the Maharaja detached him
on the charges of misuse of State duties in September 1819 [14].
The Suba was then handed over to Sham Singh for a yearly sum of
650000 rupees.
The second governor of Multan was Sham Singh. During the
Sikh Kingdom, mostly Ijaradars related to the Government and
Sham Singh Peshawaria as well as Diwan Sawan Mal were also
regarded as colossal Ijaradars. The Zamindars could submit
grievances against the Ijaradars before the Maharaja. Furthermore,
the Ijaradars could protest the imperiousness of the high-ups
of the Government officials and their cultivators [12]. Similarly,
when Diwan Kirpa Ram, Nazim of Kashmir, could not pay revenue
to the Maharaja, Sham Singh, the Jamadar of Dewhri, was sent to
confiscate his property at Kunjah. Sham Singh, with the help Nazar
Ali, governed at Multan harshly. Sham Sigh also could not deal with
Multan properly and failed to submit fixed revenue. Other than
this, the officials poisoned the Maharaja’s mind by telling him that
he would make upheaval and never come to meet the Maharaja
[10].
Therefore, the Maharaja sent instructions recurrently
to visit
him. At last, the Maharaja reached Multan through Chaniot and
stayed here for three months [14]. But, when he reached Lahore,
the Diwan was instructed to pay the pending revenues along with the
fine. He was not able to pay this and thus he was removed from
the governorship and then detained him. The Toshahkhana of the
Diwan was apprehended too. However, on hearing the news of his
disrepute, the people of Multan enjoyed the celebrations. Owing
to his pitiless despot, it was justified to punish him even for the
minimum offensive [15].
The third personality, who governed in Multan as a governor,
was Bhai Badan Hazari. After Sham Singh’s removal, the Maharaja
appointed Badan Hazari as the next governor of Multan. In 1820,
Sawan Mal joined him as the head of the record office at a wage
of 250 rupees per month. Badan Hazari attempted his best to set
right the finance of Multan which was in perplexity. Due to some
reasons, Badan Hazari and Sawan Mal quarreled with one another.
As a result, Sawan Mal was made the chief of Shujabad in 1820.
Badan Hazari also could not handle Multan and failed to
submit settled revenue. After a brief time, he was also dismissed
and imprisoned [14]. Gilani cites Major Edward’s book in these
words: He is alive and healthy and working as Darogha of
Magazine in Lucky Marwat at salary of one rupee per day. He never
saw such kind of unreal and rascal person in his life. It is believed
that he has been granted the governorship of Multan merely as
a joke because he had not a little sense of politics and clout. He
is neither educated nor valour. After him, Mehta Mal Shikarporia,
Jamadar Baj Singh and Siva Mal were appointed as governors of
Multan for a brief period. Yet, their enough record in history of
Multan was not found because they had been appointed for a very
short period.
They also could not run the Suba in proper manner and were
removed from the governorship [3]. Sawan Mal stands sixth in
number as governor of Multan. From 1818 to 1821, above six
governors could neither maintain law and order situation nor as
good management in Multan. Besides this, they could not gather
revenue proficiently, so the Maharaja evacuated and detained them.
At last in 1821, he appointed Sawan Mal as the governor of Multan
who had already pulled in the consideration of the Maharaja [7].
Great may thy name be, Lala Sawan Mal Thou last repopulated a
ruined country [4]. Sawan Mal was a Khatri of Chopra sub-caste
from Akalgarh in Gujranwala region [16,17]. He was born in 1788
[18-22]. His father, Hoshnak Rai, was an employee of Sardar Dal
Singh of Akalgarh [23]. Hoshnak Rai had three sons and Sawan
Mal was the youngest one. Sawan Mal started his profession in the
office of his elder brother Nanak Chand who worked with Diwan
Mohkam Chand. In 1820, he participated as the head of the record
office under Governor Bhai Badan Hazari at a monthly payment of
250 rupees [21].
In a brief time, he set right the record of Multan which was
in a practically inseparable misperception. As a decent scholar of
Persian and Arabic, he won the gratitude of the Maharaja for his
Insight and secretarial aptitudes and rapidly rose to sophisticated
positions. Truly in 1821, another period unfolded when Sawan
Mal was designated as Kardar of the half area of Multan. Besides
this, Shujabad was also handed over to him. Within two years,
the income of this Ilaqa expanded by 50% and the Maharaja gave
him Multan in Ijara too [24]. In 1829, he was made the Nazim of
the entire province and held this office till 1844 [25-28]. Besides
this, different Ilaqas were added to the Diwan’s agreement until
he held most of the regions which fell under the Governorship of
Multan. These were Montgomery, Jhang, Dera Ismail Khan as well
as and Dera Ghazi Khan and Muzaffargarh. In December 1832, he
was awarded the title of Diwan by the Maharaja. He worked as a
Kardar in the Pargna Ram Nagar and Hafiz Abad too [29]. During a
brief period, he changed the entire appearance of the province by
introducing unique and innovative reforms.
He regulated equity with solid and unbiased efforts. He
dedicated his entire energies to the betterment of his charge and
its restoration from the rot into which it had collapsed owing to
the battles and uproars of the late years. His impartiality was
eminent for his justice. He was an extremely thoughtful and
generous administrator. Ranjit Singh was constantly satisfied with
his services to the general population [23]. Amid his life time,
Sawan Mal had allotted the supervision of some of the domains of
Multan to his two sons. Mulraj, the eldest son, ruled Shujabad and
Jhang while Karam Narain was made the chief of Leiah. During the
sovereignty of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, he expanded his force step
by step, yet he never got to be revolted. He was minimal irritated;
however, he paid his compliment with such consistency that there
was no reason for protest [30]. Diwan Sawan Mal was the arc
adversary of the Dogra brothers who had deep impact on Ranjit
Singh.
After Ranjit Singh’s demise, the Dogra brothers endeavored to
devastate him, yet they could not be fruitful in their goal. Amid the
reign of Kharak Singh, Sawan Mal was instructed to build a fortress
at Mithan-Kot [20]. In Multan, he, with a sight to inspire trade by
the way of river, instructed to construct a Gunj at Adam Wahin.
He, for incitement of the traders, reduced the domestic duty of
Merchandize one half. As a result, a few of the most dominant
traders of Multan had set up a branch of their business. During his
regime, a solitary intruder did not occur in Multan. It was a great
achievement of his regime [31-36]. During Nau Nihal Singh’s era,
the Dogras became so influential that they suggested the Maharaja
to call Sawan Mal at Lahore Durbar to submit the records of fifty
lakhs rupees. In September 1840, he was called, yet he failed to
comply. (Foreign Department, Secrte Consultation, October 20,
1840) It was decided to send the troops against him, yet, due to
his shrewdness, he succeeded in scrutiny of his records. For this
purpose, he paid 100000 rupees to Ram Singh and Gobind Ram,
50000 rupees to Raja Dhian Singh and Hira Singh, 25000 rupees to
Diwan Dina Nath, 25000 rupees to Sardar Fateh Singh Mann and
100000 rupees to Rani Chand Kaur. After this friendly agreement,
he came back to Multan. In March 1841, when Maharaja Sher Singh
had recently got the incomparable power, Dhian Singh attempted
to poison the Maharaja’s brain against him. The Maharaja engaged
both Sawan Mal and Dhian Singh to increase new entities with
which to substitute a portion of the stormy Khalsa soldiery [37].
Diwan Sawan Mal, with the genuine object of shielding himself against Dhian Singh, started to increase the Muhammadan troops.
On the other hand, Raja Dhian Singh was not less dynamic. He, to
overpower Sawan Mal and to defend Jammu, was preparing his
new troops against the British and the Sikhs.
On December 16, 1841, the Raja insisted the Maharaja to expel
Sawan Mal from Multan, yet the Maharaja replied him to keep quiet
until the landing of Raja Gulab Singh and Kanwar Partap Singh
at Lahore [37]. On April 23, 1842, Diwan revealed that he had
represented the whole province of Multan for a long time and now
he was demanded an explanation due to the deceptions of some
intrigued individuals. He expressed his availability and pleaded
the Maharaja not to listen his adversaries. Devi Ditta, Sawan Mal’s
nephew, was instructed to ask his uncle to submit the accounts and
not to suspend it. The Mazari tribe, due to the inconvenience of the
Sikh governors, began to loot Rojhan in January 1842. However,
Sawan Mal marched against them and constrained to retreat.
Like the Dogras, Gurmukh Singh was not harmonious to Sawan
Mal because he had affectionate terms with Bhai Gobind Ram and
Bhai Ram Singh. Gurmukh Singh was not happy with them since
Ranjit’s era. This situation perplexed Sawan Mal and thus he, from
dawn to dusk, engaged in assembling his own actions with both
Bhais and the Sandhawalias. On April 26, 1842, reports at Ludhiana
expounded the correspondence between Bhais and Sawan Mal. On
this Raja Dhian Singh watched that the Maharaja’s employees were
exceptionally treacherous. But, after the assassination of Dhian
Singh, the Diwan freed from his cleverest foes because Gulab Singh
was also feeling threat to the Diwan [32]. Pundit Jalla decimated
Raja Gulab Singh with the help of the Sikh armed forces and then
planned to annihilate Diwan Sawan Mal but he was killed by the
troops in December 1844 [38].
After that, Sawan Mal began to interact with the British. It is
noteworthy that he achieved some auspicious chances to divert
his faithfulness to Lahore Durbar and announce his freedom, yet
he did not do so because he had consumed so much cash and
worked at Multan. In 1844, three regiments of mounted troops
and forty-six little and enormous guns under his charge [39].
Sawan Mal had an appalling end. On September 16, 1844, when he
was riding near the historical prison in the city, an Afghan grabbed
a gun from one of his Guards and fired at him [14]. He tumbled
from his horse and had quickly dispatched him to his dwelling in
a state of obliviousness. In the morning, he slightly recouped and
gave expansive sums in philanthropy and instructed that the man
who sacked at him ought to be killed. Yet, because of that injury,
he expired on September 29, 1844 [40]. In this way, deceased the
shrewdest and best of every Sikh governor.
Edwards has narrated an alternate event of his demise in
these words: Murderer was a soldier who had worked devotedly
for a long time. He came to Durbar to request against his wage
and expulsion. Sawan Mal not only negated his demands but also
affected him with his uncovered sword. He instructed him to go
out from Durbar. So, the warrior, in retaliation for the critical
abuse, shot him [41]. He was a shrewdness, sincere and a tolerant
man [42]. He left a huge entirety of seventy lakhs rupees which
had been accumulated during twenty-three years of blameless
governorship. His inheritance was partitioned among his six sons.
At the stage of his demise, he was almost fifty-six years old.
He sustained his work in the office till his final gasp. He was
a man of incredible vigor and capacity and the richness of the
region is mainly inferable from his management [43]. He was
the most imperative administrator who presented imaginative
modifications in Multan and granted an incredible distinction to
the Sikh Kingdom. In the provincial management, his commitment
was exceptional. He, with respect to diligent work, showed a
gigantic capability and introduced incredible changes [14].
Roseberry quotes Edwards, statement in these words: He served
Sawan Mal for three years and sat before him at Durbar where he
transacted business every day.
During that period, he never heard one foolish word come
out of his mouth [44]. Sawan Mal displayed himself effective and
dynamic in each ground and performed awesome duties in the
arena of judiciary. Throughout his governorship, various masonry
wells were dug up. He made canals in the surroundings of Multan
and gave an incentive force to commerce, business and industry.
He encouraged colonization by giving land and insurance to the
individuals. In this way, he transformed the barren areas into a
developed one. His revenue improvements depended upon the
standards of low excise duties and taxes. Adequate evaluation and
diminishment in additional charges enforced on the cultivations.
These flourishing activities pulled in the consideration of some
renowned Britishers and travellers who came here to pass various
circumstances. In the fight between Sawan Mal and the Dogras,
Ranjit Singh supported the Dogras, yet he neither committed a
revolt nor distorted his influence and vitality [40]. His regime is
still respected by the general population.
They, irrespective with the Muslim, the Sikhs, the Hindus, the
Pathan, the peasant and the labourer, gained something from his
government. A few people say that he had partialities against the
Mohammedans. It is most apparently fallacious. He was fair and
tried his best to provide decent rule to the community [36]. He
should be called one of the best Governors. He could use pen and
sword equally well and it involved extraordinary credit to him
[23]. The last governor of Multan, who governed the province of
Multan, was Diwan Mulraj. Sawan Mal had six sons, one of them
was Mulraj who became his successor. No record was found about
his actual date of birth, yet, evidences proves that he was born
in 1814. Sawan Mal had allotted the supervision of some of the
domains of Multan to his two sons. Mulraj, the eldest son, ruled
Shujabad and Jhang while Karam Narain was made the chief of
Leiah [14]. But after his death, Mulraj was appointed as the Nazim
of Multan.
The conditions for the governorship were that he would pay
definite quantity to the Lahore Durbar annually. These terms and
conditions had been liked by his father who had saved 900000
rupees too [28]. When Mulraj was affirmed as governor, the British raised its yearly tribute from 25000 to 30000 rupees.
(Gilani, 1938) In 1846, he, knowing that Prime Minister Lal Singh
was intense to displace him, admitted all the settings enforced
on him [16]. Afterwards, the British eradicated definite duties in
the province without decreasing that amount of Ijara which was
remunerated by the governor. The purpose of this action was to
destabilize his legal powers so that he could not create typical
collection. These activities of the British Government caused of his
insurgency. Similarly, after the end of first Anglo-Sikh War, Lahore
Durbar claimed him to pay revenue. He refused the compliance, so
the British referred the troops against him. Both met force by force
and he defeated the Lahore troops near Jhang [45]. The British
then interfered and the following treaty was signed [28].
The request of his resignation should be admitted but
this resignation should be retained underground from Lahore
Government. It should take effect from the end of the following
April till the submission of revenue by Mulraj. Two or three
months before his resignation, two British officials should proceed
to Multan and he should pledge the State and ultimately install
its charge. This pact did not gratify him because it restricted him
just for his father’s district. Furthermore, the people, knowing his
irritating transfer and enforcing the eliminated taxes, discontented
with the monetary system on which Sawan Mal had grown
prosperous [46]. In all these circumstances, Mulraj displayed his
failure to pay this tribute and sent his resignation in December
1847.
This resignation was accepted by the British and Lahore
Durbar on March 24, 1848. This resignation produced a power
space in South-Western Punjab and caused violent penalties
for the complete Land of Five Rivers [44]. After this resignation,
Sardar Kahn Singh was nominated the governor and he, along with
Agnew and Anderson, was sent to Multan to assume the charge
[3]. On April 16, 1848, they reached here with 500 horses and
cavalry [14]. On April 19, 1848, when they came to Multan, Agnew
and Anderson were slaughtered and Kahn Singh was detained by
the Sikh fighters [5]. This incident occurred due to the conspiracy
of Mulraj’s brothers because they were desirous of to see him at
the governorship. Mulraj had no idea to rebel, yet this incident
compelled him to do so against the British.
On getting the initial report from Agnew, on April 21, 1848, Sir
Frederick Currie decided to send the troops under the headships of
Dina Nath, Sher Singh Attariwala and Shamsher Singh Sandhawalia
on April 21, 1848. Yet, it was delayed on April 24, 1848. During
this break, Jhanda Singh Butalia was sent to destroy Chattar Singh
Attariwala’s revolt [22]. This mission flopped as previous one too
because Chattar Singh was a strong-minded and upheld by the
Sikhs. It is said that Dina Nath was a double crosser [38]. He did
not care of the measures adopted by the British Government for
rebuffing the traitors. He also did not dread by the seizure of his
Jagirs and balancing the plots of the revolutionary. Yet, amid the
second Anglo-Sikh War, Sahib Dayal stayed loyal to the British
[32,33].
Bhai Maharaj Singh, having an expansive number of warriors,
marched from Majha to Multan to join the rebellious Mulraj in
June 1848. Yet, Sahib Dayal assaulted and scattered his armed
forces [22]. In November 1848, he was chosen Commander-in-
Chief by Lahore Durbar [47]. In 1849, Devi Sahai joined Mulraj
and exhibited his ability during the siege of Multan. He battled
the war of Chillianwala but, after its occupation, all his Jagirs were
seized [48]. Mulraj died near Buxur on August 11, 1851, at the age
of only 36 years [9]. This brought awful devastation to his family
and inhabitants of Multan. His family, containing of his wife, son
and daughter along with Sawan Mal’s three widows, three sons,
a sister and a daughter-in-law, affected the most [9]. In October
1850, these unfortunate people were brought by William Ford and
kept them in very penniless environments in a single room [49-
52].
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