Sikha Shahi
The ‘Sikh’ community from Punjab gained power and
strength after the death of Ahmed Shah Abdali (1726-1773). His descendants
because of inter family feuds known in history as ‘badshah gardi’ were unable
to govern areas Kashmir, Punjab, Multan, which were part of the Afghan Kingdom.
A Sikh Sardar Ranjeet Singh (1780-1839) later Maharaja capital at Lahore Punjab was able to unite the
warring Sikh Sardars and established a formidable state for himself. His armies
challenged the Durranis and marched on under the command of Hari Singh Nalwa to
Peshawar. Hari Pur city is named after him. Durranis fled to Kabul, looting their own people on the way and left
them at the mercy of Sikhs. Sikhs were a ruthless community and Pukhtoons
suffered immensely at their hands. Hari
Singh had divided his army in two branches. One advanced via Attock and the
other via Pehur joining at Jehangira. Sikh army was confronted at Pir Sabak
Shaidu and a fierce battle took place between the two armies. Sikhs were
victorious. Pukhtoon martyrs from different tribes are buried in the graveyard in
Shaidu on road side going to Peshawar.
There was no unified command against the
onslaught of Sikhs and Pukhtoons could not defend their people and country. No
resistance was put to the Sikhs and practically there was a walk over by them.
Books are silent if Sikhs army was checked by the local inhabitants of Marghuz
and surrounding villages while they were trespassing of their area. It appears that
complete co-operation was extended to the Sikhs. The marauding forces of Sikhs
did a virtual walk over. The Khans of the area withdrew the support they had
promised to Ahmed Shaheed Barelvi who had come all the way from Delhi (India)
for no other reason except to help the pukhtoons to get them free from the
atrocities of Sikhs. Ahmed Shaheed failed because of his ignorance and
interference in centuries old customs of pukhtoons.
Marghuz and surrounding villages were
not of strategic importance and therefore the Sikhs did not remain in the area
for a long time and soon left.
There was no central authority and
people were at the mercy of local Khans who exercised full control over them. I
have heard a story that poor people in the area could not light fire and cook
food in their huts. If smoke (looge)
was seen coming out of the hut, men of a Khan would come on horses and snatch
away all that was in the hut. Because of this fear people devised special type
of hearths where they would light fire but no smoke would come outside the hut.
The smoke would spread inside the hut lest the horsemen of Khan should come and
take away whatever little there was with the poor family.
English Period till partition of
Subcontinent in 1947
Across the river Indus in Hazara Sikh
Armies were defeated by English with the wholehearted support and sacrifices of
Mushwanis across Indus in Hazara. With the end of Sikha Shahi the English did
not have any difficulty in occupation of the area. People were weary of the
Sikh rule and the British were taken as their liberators. Full cooperation was
extended to them. English were visionary people and did not interfere in local
customs. Also they did not marry any local women, did not appropriate any lands
for themselves and showed complete tolerance towards religion.
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