Sikh period in Hazara

With the death of Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir in 1707 the inhabitants of the
Sub continent witnesses some drastic changes in the country. During the
closing days of the 18th century A.D. the escalation in the militant Sikh
power in the areas now known as Punjab, K.P.K and Kashmir was also a
visible change in this regard. It was about this time that the famous Sikh
chief Ranjet Singh (1776-1838) son of Mahan Singh rose to the prominence,
and proclaimed himself independent of the Kabul regime. He organises his
Khalsa Army on modern lines and subjugated extensive areas. Upto 1818, a
large territory of the so called now a days Punjab was captured by his army ,
but the Sikh rule was not extended to Hazara until the above mentioned
date.

After consolidating his military strength Ranjit Singh wished to extend his
sway over other area. In Hazara the opportunity for interference in the
internal affairs of the region was provided to him by the Turk Chief Hashim
Khan of Mankarai in 1818. About the event it is reported that in 1816
Hashim khan had murdered his fellow chief Kamal khan. The latter was a
friend of Muhammad Khan, The Tareen chief. Kamal Khan,s cause was
espoused by the Tareen chief and he to-gather with Faith Khan son of Kamal
Khan took revenge from Hashim Khan. The later, after a crushing defeat met
Hukma Singh, the Sikh Governor of Attock and to save himself betrayed his
country to the Sikhs.
The latte was a friend of Muhammad Khan, The tareen chief Kamal khans
cause was espoused by the tareen chief and he together with Faith Khan Son
of Kamal khan took revenge from Hashim Khan. The latter after a crushing
defeat met Hukma Singh the Sikh Governor of Attock and to save himself
betrayed his country to the Sikhs. At his (Hashim khans) invitation Makhan
Singh the Sikh governor of Rawalpindi, invaded lower Hazara with 500
horsemen in 1818, built a fort at Sarai Salah and collected taxes from the
Haripur plain.
By 1820 Ranjit Singh reigned supreme from Sutlej to the Indus but his hold
on Hazara was weak, and within a short period his three prominent general
Mahan Singh, Diwan Ramdial and Sardar Amar Singh Majethia were killed in
this area.


At least Maharajah Ranjit Singh summoned his commander Hari Singh Nalwa
(after whom the Haripur town is named ) from Kashmir. At the same time
the people of this area rose in open revolt against the shaky Singh
Government. Hari Singh after his arrival took drastic measures in this area,
besides construction of a fort at Nawashr erection of the Haripur fort (where
tehsil offices and police station Haripur are housed now a days) which known
as Hari Kishangar and was strongly constructed was a important step of the
Sikh General and largely contributed to the establishment of Sikh power in
this area.

hari singh nalwa
Besides being a man of unbounded energy and courage, the Sikh general
was cruel man, and ruthless in his treatment of those who crossed his path.
During his more than fourteen years rule with some intervals, he burnt as
well as. Tamed several villages and tool many steps to intimidate the people
of this area. Besides his other atrocious actions and measures levy of the
land revenue amounting to one half of the total value of the crops was
absolutely an action of cruelty. He (Hari Singh) was so merciless in his
actions that up to the beginning of the 20th century he remained an ogre
invoked by mothers to frighten their naughty children. Throughout the 31
years of Sikh rule over Hazara the people of the area harbored great hatred
in their hearts for their rulers. They never accepted the Sikh rule by heart
and missed no opportunity to over throw them. In a short period of three
years after the advent of the Sikh in this area besides several hundred Sikh
soldiers, three capable Sikh General were murdered. The opposition by some
20,000 Jadoons and Tawawalies against Hari Singh at Mangal in 1822, a
battle between the Sikhs and the Mashwanies and the Utmanzaies at Nara in
1824 and a revolt against Diwan Molrah Dilwalia in 1846 are some of the
instances of the hostility o the people against the Sikhs.

Haripur Fort
Establishing a viable system of administration over those people who were
constantly in a state of bitter hostility against their rulers was a difficult task
for the Sikhs, to some extent Hari Singh with an iron hand succeeded in this
purpose but no one among the rest of 13 Sikhs Governors, during the 31
years Sikh rules was able to establish a firm control over Hazara.
Beside the fact the area was divided into several estates among them
several were directly controlled by the Sikhs themselves while the others
were leases to some powerful persons of the area. People were administered
by their respective chiefs among whom several were paid large allowances
as well as Jagirs. Unlike the Duranies the Sikhs collections of land revenue
was of more systematic nature which was collected in the usual Sikh fashion
viz either direct from the land lord, by appraisement of the crop value (the
share of the government being one half the total crop value) of through the
farmers, to whom the land of the villages was leased. Though Diwan Molraj
during his tenure i.e. from 1843 to 1846. Made systematic revision but his
rule was harsh and harassing to the people due to which many of them
evacuated their villages to escape his extortions.

In the early days of 1837, Mahan Singh succeeded Hari Singh as Governor of
Hazara, but was recalled in October 1837 and Sardar Teja Singh was sent
from Lahore to replace him. During the latters period of governorship
nothing happened worth mentioning except the great flood in the Indus of
the 2nd and 4th of June 1841. This flood was caused by the bursting of Dam
which a land slid has caused across the river in the higher reaches. At the
time of the flood the Sikhs were busy fighting with the Army of Painda Khan
the Tawawal chief in the hills to the east of river Indus. The water rushed
down with a mighty roar sweeping away the Sikhs fort at Darband and
Tarbela. Numerous villages on either side of the river and the whole of the
Sikh encampment with baggage, magazine and several guns. At site the
remaining forces stopped their fighting and on receipt of Painda Khans
message to the Sikh leader saying that GOD has judged them and made
each side as helpless as the other. They disengaged themselves and
marched back to their camps. Tanawal and Haripur respectively.

In the winter if 1841 Ghulab Singh was appointed governor of this District by
Kunwar Partab Singh, but after the murder of the latter in September 1843
Lahore Darbar took over charge of Punjab on behalf of the boy Dulip Singh
and sent Diwan Molraj Deilwalia distinct from Diwan Molraj (Governor of
Multan) as the governor of this area. Through like Hari Singh he also took
some drastic measures in this District but was met with much resistance
from the natives.
The disintegration of the Sikh government of Lahore, after the death of
Ranjit Singh paved the way for the annexation of the Punjab by the British.
Thus the weakened Sikh rule also gave the tribes of Hazara an opportunity
of regaining their power of the Pre Sikh rule. Disturbances starts in the area
during February 1846 and several tribes rose in open revolt. The Dhunds,
headed by their religious leaders pirs of Palasi were the first to rise. They
stormed several areas and defeated two Sigh detachments sent against
them. Mean while a remnant of the Mujahidin of Balakot, declaring that
Khalifa Syed Ahmed was not dead and would soon reappear collected at
Kawai in Kaghan area a large Mujahid force attack several forts and slew
their garrisons.
The same was done by the Mashwanies the Tanawalies and other tribes in
their respective area.

During the same time Molraj desire to put down these disturbances had
been thwarted by the refusal of his spare troops to march into Northern
Hazara. The Jadoons and the Tareens also assembled under their respective
chiefs and on 7th March 1846 attacked the Haripur town. Though after some
times order was restores in the area especially in the lower Hazara but in
reality Diwan Molraj had lost heart and evacuated the Haripur Fort on 16th
of April 1846.
At the time Diwan Molraj left Haripur an attempt was made throughout the
District to restore its status as it had existed prior to the Sikh rule. For this
purpose the chiefs of different tribes of the area assembled at Haripur and
appointed Syed Akbar Shah of Sithana (a village situated in the left bank of
driver Indus) as their ruler with Nawab khan Tanawli and Ghulam Khan
Tareen as his minister. This period was popularly spoken if in Hazara as the
Lundi Maslamani the term Lundi Signifies incomplete.
But the hopes of the people were doomed to almost immediate frustration
when on 19th Of March

1846 a peace was concluded between the Sikhs and the British government.
A peace treaty was signed and according to its 12th article all the hilly and
mountainous country with its dependencies, situated East ward of the river
Indus and West ward of River Ravi were ceded to Raja Ghulab Singh. Their
transfer to Kashmir was intensely distasteful to the people of this area.
Resistance started on a large scale to the nominee of Raja Ghulab Singh.
Through over its lower part of the Sikh had some control but in the upper
Hazara people collectively made things uncomfortable for their new ruler and
the Sikh Army was defeated at many places.
Thus finding his newly acquired territory a veritable hornets he (Raja Ghulab
Singh) was only too ready to get rid of it if a suitable exchange could be
agreed upon. Early in 1847 he induced the Lahore Darbar to take over from
him all the hilly country west of river Jehlum in return for a tract near
Jammu. This request of the Raja was accepted by the Lahore Darbar and a
Tract near Jammun, in exchange for the hilly region of Hazara was awarded
to him.
source:http://hamarahazara.blogspot.com/201...od-part-1.html