Pir/Fakir Machinations Benefiting Maharaja Ranjit Singh
By Rais Khan
Fremont, California
Sir Lepel H Griffen remained Chief Secretary Punjab Province (present Indian Punjab+ Pakistani Punjab + Pakhtoonkhawa) in 1880, British Diplomatic Rep in Kabul, Resident in Indore and Hyderabad at different times. He compiled a list of Families of Note of Punjab titled “The Punjab Chiefs” that contains some interesting facts. In his book he mentioned how easily Peshawar Valley or Pakhtoonkhawa dropped into Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s lap with the connivance and intrigues of a Pir and then of a Fakir. Reproduced below are excerpts from his book that would make the readers shiver in astonishment;
“In 1823, when Muhammad Azim Khan of Kabul had marched to Peshawar to attach the Sikhs, Ranjit Singh wished, if possible, to induce the Afghans to retire without fighting. Kirpa Ram put Ghulam Muhiuddin (son of Shaikh Ujala of the Kalal tribe of Lahore district) forward as well-suited to carry on the negotiation, and he accordingly, bought over the PIR or spiritual adviserof Muhammad Azim Khan, who persuaded the Sardar (Azim Khan) to retire to protect his family and treasure at Michni, which the Sikhs intended to seize. Yar Muhammad Khan, brother of Muhammad Azim Khan, was also under Sikh influence, and the result was that Afghan army was hastily broken up and retired in confusion upon Michni and Jalaabad. Maharaja Ranjit Singh took possession of Peshawar and, not thinking it wise to remain there long, divided the territory between Yar Muhammad Khan and Dost Muhammad Khan and returned to Lahore. Before he left, Ghulam Muhiuddin was sent on a mission to Muhammad Azim Khan, on the part of Maharja. He told the Sardar of the capture of Peshawar and its delivery to the brothers who had betrayed him, and the news so affected the chief with mortification and anger that he fell ill and died twenty-two days later.”
Referring to the royal services of another family of repute from Lahore district, Sir Griffen wrote, “In May 1835 he
(Fakir Aziz-ud-din) was present in the Peshawar Valley when Amir Dost Muhammad Khan with a large army arrived from Kabul with the intention of recovering Peshawar from the Sikhs. Aziz-ud-din was sent as the principal envoy to the Afghan camp, and contrived to delude the Amir so completely that the Afghan Army was almost surrounded by the Sikhs during the progress of the negotiations, and had to retire to Kabul with all speed. The Maharaja was so pleased with the adroitness of the Fakir on this occasion that on his return to camp a general salute was ordered in his honor.”
A Pir/Fakir combine with their spiritual influence boosted by blood feuds achieved for a non-Muslim ruler in a silver platter what, in all probability, he would have not grabbed from his Muslim opponents in battlefields. The history of the subcontinent is replete with instances where Pirs, Fakirs, Khan Bahadurs, Sirs, etc have intrigued against their own people at the hands of Sikhs and then British rulers for small and cheap considerations.
