ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>TAZKIRAH-I-SL&#256T&#298N-I-CHUGHT&#256&#298</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="TAZKIRAH,SLT*N,CHU"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279TAZKIRAH-I-SL&#256T&#298N-I-CHU<u>GH</u>T&#256&#298, a manuscript dealing with the political history of the Mu<u>gh</u>al times from the reign of Aura&#7749gz&#299b to the third year of Muhammad Sh&#257h's reign, i.e.upto 1722. It is an important document for the history of the Sikhs for its sections dealing in detail with the exploits and ultimate suppression of Band&#257 Si&#7749gh Bah&#257dur. Copies of the manuscript are preserved in National Library, Calcutta, <u>Kh</u>ud&#257 Ba<u>kh</u>sh Library B&#257&#7749k&#299pur (Pa&#7789n&#257), Maul&#257n&#257 &#256z&#257d Library of Muslim University, Al&#299ga&#7771h, and in the Punjab Historical Studies Department of Punjabi University, Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257. The author of the manuscript, Muhammad H&#257d&#299 K&#257mwar <u>Kh</u>&#257n, was a contemporary of Emperor Aura&#7749gz&#299b for a considerable portion of his reign and had served for a long time during his Deccan campaign. He was appointed controller of the household of Prince Muhammad Ibr&#257h&#299m and received the title of K&#257mwar <u>Kh</u>&#257n in the second year of the reign of Bah&#257dur Sh&#257h. From incidental observations in the pages of this book it appears that the author also was at various times, a <i>d&#299w&#257n, ba<u>kh</u>sh&#299, kh&#257n-i-s&#257m&#257&#7749</i> and daro<u>gh</u>ah of the treasury. Besides <i>Tazkirah</i>, he also wrote <i>Haft Gulshan-i-Muhammad Sh&#257h&#299</i>, which gives a general history of India, including many minor dynasties, and <i>Tatim&#257h-i-Waq'i&#257t-i-Jah&#257&#7749g&#299r&#299</i> dealing with "introduction and conclusion of emperor Jaha&#7749g&#299r's memoirs."</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The book narrates the expeditions of emperors Bah&#257dur Sh&#257h and Farru<u>kh</u>-S&#299yar against the Sikhs. The former had personally come to the Punjab to supervise military operations against Band&#257 Si&#7749gh. K&#257mwar <u>Kh</u>&#257n, referring to the sack of Sirhind by the Sikhs, writes that the booty that fell into their hands was estimated at two crores (twenty million) in cash besides goods belonging to Naw&#257b Waz&#299r <u>Kh</u>&#257n and some lacs (hundred thousands) from the deserted houses of Suchch&#257 Nand and others. A large number of Waz&#299r <u>Kh</u>&#257n's men fell to the bullets of the Sikhs at Sirhind. In December 1710, an imperial force was encamped at Sa&#7693haur&#257 preliminary to launching an attack on Band&#257's retreat of Lohga&#7771h (Mu<u>kh</u>lispur) when the Sikhs fell upon it and showered arrows and musket balls causing such heavy casualties in the Mu<u>gh</u>al ranks that for a time it appeared as if they were going to lose. A little later when Band&#257 Si&#7749gh was besieged in the fort of Lohga&#7771h, he made a determined sally on the night of 10-11 December 1710 and breaking through the royal lines made good his escape to the hills of Sirm&#363r to the great discomfiture of the emperor, who summoned R&#257j&#257 Bh&#363p Prak&#257sh of N&#257han (Sirm&#363r) and imprisoned him on the charge of his inability to move against Band&#257 Si&#7749gh and rather alleged protection he provided to the rebels. In order to prove N&#257han's loyalty to the Mu<u>gh</u>als, the R&#257j&#257's mother rounded up a group of 30 Sikhs and sent them to Delhi for execution. Incidentally, K&#257mwar <u>Kh</u>&#257n writes that Rs. 20,00,000 in the form of rupees and <i>ashraf&#299s</i> (gold coins) were dug out by the Mu<u>gh</u>als from near the Lohga&#7771h fort after the Sikhs had escaped.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Writing about the siege of Gurd&#257s-Na&#7749gal, K&#257mwar <u>Kh</u>&#257n states that a large number of Band&#257 Si&#7749gh's followers perished owing to starvation. After his capture with other survivors, the arms that were recovered included about 1000 swords, 200 bows, 173 quivers, 180 <i>jamdhars</i>, and only three muskets (which indicates the poor state of the Sikhs' manpower and armament). As Band&#257 Si&#7749gh, in an iron cage, and his companions in buffoon's caps were taken to the imperial fort in Delhi, the people turned out in such large numbers to see them that traffic got jammed on the roads. The emperor ordered the prisoners to be kept in batches at different places under different officers. Band&#257 Si&#7749gh and a few of his men were handed over to Ibr&#257h&#299m ud-D&#299n <u>Kh</u>&#257n, the <i>m&#299r-i-&#257tash</i> (commander of artillery) for confinement in prison inside the fort. His three-year-old son along with its nurse was entrusted to Darb&#257r <u>Kh</u>&#257n, the <i>n&#257zir-i-haramsar&#257</i> (guardian of the harem). Three hundred and ninety four of his followers were made over to Sarbar&#257h <u>Kh</u>&#257n, <i>kotw&#257l</i> (police commissioner), for execution at the rate of 100 every day. Their dead bodies were taken out of the city and hung on trees. Band&#257 Si&#7749gh, his son and 26 companions were tortured to death later by the M&#299r-i-&#256tash himself near Khw&#257j&#257 Qutb ud-D&#299n's mausoleum. That the author was contemptuously disposed towards Sikhs is clear from the abusive names and phrases he uses for them, but despite his deep hatred he does not conceal the alarm that the Sikh movement created and the emperor's concern at the threat they posed for empire's integrity. On the first news of Band&#257 Si&#7749gh's conquest in the Punjab, Emperor Bah&#257dur Sh&#257h called upon his vassals as distant as Mor&#257d&#257b&#257d, All&#257h&#257b&#257d and Oudh as well as the Sayyids of Barah to march towards the Punjab; and to round up a thousand-odd Sikh warriors at Gurd&#257s Na&#7749gal, the entire might of Lahore and Jamm&#363 provinces had to be marshalled. K&#257mwar also does not feel shy of recording the heavy losses often suffered by the imperial troops in their encounters with the Sikhs.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1">Kirpal Singh, ed., <i>A Catalogue of Persian and Sanskrit Manuscripts</i>. Amritsar, 1962<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Bhagat Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>