ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>ZAFARN&#256MAH MU&#298N UL-MULK</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 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">&#65279<i>ZAFARN&#256MAH MU'&#298N UL-MULK</i>, an unpublished manuscript, is a book written in 1748-49 by <u>Gh</u>ul&#257m Muhaiy ud-D&#299n <u>Kh</u>&#257n. It gives an account of Ahmad Sh&#257h Durrani's first two invasions of India. Copies of the manuscript are available at the University of the Pañjab, Lahore, <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 College, Amritsar, and in the Punjab Historical Studies Department of Punjabi University, Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257. The author appears to be a courtier or a great admirer of Mu'&#299n ul-Mulk, the Mu<u>gh</u>al governor of the Punjab from 1748 to 1753, whose dauntless courage and administrative capability he profusely praises. He seems to be a well-read person with a scholarly style of writing rich in quotations from Arabic texts. A sizable portion of the book is in verse. The historical information it contains appears to be based on personal knowledge of the author and is on the whole correct and useful.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The <i>Zafarn&#257mah</i> (lit. record of victories) opens with invocation to God followed by a <i>qas&#299dah</i> or panegyric in praise of the book's protagonist. Mu'in ul-Mulk, known to Sikh chroniclers as M&#299r Mann&#363, was the son of Waz&#299r Qamar ud-D&#299n, the prime minister of the Mu<u>gh</u>al emperor Muhammad Sh&#257h. When Ahmad Sh&#257h Durr&#257n&#299 invaded India for the first time at the head of fifty thousand horsemen, early in January 1748, Sh&#257h Naw&#257z <u>Kh</u>&#257n, governor of Lahore and Mult&#257n, fled to Delhi offering only a feeble resistance and the invader occupied Lahore which, says the author, was subjected to thorough plunder, a part of it being set on fire. Emperor Muhammad Sh&#257h sent a huge force led by Waz&#299r Qamar ud-D&#299n under the nominal command of the crown prince, Ahmad Sh&#257h, to drive away the invader. Mu'in ul-Mulk accompanied his father. In the beginning of the battle fought at Man&#363pur, 15 km northwest of Sirhind, Qamar ud-D&#299n was mortally wounded by a cannon shot. Mu'in ul-M&#363lk at once took command of the situation. Suppressing his filial tears, he hurriedly buried his father's dead body in the floor of his sleeping tent, levelling it over with sand, and launched a fierce attack against the enemy lines. A severe battle followed resulting in heavy casualities on both sides but it ended in victory for the Mu<u>gh</u>als. The Durr&#257n&#299 quietly retreated during the night to Lahore and thence to his own country. During his return journey he was constantly harassed and looted by the Sikhs.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Just during this time news arrived of imminent death of the emperor at Delhi. Prince Ahmad Sh&#257h, directing Mu'in ul-Mulk to take charge as governor of Lahore and Mult&#257n, hastened back to Delhi, where he succeeded to the throne of his father who had expired before the son's arrival in the capital. Mu'in ul-Mulk came to Lahore and immediately attended to the shattered civil administration of the province and provided relief to the oppressed populace. He replaced Lakhpat R&#257i by Kau&#7771&#257 Mall as his D&#299w&#257n and confirmed Ad&#299n&#257 Beg <u>Kh</u>&#257n in the <i>faujd&#257r&#299</i> of Jalandhar Do&#257b.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ahmad Sh&#257h Durr&#257n&#299 descended upon the Punjab for the second time in December 1748. Mu'in ul-Mulk promptly sent forth a strong force which faced the invading horde on the bank of the River Chen&#257b. Ahmad Sh&#257h offered to go back if the Punjab governor paid the arrears and undertook regular payment in future of the revenue of four <i>mah&#257ls</i> or districts of Gujr&#257t, Aura&#7749g&#257b&#257d, Si&#257lko&#7789 and Pasr&#363r which he claimed had been assigned to N&#257dir Sh&#257h and were legitimately his now. Mu'in ul-Mulk wrote back that it was stupid to engage in a battle where Muslims would be killed on both sides. He prudently agreed to pay the dues, and Ahmad Sh&#257h returned to Qandah&#257r.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1">Kirpal Singh, ed., <i>A Catalogue of Persian and Sanskrit Manuscript</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>