Adina Beg the Last Muslim Governor of Lahore in Mughal Empire

25-05-2020

Reference

Memories of Lt General HS Panag

Majid Sheikh articles in Dawn

The history of 18th century Punjab would be incomplete without the story of Adina Beg, the son of the soil arain (marginal farmer/sharecropper), who played a pivotal role in every political and military event in Punjab from 1738-1758. At different times, he allied with and fought against all major players, that is, the remnants of Mughals, Afghans, Sikhs and the Marathas. What mattered most was survival and power. Survive he did and powerful he became, briefly ruling Punjab from Indus to Yamuna in 1758. He thus became the first son of the soil Muslim governor of Punjab. Before him, during 500 years of the collective reign of Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire in India, Punjab had Muslim governors. But they were all of foreign origin – Turkic, Central Asians, Persians or Afghans.

Dina (later Adina) was born to one Chunnu, in 1710 in Sharakpur, 30km from Lahore. Abject poverty drove the unlettered arain to work as a domestic servant in houses of Mughal officers in Jullundur or Bist Doab. Proximity to Mughal officers inspired him to join the army, which he did, becoming an accomplished soldier. Ambitious Adina soon became a revenue collector or patwari. Due to his drive and efficiency, he became indispensable to the Faujdar of Sultanpur Sarkar (district) as a revenue collector in a short period. His revenue work took him to Lahore, where he won the confidence of Zakariya Khan, the governor of Lahore. On the death of the incumbent faujdar, he was appointed the new faujdar of Sultanpur.

He adopted a new name – Adina Beg Khan – to hide his arain origin and pretend to be from Turkic aristocracy. After the invasion of Nadir Shah, he quickly brought about relief and order. Zakariya Khan was so impressed that he made him the Nazim or Governor of the entire Bist Doab. His forte was his administrative skill and military prowess. He managed and protected the rich Doab keeping both the people and his superiors in Lahore happy. So much so, that no matter who ruled Lahore or Delhi or whom Adina fought or allied with, he was the natural choice for controlling the ‘revenue rich’ Bist Doab!

Despite directions of successive Lahore governors, he adopted a ‘Mutt and Jeff’ policy against the Sikhs. Sometimes persecuting them but most times remaining in secret alliance with them to maintain his power. Zakariya Khan briefly jailed Adina Beg for falling in revenue arrears. But given his administrative efficiency, he was reinstated as Deputy Nazim of the Bist Doab under Shah Nawaz, the young son of Zakariya Khan. On the death of Zakariya Khan in 1745, Adina Beg assisted Shah Nawaz to seize power in Lahore. But the duo came under pressure from grand Wazir, Qamruddin, at Delhi court. To ward off the threat Adina advised Shah Nawaz to invite Ahmed Shah Abdali to invade India. “Crown to Ahmed Shah, and Wazarat to Shah Nawaz”, said the invite. Never one to put all eggs in one basket, Adina also informed the Delhi court about the “treachery” of Shah Nawaz who was prevailed upon by, the grand Wazir to fight Abdali.

In January 1948 Shah Nawaz and Adina Beg were routed by Abdali outside Lahore. Adina Beg, retreated towards Kangra. The Mughal Army of Muhammed Shah, ‘Sada Rangila’, under his son Ahmed Shah and Wazir Qamruddin, who died in battle, inflicted a surprise defeat on Abdali at Sirhind, March 11-13, 1748. Never to be left out, Adina Beg after a forced march, joined the battle and was wounded proving his loyalty. Abdali retreated back to Afghanistan. The hero of the battle, Mir Mannu, the son of Wazir Qamruddin was rewarded with the governorship of Lahore. Adina Beg was again the natural choice to be the Nazim of Bist Doab. Even after defeating Mir Mannu in 1751, Abdali did not disturb this arrangement.

The best of Adina Beg Khan was yet to come. In November 1753, Mir Mannu suddenly died. A power struggle ensued between his widow, Mughlani Begum and powerful nobles of Lahore and Delhi court. Adina became more powerful. In April 1755 he along with his foes/allies – the Sikhs – showed great enterprise in defeating the Rohillas who had invaded the Sirhind Suba. The grateful Delhi Court also gave him the charge of Sirhind Suba. He now controlled the entire territory from Beas to Yamuna along with tracts in Bari Doab and Kangra. Emboldened, Adina Beg captured Lahore. He now controlled entire Punjab except Multan. His control over Lahore was shot lived as an Afghan force restored Mughlani Begum to power.

Abdali again invaded India in November 1756. Adina Beg retreated to Kangra Hills. Abdali ransacked Delhi, restored Alamgir 2 to power and appointed the Rohilla Chief Najib as the head of the Mughal Army. An outbreak of Cholera in March 1756 forced Abdali to go back.

The subas of Lahore and Sirhind were ceded to Abdali. Abdali appointed his 11-year-old son as the governor of Lahore with his trusted General, Jahan Khan, as his guardian. Due to his efficiency, Adina was again retained as the Nazim of Jullundur Doab. However, he refused to present himself in court or proceed against his allies, the Sikhs with whom he combined to defeat an Afghan force. Threatened by Jahan Khan, Adina Beg played a masterstroke. He invited the Marathas, who were already the kingmakers in Delhi, to invade Punjab. A combined army of Marathas, Adina and the Sikhs first captured Sirhind on March 21, 1758, and then raced to capture Lahore on April 19, 1758. Afghans were chased beyond the Indus. Not wanting to permanently rule Punjab, the Marathas left behind a small army and appointed their own Governor at Lahore, none other than Adina Beg Khan! He now controlled entire Punjab from Indus to the Yamuna. Adina Beg decided to reduce the power of the Sikhs. Before he could do so, on September 15, 1758, he died from a colic attack at the age of 48.

The mercurial Adina Beg Khan had been able to galvanise the sons of the soil punjabi Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs to seize control of Punjab much like Ranjit Singh was to do another 50 years later. He achieved all this in a span of two decades by force of his character, military prowess, administrative skills and diplomacy that focused on ever-changing complex alliances