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
