By DR. HAMEED-UD-DIN.
Some of the well known writers, including Nizam-ud-din, 'Abbās Sarwani and Mir Ma'sum, hold the view that the Lankah dynasty of Multan was founded by one Rai Sahra who hailed from Rapri (Rapar in Mailse tahsil of Multan) or Sewi (modern Sibbi near Quetta) and overthrew Shaikh Yusuf Quraishi whom the people of Multan had raised to power in the reign of the Sayyid Sultan, 'Alā- ud-din 'Alam Shah. [The date stated by them is A.H. 847 (A.D. 1443) although 'Alam Shah succeeded his father Muhammad Shāh in A.H. 849 (A.D. 1445). See above p. 137 n. 28]. They give, however, divergent and often conflicting accounts of the various Lankah rulers as well as of their chronology and this renders their statements incredible (TA, III, 522, Tuhfa-yi-Akbar Shahi, Camb. MS. fol. 2., Tarikh-i-Sind by Ma'sum, ed. Da'udpota, 148).
However, before ousting Shaikh Yusuf Quraishi from Multān in A.H. 849 (A.D. 1445) Rai Sahra, according to the TA and the Tārikh-i-Sind, had held discussions with the Shaikh during which it was revealed that Buhlül had by then occupied Delhi, an event which actually took place in A.H. 855/A.D. 1451. This would also contradict the other statement that Shaikh Yusuf went to Delhi to seek Buhlul's help in recovering Multān. CHI (III, 503) has also ignored the date of Buhlul's accession while stating that Shaikh Yusuf was banished in A.D. 1440 to Delhi where he was well received by Buhlül. Rai Sahra, who had assumed the title of Sultan Qutb-ud-din, died, according to the TA, in A.H. 865 (A.D. 1460) after a reign of 16 years. In Firishta (II, 628) and the Ma'asir-i-Rahīmī (I, 268) the date of his death is given as A.H. 874 (A.D. 1469), but the account of the latter is confused as it agrees simultaneously with the TA in respect of the date of Rai Sahra's accession as well as the duration of his reign.
A
further probe into the question, however, discredits the view that Shaikh Yusuf
Quraishi ever became the ruler of Multan. The statement of the TA and the
Tarikch-i-Sind that the affairs of Mul- tän were neglected during the latter
part of the Sayyid period and that in the absence of a duly appointed governor,
the people chose Shaikh Yusuf Quraishi as their ruler, is belied by the
contemporary account of the TM (231) according to which Sultan Mubarak Shah
went to Multan in A.H. 836 (A.D. 1432) about 9 months before his death. It was
probably during this visit that he bestowed the governorship of Multan on
Khän-i-Khānān whom the Tarikh-i-Haqqi has described as his brother. Again,
Sultan Muhammad Shah set out for Multan in A.H. 838 (A.D. 1434) (TM, 243) and
is believed to have confirmed Khan-i-Khänän in his appointment. Three years
later, in A.H. 841 (A.D. 1437), Budhan Khan Sindhi, chief of the tribe of
Lankahs, marched from Uchh, and after overthrowing Khan- 1. Khānān established
himself as Sultan Mahmud Shah. He reigned for 17 years, and in A.H. 858 (A.D.
1454) was succeeded by his son, Qutb-ud-din, whose reign lasted 16 years till
A.H. 874 (A.D. 1469). The latter was followed by Sultan Husain Lankah who
occupied the throne of Multan for three decades. This account, which appears to
be most acceptable, is given in the Tarikh-i-Haqqi (Camb. MS. pp. 128-9) and is
supported by Nur-ul-Haq's Zubdat-ul-Twarikh Linde- siana MS. fol. 257. Through
the copyist's error, the date of Mahmüd Shāh Lankah's death is written as A.H.
850 (A.D. 1446) although the length of his reign is correctly described as 17
years). Abu-'1 Fazl has also corroborated the account of the Tarikh-i-Haqqi
from the accession of Mahmud Shāh Lankah onwards, but his earlier references to
Rai Sahra and Shaikh Yusuf Quraishi are incorrect. (Äîn-i- Akbari, text I, 554.
See also Mujmal-i-Mufassal A.S.B. Calcutta MS. fol. 215b wherein the account of
the TA. as well as of Tarikh-i- Haqqi is reproduced.)
It
will be seen, therefore, that Qutb-ud-din was the second Lankah ruler and not
the first one as described by Nizam-ud-din, Mir Ma'sum and even by Firishta who
otherwise correctly assigns to him a reign of 16 years ending in A.H. 874 (A.D.
1469). It may also be observed that Rai Sahra is rather an unusual name and the
prefix, Rai, suggests a Rajput origin whereas the Lankahs, according to
Firishta, were Afghāns.
The
error into which Nizam-ud-dīn, Mīr Ma'sūm and some other writers have fallen,
is probably due to the fact that Buhlul gave his daughter in marriage to Shaikh
Abdullah, son of Shaikh Yusuf Quraishi. This has apparently led these writers
to assign to the Shaikh a political role as well. There is no doubt that Buhlül
as a pious Muslim held in great esteem the Muslim saints (see above p. 152 n.
9d.) and he must have gladly married his daughter to the son of Shaikh Yusuf
who happened to be a descendant of the renown- ed Muslim saint, Shaikh
Bahā-ud-din Zakariya Quraishi of Multan. This is confirmed by 'Abdul Haq as
well as by another contem- poraneous writer, Ghausi Shāh Hārī, but neither of
them refers to Shaikh Yusuf Quraishi's elevation to the throne of Multan. (See
Akhbar ul-Akhyār p. 209, Gulzār-i-Abrāär, Lindesiana MS. fol. 124b, A.S.B.
Calcutta MS. fol. 64b.)
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