G. MULTAN
Reference has been made above1 to the Muslim kingdom of Multan and the strategy by which its rulers succeeded in averting the danger of conquest by the Pratihāras. Its subsequent history is obscure, but its ruler Shaikh Hamid Lodi maintained friendly relations with Amir Sabuktigin of Ghazni. But as Abu-'1 Fath Däüd, the grandson of Hamid, had adopted the heterodox doctrine of the Qarmatian sect, Sultan Mahmüd, the great champion of orthodox Islām, determined to punish him. He led two expeditions against Multan in A.D. 1005-6, and 1010, and established his authority over that country. With the decline of the power of the Yaminis, Multān asserted independence, and again the Qarmatians seized power and held it till it was conquered by Mui'zz-ud-din. After the death of Qutb-ud-din Aibak, Multan fell to the share of Nasir-ud-din Qabacha, who defended it successfully against a Mongol attack in A.D. 1227, but lost it to Iltutmish, as related above. 1a
Multan
was at this time the western frontier of the Delhi Sultanate, and had to bear
the brunt of repeated Mongol attacks. The situation was further complicated by
the marauding operations of Saif-ud-din Hasan Qarlugh, an officer of
Jalal-ud-din Mangbarni, whom the latter had left in India.
Situation
changed rapidly after the death of Iltutmish. Hasan Qarlugh is said to have
sent his son, Nasir-ud-din to Raziyya, but does not seem to have gained any
diplomatic advantage. Imme- diately after the accession of Ma'sūd (A.D. 1242),
Kabir Khan, the governor of Multan, rebelled and not only gained complete
control over that province, but conquered Uch also. Ma'sud was unable to
dispossess him, and his (Kabir Khan's) son, Abu Bakr, succeeded him shortly afterwards.2
After Abu Bakr's death, Hasan Qarlugh was able, after a series of attempts, to
conquer Multān in A.D. 1245, whence he issued coins in the name of his master,
Jalal-ud-din Mangbarni.3
A
Mongol invasion early in 1246, saved Multan for the Sultanate, for, with the
approach of the Mongol army, Hasan Qarlugh fled from Multan to lower Sind.
Ulugh Khan, later Sultān Ghiyās-ud-din Balban, drove the Mongols out of India,
and occupied Uch and Multan without any opposition. Next year the Mongols again
invaded India and besieged Multan, when the saint Shaikh Baha-ud-din Zakariyā
induced them to leave on payment of 1,00,000 dinārs.
The
repeated Mongol raids forced the Sultans of Delhi to send strong governors to
Multan, and Balban sent his eldest son, Muhammad, as the governor there.
Muhammad died in his post while repulsing a Mongol raid early in A.D. 1285.4
This incident has been immortalized by the elegy written by the poet Amir
Khusrav who was taken prisoner by the Mongols after the prince's death but managed
to escape soon after. However, in spite of the Mongol raids, Multan continued
to be a province of the Delhi Sultanate.
As
has been related above, Timur, before leaving India, ap- pointed Khizr Khan the
governor of Multan, which was thus in- cluded in the kingdom of the Sayyids.
During the reign of Mubarak, successor of Khizr Khan, Amir Shaikh 'Ali of Kabul
seems to have invaded Multan more than once, but was forced to retire by
Mubarak. After the assassination of Mubarak, the affairs of the provinces fell
into disorder, and either in A.D. 1434 or 1436, his successor Muhammad came to
Multān to visit the tombs of the saints.
"In
A.H. 841 (A.D. 1437-8)", states Nizam-ud-din, "news was brought that
owing to the turbulence of a band of Lankahs there was disturbance in
Multan". Multan, however, continued to acknow- ledge the suzerainty of
Delhi till 847 A.H. (A.D. 1443-4), when there being no regular governor, the
people of Multan chose as their ruler Shaikh Yusuf Zakariya Quraishi, guardian
of the tomb of the famous saint Baha-ud-din Zakariyā (A.D. 1182-1267),
mentioned above."
The
Shaikh applied himself to the task of government but, before long, fell a
victim to the wiles of Ray Sahrah, the chief of the Lankahs and ruler of Sewi
and the surrounding territory.' Sahrah beguiled the simple Shaikh by giving him
his daughter in marriage, and then began to visit Multan regularly on the
pretext of visiting his daughter. One night Sahrah introduced his followers
into the city by a clever ruse, and expelling the Shaikh, seized the government
of the country. Thus, after a rule of two years, Shaikh Yusuf had to leave
Multan and seek shelter at Delhi. He was well received there and his son
'Abdullah married the daughter of Buhlūl Lodi.
Sahrah
became the king of Multan under the title of Qutb-ud- din. He proved to be an
able and good ruler, and the people, satis- fied with his government, rendered
him willing allegiance. He died in A.D. 1460 after a reign of 16 years, and was
succeeded by his son Husain.
Husain
also proved to be an able ruler. He conquered the fort of Shor (Shorkot, Jhang
district, Punjab), and Kot Karor, and brought the country around it as far as
the fort of Dhankot under his possession. Meanwhile, Shaikh Yusuf persuaded
Buhlül Lodi to send an expedition against Multan under Buhlül's third son,
Bärbak Shah, and Tätär Khan, the governor of the Punjab. As the invading army
was marching towards Multan, Husain's brother, who was the governor of Kot
Karor, rebelled against him and assumed the title of Sultan Shihäb-ud-din.
Husain first proceeded against his brother, reduced Kot Karor, and imprisoned
Shihäb-uddin. He then turned against Bārbak Shāh and Tātār Khan who had reached
near the city of Multan, but had not yet been able to invest it. Husain crossed
the Sindhu during night and entered the fort; the next morning he made a sally
and the Delhi army fled after a brief encounter.
On
the death of Buhlül (A.D. 1489), Husain sent letters of condolence and
congratulation to his successor Sikandar. This led to a treaty, by which the
parties agreed to respect each other's boundary. Husain also sent an embassy to
Sultan Muzaffar of Gujarat, with whom he maintained friendly relations.
During
Husain's reign, two nobles from Sind, Jām Bāyazid and Jām Ibrāhīm, being forced
to leave their country by Jam Nandā, came to Multăn. Husain allotted to Jam
Bayazid the fief of Shorkot Jām and to
Jam Ibrāhīm, Uch.
When
Husain became old, he placed his son Firuz on the throne and retired. The old
wazir, 'Imād-ul-Mulk Tawalak, continued in. his office, but unfortunately,
Firuz suspected the wazîr's son of dis- loyalty and had him murdered. To avenge
his son's death, Tawalak poisoned Firüz soon after, and Husain, stricken with
grief, had to ascend the throne again, and take over the charge of
administration. It was, however, impossible to forgive Tawalak, and with the
help of Jam Bayazid, Husain had him arrested and executed. Bayazid then became
the wazir, and received the guardianship of Mahmud, the son of Firüz. Shortly
after, Sultan Husain died (August 31, 1502) and was succeeded by Mahmûd.9
Mahmud
was a profligate young man, favouring low company; Jām Bayazid was provoked
into open rebellion, and received help from Daulat Khan Lodi, the governor of
the Punjab. The two armies encamped near the Rävi, but before any engagement
took place, negotiations were started and settlement was effected on the basis
of the river Ravi being recognized as the boundary between the territory of the
two parties; that is, Bayazîd got all the territory from Shorkot up to the
Rävi.10
A
few years after the conquest of Qandahär, Babur bestowed Multan and the
adjoining territories on Shah Husain Beg Arghün of Sind, who thereupon invaded
Multan. Mahmud sent emissaries to Shah Husain, but before anything could be
effected, died of colic. It was suspected that he was poisoned by Langar Khan,
one of his officers, who soon after joined Husain and helped him to subjugate
several cities.
Other
nobles, however, remained true to the dynasty, and raised Mahmud's infant son,
Husain II, to the throne; but Mahmud's son-in-law,
Shuja'-ul-Mulk Bukhari, became the wazir and the de facto ruler. Taking
advantage of the situation, Shah Husain Arghün besieged Multan, which was
bravely defended for more than a year. But at last food ran short, and the
people suffered terrible priva- tions augmented by the misgovernment of the
inept Bukhari and the follies of his trusted officers. Finally, in A.D. 152511
(932 A.H.), Shah Husain Arghün stormed the city, and all its residents from the
age of seven to seventy, who escaped the sword, are said to have been taken
into captivity as slaves.
After
a brief stay at Multan, Shah Husain Arghun left it in charge of one Khvāja
Shams-u-din with Langar Khan as his assis- tant. But soon Langar Khan managed
to remove the Khvāja and took possession of Multan, where he was able to
restore order to some extent.
After
the death of Babur, when the Punjab fell to the share of Kamran, he summoned
Langar Khan to wait upon him. When Langar Khan came to Lahore, Kamran bestowed
on him the terri- tory of Babal in exchange for Multän, which, thus, again
became an appendage of Delhi. It passed into the hands of Sher Shah and, after
the restoration of the Mughul power, became a Mughul province.
Reference
1.
Vol. IV, 127.
la.
Vol. V. 132-3.
2.
Minhaj, 235, A. B. M. Habibullah, The Foundation of Muslim Rule in India, 129,
200-01 (Lahore, 1945). The date, A.D. 1241, given by Habibullah for this event,
should be 1242 (Above, Vol. V, p. 139.)
3.
E. Thomas: Chronicles of the Pathan Kings of Delhi (London, 1871), 91. 4. M. W.
Mirza: The Life and Works of Amir Khusrau (Calcutta, 1935), 59. [The date for
this event, given above (Vol. V, 155) as 1286, is probably wrong. Ed.]
5.
At least up to A.D. 1422, 'Ala-ul-Mulk was the governor of Multan. In that year
news came that Shaikh 'Ali was preparing an invasion, whereupon Mubä- rak Shah
removed 'Ala-ul-Mulk and appointed Malik Mahmud Hasan as gover- nor of Multan.
(TA. I, 305). In A.D. 1426, Malik Mahmud Hasan was translerred and Malik Rajab
Nadira sent to Multan (ibid, 308). Malik Rajab Nadira died in 1428 after which
Mubarak again sent Malik Mahmud Hasan to Multan conferring on him the title of
'Imäd-ul-Mulk (ibid, 311). In 1431, he was removed from Multan and Malik
Khair-ud-din Khanī received Multan as his fief. Commenting on this Yahya bin
Ahmad states: "But this act of trans- fer was imprudent and inconsiderate,
as some insurrection broke out in Multan, an account of which will be given in
the following pages" (TMB, 231). Bul no account of insurrection is given,
Shaikh 'Ali came in A.D. 1431, to help Püläd at the latter's request. This time
Shaikh 'Ali was defeated near Multān and forced to turn back, but the
governorship of Multan was transferred from *Imad-ul-Mulk to Khair-ud-din
(ibid. 315). Soon after Sheikha Khokhar start- ed his operations and beseiged
Lahore, and taking advantage of the situation Shaikh 'Ali advanced and captured
Talambah (on the left bank of Rāvi, 52 miles north-east of Multan, identified
as Malli conquered by Alexander, where he crossed the Ravi; ibid, 313, f. n. 3;
316). This time Mubarak Shāh advanced and Shaikh 'Ali fled to Kabul,
6.
According to Nizam-ud-din, 838 A.H. (A.D. 1434 TA, I. 326). According to Firishta (Briggs) 840 A.H. (A.D. 1436), I.
536.
7.
Briggs, IV, 380, Firishta probably means that the Governor was not appointed
by
the Sultan of Delhi.
7a.
According to some authorities, Shaikh Yusuf was never appointed governor of
Multan, and it was conquered, not by Qutb-ud-din, but by his father, Budhan
Khan Sindhi, chief of the Lankah tribe, in A.D. 1437. (See Appendix A at the
end of this chapter.)
8.
I have adopted the spelling of the proper names as found in the TA, which
differs
from those found in the CHI.
9.
The date of Sultan Husain's death is doubtful; even Nizam-ud-din (TA, III, ii,
80) could not ascertain the date definitely. But the reading 980 A.H. accepted
in the translation of the TA, is impossible, as, according to Nizam-ud-din,
I
have Husain succeeded his father in 865 A.H.; neither is 940 A.H. likely.
therefore accepted the reading 908 A.H. found in the lithograph ed. of the TA
and followed by Sir Wolseley Haig (CHI, III, 504), Firishta (Briggs, IV, 391)
also gives the year of Husain's death as 908 A.H.
9a.
Jām Bayazid acknowledged allegiance to Sikandar Lodi, who thereupon sent him
help. Ain (text), I, 555, Tanqih-ul-Akhbār, I.O. MS. f. 233b, Mır'at-i- Jahān
Numa Camb. MS. f. 36a. (This note was written by Dr. Hamidud Din Ed.)
10.
TA, III, i, 803; Firishta (Briggs), IV, 395.
11.
According to Sir Wolseley Haig, Multan fell to Husain Arghùn in A.D. 1528, but
both Nizām-ud-din and Firishta (op. cit.) quote one Maulana Sa'dullah Lahori,
who was at Multan during its fall and states that it fell in 932 A.II. (A. D.
1525). Nizam-ud-din, makes it clear that Babur "took possession of the
Punjab in the year 930 A.H. and marched towards Delhi," that is, before
the battle of Panipat. It is known that after conquering Lahore, Babur
instructed his generals to help 'Alam Khan in his projected attack on Delhi
which never took place. Probably Nizam-ud-din is referring to this abortive
invasion. Babur is most unlikely to have bestowed Multan to the Arghüns after
the battle of Panipat. (But Dr. Hamidud Din points out that according to the
Tanqih-ul-Akhbar, 1.0 MS. f. 2331,, Ãïn (text) I, 555, Muntakhab, Hasan Khaki,
Eton MS. f. 158b, Ma'äsir-1-Rahimi, I, 283, Shah Husain Arghun captured Multan
in 1526.)
Post a Comment