Biography of shamz khan bank

18th-century general of the Sudhan people

Shams-Ud-Din Khan was governor of Poonch and chief of the Sudhan clan, at the age the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir was ruled by Gulab Singh.^[2][3] He was an influential zamindar of Poonch District, Pakistan, headman of the Sudhans and the leader of the Poonch Revolt.

After the previous successful conquest of Poonch, the local tribes of the region, including the Sudhans, had been pacified. From the Sudhans, Shams-Ud-Din Khan^[4][5][6] was taken as a hostage and taken into the care of Dhian Singh, who began to grow a liking for him.^[7][8]

Historical Background Sikh-Sudhnoti War

The state of Sudhanoti was divided among fifteen mountain chieftains, all of whom were under the command of Sardar Shams-Ud-Din Khan, the ruler of central Sudhnoti.

Due to this geographical division, many historians have referred to Sudhnoti as the “land of the mountain chieftains.’ The First Sikh-Sudhnoti War at Plangi was fought in the border areas of lower and upper Poonch, which lay to the northeast and southeast of this mountainous origins of this war footprint back to Maharaja Ranjit Singh's invasion of Kashmir.

In mid-June , when Ranjit Singh's forces reached Rajouri via Bhimber on their way to capture Kashmir, the ruler of Rajouri, Raja Agar Khan, surrendered without in Rajouri, Ranjit Singh divided his army into two parts.

He assigned command of one part to Ram Dayal, Dal Singh, and Namdar Thakur, instructing them to capture the areas from Rajouri to Baramulla and from Baramulla to Shopian. Ranjit Singh himself led the other part of the army, aiming to conquer Poonch city, the adjacent upper areas, and the territories of the mountain chieftains of Sudhnoti.

He planned to reunite his forces in Shopian, where the military camp of Muhammad Azim Khan was located, after subjugating these regions. At that time, the state of Poonch was divided among three rulers. Raja Sherbaz Khan of the Rathore clan ruled one part, Raja Ruhullah controlled the main Poonch fort, and a scant independent tribes had gained autonomy over a small area of square miles.

To the west of Poonch lay the mountainous state of Sudhnoti, where fifteen mountain chieftains were under the command of Sardar Shams Khan, the ruler of Sudhnoti. When Ranjit Singh attacked Poonch with the intention of conquering all these areas, Raja Sherbaz Khan, without offering any resistance, peacefully annexed his territory to Ranjit Singh's ing this, Ranjit Singh laid siege to the pivotal Poonch fort, which was under the control of Raja Ruhullah.

However, during the siege, burdensome rains began, rendering many of Ranjit Singh's cannons and guns unusable. Meanwhile, Raja Ruhullah's forces launched intense bombardment from the fort, forcing Ranjit Singh to retreat from central Poonch Ranjit Singh's forces withdrew and reached the Plangi area on the Sudhnoti border, they encountered the mountain chieftains of Sudhnoti, led by Sardar Shams Khan himself.

A fierce battle ensued between the forces of Sudhnoti and Ranjit Singh. Due to the earlier rains, many of Ranjit Singh's cannons and guns were already damaged, and they could not withstand the sudden and powerful assault by the mountain chieftains of Sudhnoti.

According to Sardar Suba Khan, the writer of Maakhaz-e- Sudhnoti, the First Sikh- Sudhnoti War at Plangi lasted only four this little battle, the mountain chieftains of Sudhnoti killed eight hundred of Ranjit Singh's soldiers and three hundred mules.

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The relentless attack by the mountain chieftains left Ranjit Singh's already exhausted army no time to regroup, and within four hours, Ranjit Singh's morale tely, Ranjit Singh was forced to flee towards Rajouri, abandoning two of his mountain cannons and twenty-two sacks of grain on the battlefield at Plangi.

After collecting the spoils of war, the mountain chieftains, under the direct of Sardar Shams-Ud-Din Khan, returned to the borders of Sudhnoti and awaited another attack from Ranjit Singh for twenty days. However, due to the significant loss of life and resources in this battle at the borders of central Poonch and Sudhnoti, Ranjit Singh refrained from even looking towards Kashmir for the next four and a half years, from mid to ^[9]

Sikh-Sudhan Peace Treaty

Following the First Sikh-Sudhnoti War at Plangi in mid, Ranjit Singh spent the next four and a half years gathering his full power.

In , he eventually subdued Kashmir in the Battle of Shopian. After securing Kashmir, Ranjit Singh turned his attention towards Poonch, where Raja Sherbaz Khan was still the ruler. As he had done in mid, Raja Sherbaz Khan once again declared his allegiance to the Sikh Empire without offering any resistance, and he had also taken control of central Poonch following the death of Raja time, Ranjit Singh annexed Poonch with- out any battle.

Afterward, instead of launching any attacks on the mountain chieftains of Sudhnoti or the independent tribes that had gained freedom from the square-mile state of Poonch, Ranjit Singh focused on consolidat- ing his control over Jammu, Kashmir, and Poonch.

Consequently, the Sikh Empire swiftly established its complete dominance over Kashmir, Jammu, and ing this, the Sikh Empire granted a jagir (land grant) in Jammu to Gulab Singh's father which after his death, passed on to Gulab Singh.

Shortly thereafter, Ranjit Singh also granted the Poonch jagir to Raja Dhian Singh, who was the Prime Minister of the Sikh Empire and Gulab Singh's brother. According to Maakhaz-s-Sudhnoti by Sardar Suba Khan, during the coronation ceremony of the Poonch jagir held at the Sikh Empire's court in Lahore, Prime Minister Dhian Singh pleaded with Maharaja Ranjit Singh, saying:"Maharaja, | am ready to sacrifice my parents for you.

If you command, the remaining areas of the square-mile Poonch region, which Emperor Akbar had officially granted to Raja Sirajuddin with his signature and seal in , and which later fell under Afghan control but is now under the control of Maharaja Bahadur Ranjit Singh, could also be brought under the control of this great Sikh Empire." Sardar Suba Khan notes that Dhian Singh made this statement during the coronation of the Poonch jagir because, prior to this, Ranjit Singh had granted Gulab Singh the jagir of Jammu without any official documentation, only through a universal declaration.

However, Dhian Singh needed official documents from the Sikh Empire for these jagirs. Since only square miles of the square-mile Poonch region were under the control of independent tribes, and the remaining square miles were already under the manage of the Sikh Empire, Dhian Singh had no concern about the square-mile area of Poonch.

Instead, he strategically made this statement at the right hour to achieve his objectives, and his request hit the the same ceremony, Ranjit Singh announced that the remaining areas of Poonch would also be subjugated, and the necessary documents for the related jagir would be secured.

Consequently, Ranjit Singh signed and sealed the documents for the Poonch and J astrota jagirs and granted them to Raja Dhian Poonch jagir, which the Mughals had officially demarcated as a square-mile region and granted to their newly converted Muslim soldier Raja Sirajuddin in , had remained under Afghan control from to The Afghans also kept it under the same family's administration.

After the Sikh Empire established its direct over the region in , it formally granted the square-mile Poonch jagir to Prime Minister Raja Dhian Singh in This square-mile jagir of Poonch included areas that are now part of both Azad Kashmir and the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, specifically:

- Tehsil Haveli

- Tehsil Mandi

- Tehsil Mendhar

- Tehsil Surankot

- Tehsil Mankot

These areas, which currently constitute the Poonch district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, cover a total area of 1, square kilometers ( square miles).

This square-mile region is part of the former square-mile Poonch state, now known asthe Poonch district of Indian-administered Jammu & , based on administrative divisions, the government of Indian-administered Jammu & Kashmir incorporated certain areas of the former square-mile Poonch state into Rajouri district.

These included the square-mile border regions of Mendhar, Surankot, and Balakot, which were previously part of Poonch.

The bank is also one of the countries major providers of microfinance. It has a large focus on clients that are herdsman with solely movable assets. Khan Bank was established in as the Agricultural Bank of Mongolia and was owned by herdsman and farmers until in where it privatized and renamed as Khan Bank. Khan Bank went into crisis in as corruption and mismanagement impaired its liquidity and financial position and eventually lead to the Government of Mongolia and the Central Bank reinvested jointly in and privatizing the institution towards the s.

Asa consequence, out of square miles, square miles of the former Poonch state are now part of Indian-administered Jammu & Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir, several areas also relate to the former Poonch mention including:

-District Bagh: Out of the total area of square kilometers ( square miles), square miles were part of the former Poonch state.

-District Poonch: Out of the total area of square kilometers ( square miles), the square-mile region of Tehsil Abbaspur was part of the former Poonch state.

-District Haveli: The entire area of Square miles Is also part of the former Poonch mention.

-District Kotli: Out of the total area of 1, square kilometers ( square miles), square miles, including Tehsil Nakiyal and Fatehpur Thakiala, were part of the former Poonch state. District Hattian: Out of the total area of square kilometers ( square miles), Square miles, including Tehsil Chikar Gari Dupatta, was part of the former Poonch state.

Thus, the former Poonch state, established with these boundaries in and later granted as a jagir to Prime Minister Raja Dhian Singh by the Sikh Empire in , still encompasses square miles of what is now part of Azad Kashmir, including District Kotli, District Bagh, District Poonch, District Haveli, and District Hattian.

These areas have been part of the square-mile Poonch state since On 10th January , Ranjit Singh formally granted the square-mile Poonch jagir to Dhian Singh. During the coronation of this jagir, Dhian Singh requested Ranjit Singh's permission to subdue the independent tribes occupying the remaining square miles of the Poonch express and the square-mile area of Sudhnoti ruled by the mountain chieftains.

This led to the decision to bring these areas under the control of the Sikh Empire, which ultimately resulted in the Sikh-Sudhnoti Peace Treaty. Sardar Suba Khan, the creator of Maakhaz-eSudhnoti, writes that after 10th January , Ranjit Singh personally led an army of 60, troops and camped at RawalpindiKahuta, known as the gateway to Sudhnoti on 24th February Here, Ranjit Singh assessed the strength of the mountain chieftains of Sudhnoti, as he had previously been defeated by them at the Sudhnoti border in mid This _ time, employing a more strategic approach, he halted at Kahuta and launched a _ heavy bombardment with cannons on the areas under Sudhnoti's control.

The sheer size of the army and _ its artillery and modern weaponry instilled fear and panic among the mountain chieftains and the other independent tribes of Poonch. According to Sardar Suba Khan, the author of "Maakhaz-e-Sudhnoti, tracking the over-whelming display of oblige by Ranjit Singh at Kahuta, the tribes of Poonch that had earlier rebelled against the Poonch State and established their own independent rule over a square-mile area came forward on 25th February and declared their allegiance to Ranjit Singh.

In response, Ranjit Singh reincorporated this Square-mile territory back into the State of Poonch, keeping it within Dhian Singh's jagir. At that time, the remaining square miles of the Sudhnoti region were still outside the direct of the Sikh Empire.

This area was governed by fifteen small independent mountain chieftains of the Sadozai Sudhan tribe, led by Sardar Shams Khan. Upon learning of Ranjit Singh's encampment at Kahuta, Sardar Shams Khan convened a Loya jirga of these chieftains at Qila Mang to discuss whether to involve in battle or submit to the Sikh Empire.

They realized that the total military ability of the Sudhnoti chieftains was only around 4, soldiers, with the remainder being peasant fighters who lacked even their hold ride. Given the circumstances, the chieftains decided that if a peace agreement could be reached with the Sikh Empire, it would be acceptable; otherwise, they would rely on divine intervention and fight in the designate of God, regardless of the outcome.

Following this unanimous judgment, Sardar Shams Khan sent his envoy to Ranjit Singh's Muslim diplomat and Foreign Minister, Fagir Azizuddin, offering to bring Sudhnoti under the control of the Sikh Empire through a accord agreement.

It is important to note that in ancient times, peace agreements were a acknowledged legal practice in the Indian subcontinent. Whenever a state approved the authority of an empire without engaging in battle, it was required to pay drop taxes compared to states subdued through force, and the local rulers were allowed to retain their positions of power.

When Fagir Azizuddin presented the Sudhnoti chieftains' request for a tranquility agreement to Ranjit Singh, he gladly accepted it. The accord treaty between the Sudhnoti chieftains and Ranjit Singh was subsequently formalized at the location acknowledged as Holar, which Is also referred to as Bab-e-Sudhnoti in present-day Azad Kashmir.

The main article of the treaty stated:

1. Leadership and Representation: Sardar Shams Khan would retain his position as the head of the fifteen mountain chieftains of Sudhnoti and be given official representation in the Sikh Empire's Lahore court.

Shams-Ud-Din Khan was former governor of Poonch Jagir and influential zamindar of Sudhanoti subdivision and head of the Sudhan tribe and former confidential follower of Raja Dhyan Singh who led the Poonch Revolt against princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. InShams Khan returned to Poonch and began to take charge once again. At around the same time, the Yusufzai began a revolt, distracting the Sikhs and the public figure of the DograsGulab Singh. Rumors of a Sikh defeat began to spread, which in shift began the rise of clashes throughout Poonch between the locals and Sikh garrisons.

Sardar Shams Khan, along with his entire family of seventy members, would reside in Lahore and supervise the affairs of Sudhnoti from there, including the collection of taxes. He would only be allowed to visit Sudhnoti after earning the full trust of the Sikh Empire, but he could inform the Lahore court and travel there with his seventy family members whenever necessary.

As per this agreement, Sardar Shams Khan, along with his seventy family members, was required to relocate from Qila Mang to the Lahore court of the Sikh Empire. Following the agreement, Ranjit Singh appointed Fagir Azizuddin as the head of a delegation, which included Dhian Singh, Sardar Shams Khan, the fifteen Sudhnoti chieftains, and ten other ministers and advisors of the Sikh Empire.

The delegation was tasked with determining a tax amount for Sudhnoti based on population. According to Sardar Suba Khan, the delegation put an annual tax of 10, rupees, which Sardar Shams Khan was to collect from the fifteen entities of Sudhnoti.

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The internal autonomy of Sudhnoti was preserved under the agreement, including control over the forts, judiciary, policing, and the collection of taxes. After these arrangements were finalized with Sardar Shams Khan, the Sikh Empire instructed him to hand over the collected taxes from Sudhnoti to the Prime Minister of the Sikh Empire, Raja Dhian Singh, in Lahore.

Sardar Shams Khan diligently fulfilled his duties under the peace agreement from 28th February to 5th April ^[10]

The Intergration of Sudhnoti into Poonch jagir

The context of the Sikh-Sudhnoti Peace Agreement, it is stated that on 28th February , the State of Sudhanoti (state) accepted the authority of the Sikh Empire through a peace treaty.

Under this treaty, Sardar Shams Khan was required to pay an annual tax of 10, rupees from Sudhnoti to the Sikh Empire. Sardar Shams Khan diligently fulfilled his responsibilities in the Sikh Empire's Lahore court from 28 February to 5 April His truth and high character impressed the Sikh Empire's Prime Minister, Raja Dhian Singh.

Meanwhile, the mountain chieftains of Sudhnoti were also pleased with Sardar Shams Khan's r, during the thirteen years from to , significant changes took place within the Sikh Empire. The Dogra brothers, Gulab Singh and Mian Dhian Singh, gained considerable power during this _ period, enabling them to manipulate the Sikh court for their own interests.

The Dogra brothers devised a plan to incorporate the State of Sudhnoti, which had been under guide control of the Sikh Empire since , into their jagirs by first eliminating Sardar Shams Khan. They began by feeding Maharaja Ranjit Singh false reports of rebellion in Sudhnoti, attribut-ing the unrest to Sardar Shams Khan's incom-petence.

Without informing Sardar Shams Khan, they began constructing military posts in Sudhnoti in early March , which was a direct violation of Sudhnoti's internal autonomy and when Gulab Singh and Dhian Singh, started building military posts in Sudhnoti, the mountain chieftains of Sudhnoti halted the construction.

This led to a skirmish between the Sudhozai chieftains of Sudhnoti and the Sikh army, resulting in the death of twenty Sikh soldiers, while the remaining Sikh forces retreated towards the incident, messengers from the mountain chieftains of Sudhnoti traveled to Lahore to inform Sardar Shams Khan about the construction of the military posts and the ensuing conflict.

Sardar Shams Khan sent a message back to the chieftains, instructing them not to take any further action without consulting him, assuring them that he would address the issue at the Lahore court. He expressed confidence that no military posts would be built in Sudhnoti and emphasized the importance of not taking any move without his approval.

The messengers returned to Sudhnoti with this ile, the Dogra brothers had already informed Ranjit Singh of a rebellion in Sudhnoti. Ranjit Singh summoned Sardar Shams Khan to inquire about the incident. Sardar Shams Khan explained the situation, stating that the Dogra brothers had started constructing military posts in Sudhnoti without informing the local chieftains, leading to a confrontation.

He clarified that there was no rebellion, but rather a misunderstanding due to the unauthorized construction of the posts. Ranjit Singh, somewhat angered, asked, "So, if we create military posts in Sudhnoti, will the chieftains now attack us?" Sardar Shams Khan firmly replied that such actions would be in direct violation of the peace treaty, which guaranteed Sudhnoti's internal autonomy.

Ranjit Singh then summoned the Dogra brothers to explain the situation. The Dogra brothers, adding more falsehoods, claimed that soldiers stationed at the border between Poonch and Sudhnoti had wandered into Sudhnoti while hunting and were attacked by the chieftains, resulting in the death of twenty soldiers.

They argued that the internal autonomy of Sudhnoti was emboldening other states and that the people of Sudhnoti had become increasingly rebellious. They suggested limiting Sardar Shams Khan's powers, a wedding offer that Ranjit Singh found amiable.

According to Sardar Suba Khan, the author of “Maakhaz Sudhnoti’, Ranjit Singh subsequently ordered the Dogra brothers to limit Sudhnoti's internal autonomy and construct military posts there. On 5th April , the Dogra brothers, along with more than thirty thousand Sikh soldiers, advanced towards Sudhnoti.

In their presence, police stations and military posts were established in all the towns and villages of Sudhnoti. The mountain chieftains of Sudhnoti promptly informed Sardar Shams Khan of these developments, who then advised them to remain silent and not take any action.

Although the chieftains complied with Sardar Shams Khan's orders, it was beyond their tolerance, as there had been no Sikh or Dogra military posts in Sudhnoti before 5th April Under the tranquility treaty, Sudhnoti enjoyed complete internal autonomy, with its only obligation to the Sikh Empire existence the payment of taxes based on population.

However, after 5th April , when Sudhnoti's internal autonomy was revoked and it was incorporated into Poonch, the construction of Sikh military posts and police stations began, similar to those in other parts of the Sikh Empire. Seeing the situation, a delegation of mountain chieftains from Sudhnoti once again traveled to Lahore to meet Sardar Shams Khan.

He advised them to remain patient, strong, and united, assuring them that he would do everything possible to preserve Sudhnoti's internal autonomy. He also promised that if he failed, he would soon leave Lahore with his family and join them in Sudhnoti, but instructed them not to take any action before his return.

However despite Sardar Shams Khan's best efforts, he ultimately not only faced mistake in his attempts to maintain Sudhnoti's autonomy from all sides, but he was also told by the Prime Minister of the Sikh Empire, Raja Dhian Singh, that Sudhnoti had now been merged into Poonch under the orders of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and that Poonch and Sudhnoti had been made a single unit.

Therefore, the tax collector (Malia Dar) of Poonch, Diwan Dilbagh Rai, would now also collect taxes from Sudhnoti, as Sudhnoti was now part of Poonch, and since Diwan Dilbagh Rai was the Malia Dar (tax collector) of Poonch, he would now be responsible for tax collection in Sudhnoti as well.

Thus, you should now work in cooperation with him. Following this, Sardar Shams Khan, along with his family, made the firm decision to rebel against the Lahore Durbar and flee from it, which will be discussed further in the context of the second Sikh-Sudhnoti war.

Here, a little historical background is provided regarding the merger of the Pakhtun state of Sudhnoti, established in , into the jagir of Poonch, established in , on the 5th of April, ^[11]

Second Sikh-Sudhan War

On 28th February , the State of Sudhnoti standard the sovereignty of the Sikh Empire through a peace contract.

This agreement maintained Sudhnoti's internal autonomy, the criminal justice system in the fort of Kot, the leadership of Sudhnoti's fifteen units, and the collection of taxes from Sudhnoti remained under the control of Sardar Shams Khan Abakhel Sadozai.

Due to the subjugation by the Sikh Empire, Sardar Shams Khan had to pay an annual tax of 10, rupees to the Sikh court in Lahore. Initially, Sardar Shams Khan, along with seventy members of his family, had to reside in the Sikh court in Lahore because, under the peace agreement, Sardar Shams Khan and his family were made guarantors for the annual tax from the fifteen units of Sudhnoti.

However, after two years, when Sardar Shams gained the trust of the Sikh Empire, the rest of his sixty family members were allowed to return to their ancestral village of Dhaman in Sudhnoti. Subsequently, he continued to live in the Sikh court in Lahore with his immediate family and ten Sudhan guards along with four Sikh guards provided by the Sikh 5th April , when the internal autonomy of Sudhnoti was abolished and the Sikh Empire annexed the state into the Poonch region, and Diwan Dalbagh Rai's influence began to grow, Sardar Shams Khan abruptly separated from the court and returned to his ancestral village of Dhaman in Sudhnoti.

Upon his repay , he convened a *Loya J irga* in the Dipri Fort of Dhaman, where all the chieftains of Sudhnoti took an oath to fight and resist the Sikh Empire. The choice was made to go to war against the Sikh Empire. When the Sikh army learned of this *Loya Jirga* in Dnhaman, they launched an invade on the village via Kotli, marking the beginning of the Second Sikh-Sudhnoti War.

The battle spread from Sardar Shams Khan's ancestral village of Dnaman to the forts of Sudhnoti. Within days, Sardar Shams Khan's forces had liberated the entire Sudhnoti from Sikh control and advanced towards Poonch. During this moment, the tribes of Poonch, which had rebelled against the primary authority of Poonch in and established their small independent states over an area of square miles but later submitted to the Sikh Empire out of fear in , also rose in rebellion against the Sikhs.

In response to Sardar Shams Khan's growing victories, the Sikh Empire dispatched three armies, each comprising 5, troops, under Generals Udham Singh, Labh Singh, and Zorawar Singh, to counter Sardar Shams Khan. However, like the First Sikh-Sudhnoti War, the Sikh army faced consecutive defeats on twenty-two fronts across Sudhnoti, Poonch, and a result of these defeats, Sudhnoti captured the entire Poonch estate and half of the Jammu estate.

The composer of “Maakhaz-eSudhnoti’, Sardar Suba Khan, notes that 3, Sikh soldiers were killed in the Second Sikh-Sudhnoti War, with the heaviest casualties occurring in the Battle of Badi Galla, which was part of Sardar Shams Khan's ancestral land in Dhaman.

Badi Galla was the area of the Sabz Ali Khan and Sardar Mili Khan neighborhood and was Sardar Shams Khan's birthplace. In the Battle of Badi Galla, the Sikh forces suffered the most significant losses, with approximately 1, Sikh soldiers killed.

The battlefield was so bloody that the streams and ravines in the area ran red with blood for several days. Following this bloodshed, the area, previously known as Badi Galla, became known as Ratt Galla or Ratt Na Galla (Ratt meaning blood in the local language).

The name change occurred due to the intense bloodshed that took place text provides evidence of this that the author of Maakhaz-e-Sudhnuti, the last ruler of Sudhnuti, Sardar Suba Khan, continued writing Maakhaz-e-Sudhnuti until AD.

Additionally, the Hindu writer of “Gulab Nama” writes that Sardar Shams Khan, a notorious leader of the Sudhan tribe, not only massacred Sikh soldiers but also ordinary Sikhs and Hindus. Sardar Shams Khan, during the Second Sikh-Sudhnuti War, brutally killed many unborn Sikh and Hindu children by slitting the wombs of pregnant women, preventing these children from being born.

Furthermore, Sardar Suba Khan, an eyewitness of the Second Sikh-Sudhnuti War, writes in “Maakhaz-e-Sudhnoti” that out of the 25 battlefronts in this war, Sudhnuti emerged victorious in 22 of them. During this war, Sardar Shams Khan seized 22 small and large forts and outposts from the Sikh Empire's army within two months.

In addition to this, around 3, Sikh soldiers and 5, of their mules were killed, while on the other side, 1, Sadozai Sudhan soldiers and mules were also killed. In summary, like the First Sikh-Sudhnuti War, Sudhnuti emerged victorious in the Second Sikh-Sudhnuti War as well ^[12][13]

Third Sikh-Sudhan War

On the 5th of April, , when the Sikh Empire attempted to annex the Articulate of Sudhnoti into the Poonch estate, the ruler of Sudhnoti, Sardar Shams Khan Abakhel Sadozai, rebelled against the Sikh Empire.

This rebellion led to the Second Sikh-Sudhnoti War. After Sudhnoti's victory in this war, it gained control over most of the regions up to Jammu, including the Poonch estate.

Shamsh Kassim-Lakha is the Founding President of the Aga Khan University, the first private university chartered in Pakistan. He led the planning, building and operation of this institution for 27 years in seven countries of Asia, Africa, and in the Joined Kingdom.

The author of “Maakhaz Sudhnoti, Sardar Suba Khan, writes that during the Third Sikh-Sudhnoti War, the State of Sudhnoti had taken control of 15 of its forts and 7 additional forts in Poonch and Jammu. Thus, Sudhnoti now had a total of 22 forts, for which Sardar Shams Khan increased his army from 7, to 16, soldiers and stationed them as needed in these forts.

After that Sardar Shams Khan also got significant amplify in the annual tax from Sidhnoti which was during the peace agreement, Rs. 10, per annum but now he poised Rs. , in taxes from the conquered regions of Poonch and Jammu in just two months and ten days.

This was because Sardar Shams Khan urgently needed money and a larger army, which forced him to take such steps. However, this aggressive tax collection angered even his Muslim tribal supporters in Poonch and Jammu, who started looking for ways to rid themselves of Sardar Shams Khan.

The author of “Maakhaz-d-Sudhnoti” writes that due to this aggressive tax collection, Sardar Shams Khan had to fight wars on both internal and external fronts. On the other hand, seeing Sardar Shams Khan's growing victories, the Sikh Empire abandoned its military campaigns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other regions to wage a decisive war against him.

This war was led by the bravest General of the Sikh Empire, Gulab Singh, who commanded an army of 60, soldiers with 50 generals under his d of directly attacking Sudhnoti, General Gulab Singh first camped in Kahuta, recognizable as the gateway to Sudhnoti, for two months.

There, he began by aligning with the Muslim tribes who were angered by Sardar Shams Khan's dense tax collection. These were the same tribes from Poonch and Jammu from whom Sardar Shams Khan had collected Rs. , in taxes within two months and ten days. By the end of the two months, Gulab Singh had successfully turned many Muslims in Poonch and Jammu against Sardar Shams Khan.

After this, the Sikh army crossed the J helum River, attacked the Sudhnoti fort of Aain and then Mang, and launched a simultaneous attack on all four forts considered the capitals of Sudhnoti using mountain cannons. Although the Sudhnoti army resisted for a month, 14, soldiers were killed in the battlefield.

Consequently, Sardar Shams Khan had to flee from the Mang Fort, and along with of his companions, took refuge in Sudran with Raja Sherbaz Khan, the former ruler of Poonch. Raja Sherbaz Khan was the same ruler who, after twice surrendering without resistance, had been given the rule over a small estate of villages by the Sikh Empire.

When Sardar Shams Khan conquered most of Poonch and Jammu, he did not attack Sardar Sherbaz Khan's estate, considering it a Muslim estate. In return for this favor, Raja Sherbaz Khan secretly sheltered Sardar Shams Khan in his estate of Sudran and assured him of assistance in reassembling his scattered army to fight the Sikh Empire again.

However, the Sikh Empire did not give Sardar Shams Khan the time to recover for a third time. On the other hand, the Sikh army continued its attacks on Sudhnoti. During one such battle, Sardar Sabz Ali Khan's army came under heavy fire from mountain cannons, resulting in Sardar Sabz Ali Khan, Sardar Mili Khan, and other Sadozai chiefs being severely wounded and left in a critical condition.

When these prominent generals of Sudhnoti fell into the hands of the Sikh army, their skins were brutally flayed while they were still alive. After the death of Sudhnotii's renowned generals, Sardar Sabz Ali Khan and Mili Khan, the morale of the Sikh army, led by General Gulab Singh, soared.

Gulab Singh then announced that any soldier who brought the leader of a Sudhan man, girl, elder, or child would be rewarded with five rupees per head. Following this announcement, the Sikh soldiers beheaded 3, Sudhan men and women. During this time, the Sikh army also discovered the hiding place of Sardar Shams Khan.

General Gulab Singh sent a letter with a messenger to Raja Sherbaz Khan of Sudran, threatening that if Sardar Snams Khan was not handed over to them, Raja Sherbaz Khan should get ready to have his skin flayed like that of the generals Sardar Sabz Ali Khan and Sardar Mili Khan.

Upon receiving this threatening letter, Raja Sherbaz Khan was gripped with apprehension . That very night, he had his troubled guest, Sardar Shams Khan, martyred in his slumber and sent his body to the Sikh General Gulab Singh, securing his own safety.

After the death of Sardar Shams Khan, the Sudhnoti resistance movement collapsed, leading to the descent of Sudhnoti. For along period after, Sudhnoti remained under the control of the Sikh Empire. The author of “Maakhaz-eSudhnoti’, Sardar Suba Khan, who directly participated in the Third Sikh-Sudhnoti War and was a Dewan of Sudhnoti under the rule of Sardar Shams Khan, recounts this in his writings.

Sardar Suba Khan whose father was the cousin of Sardar Shams Khan's father, writes that in the Third Sikh-Sudhnoti War, 14, Sadozai Sudhan soldiers and 3, other Sadozai Sudhan farmers were martyred on the battlefield. Additionally, 1, women, children, and elders also attained martyrdom in this war.

The Sikh army captured 5, Sadozai Sudhans, including 2, children and women. After this war, Sudhnoti completely fell under the control of the Sikh Empire. ^[14][15]

Biography

In , Shams Khan returned to Poonch and began to take charge once again.

At around the same time, the Yusufzai began a revolt, distracting the Sikhs and the commander of the Dogras, Gulab Singh. Rumors of a Sikh defeat began to spread, which in turn began the rise of clashes throughout Poonch between the locals and Sikh garrisons.

Gulab Singh gained intelligence that Shams Khan was behind this, and called for the arrest of him and his family. Shams eluded the chasing authorities.^[7][16][8]

After this, an all-out rebellion broke out.

The local Muslim tribes too joined the Sudhans and began massing their armies. Gulab Singh ordered his son Ottam Singh to suppress the revolt before it grew further in energy. Ottam Singh arrived with a Dogra force of five thousand troops, but was defeated by rebels commandeered by Shams and his lieutenants.

The prince himself was able to escape with some remnants of the army, but now Poonch was laid bare to the rebels.^[7][16][8]

Assaults over local forts began, resulting in great success. The garrisons were caught off-guard, ill-prepared, and fell to the attacking rebel armies.

Some soldiers of the garrisons, whom had previously treated the locals with cruelty were trim up and their corpses fed to dogs.^{[7][16][8][17]}

Following the defeats, Gulab Singh quickly forced the Yusufzai into peace, and then marched to Kahuta, where he raised an army of eight thousand regular infantry and twelve thousand irregulars.

Though Gulab had raised a sizeable and professional army, he chose not to hire the rebellion immediately to minimize the number of Dogra casualties. He focused on bribing local sardars of the various tribes and the many enemies of Shams, promising lavish rewards or positions of power if they betrayed Shams and the Sudhan-led rebels.

This either neutralized them as foes, or turned a small number to his side completely, resulting in them aiding Gulab with either information or later fighting against the rebels. Thus Gulab had successfully incited treachery within some ranks of the rebellion.^[7][16][8]

After this, Gulab made his way to Poonch through Jhelum, and after some initial victories against local tribes, he paved way towards the Sudhan heartland, aiming to defeat the Sudhans who were both the leaders of the rebellion and made up the majority of its forces.

Major clashes occurred at Pallandri, Pallangi, Pachhiot, Paral, Panthal, Baral, Narian and Chokian, alongside smaller clashes in other areas. The deadliest battle occurred in the Sudhan stronghold of Mong, where the local Sudhans both dealt and received serious casualties.

Although the rebels temporarily pushed out occupying Dogra forces in some areas, with the aid of Sikh reinforcements, Gulab counterattacked and overwhelmed the rebels. Many Sudhan commanders and notables were captured, including two sardars (scions) Malli Khan and Sabaz Ali Khan, whom alongside Shams were at the head of both the tribe and the rebellion.

Thus the remaining rebels had also lost key leaders.^[7][16][8]

To spread terror throughout the ranks of the rebels, Gulab Singh devastated all captured territories, permitting total plunder and terror in great excess.

He also arrange a reward of five rupees for the head of every insurgent and anyone that was connected to him, regardless of age or gender. The remaining rebels were outmatched both in number and arms. Realizing the hopelessness of the situation, the rebellion collapsed as the rebels raced to protect their possess families.

Though the majority of the local population managed to escape Gulab's forces by taking refuge in nearby hills, their homes were looted, fields destroyed and cattle seized. Those who could not escape were either massacred or enslaved.^[7][16][8]

Shams Khan had evaded arrest up to this point, but eventually had his hiding place exposed to the Dogras.

He was beheaded, alongside his nephew Rajwali. As a result, any remnants of the rebellion ended as the main leader of the Sudhans and the rebels was now gone. The heads of Shams and his nephew were later deposit in two cages of iron at the very top of the Adha Dek pass.

Shams-Ud-Din Khan was governor of Poonch and chief of the Sudhan clan, at the time the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir was ruled by Gulab Singh. [2] [3] He was an influential zamindar of Poonch District, Pakistan, headman of the Sudhans and the leader of the Poonch Revolt.

The captured sardars Sabz Ali Khan and Malli Khan were flayed alive, alongside other commanders and notable members of the Sudhans and other rebellious tribes. As all ring leaders were now either dead or captured, any remaining insurgents now in hiding, alongside no remaining resistance, the argue was concluded and Gulab withdrew his forces.^[7][16][8]

Though the majority of the local populace of Poonch and the Sudhans had survived by taking refuge in the hills, they returned home to barren fields and ransacked homes, alongside the deaths or disappearances of many relatives, including non-combatants and those who had nothing to do with the rebellion.

The cruelty shown by the Dogra forces was not forgotten, with British contemporaries being appalled at the treatment of the rebellious tribes and the people of Poonch as a whole by Gulab. In , after the Dogra Kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir was created and became a princely state of the British, Gulab Singh was forced to address the issue of his cruelty.

You can edit almost every page by Creating an account. Otherwise, observe the FAQ. Shams Khan the head-men of the Sudhan tribe. Singh made Kahuta his headquarter to deal with Sudhan insurgents.

He claimed that the conduct of him and his forces were vengeance for the treatment the rebels imposed upon Dogra garrisons, and that he had only flayed alive three ring-leaders, though the locals claimed otherwise. To appease the British, he requested an advisor by whose counsel he would avoid further tyrannical action.^[18]

Notes

References