Zakariya Khan Bahadur

Last updated

Zakariyyā Khān
زکریا خان
Bahadur
Zakariya Khan Bahadur, Subahdar (governor) of Lahore subah (province) resting, detail from a 19th century Sikh drawing.jpg
Detail of Zakariya Khan Bahadur leisuring from a 19th century Sikh drawing
Subahdār of Lahore
In office
1726–1745

Zakariya Khan (died 1745), alternatively spelt as Zakaria Khan, was the Mughal Empire's subahdar of the Lahore Subah from 1726, succeeding his father, Abd al-Samad Khan, in the post.

Contents

He was descended from the Ansari family of Panipat. [1] He continued and extended his father's policy of severe persecution of Sikhs, and thousands of Sikhs were killed during his period in the post, especially during the Chhota Ghallughara. [2] [3]

Biography

Zakariya Khan Bahadur being hit by a Singh's shoe, detail from a 19th century Sikh drawing Zakariya Khan Bahadur, Subahdar (governor) of Lahore subah (province) being hit by a Singh's shoe, detail from a 19th century Sikh drawing.jpg
Zakariya Khan Bahadur being hit by a Singh's shoe, detail from a 19th century Sikh drawing

Zakriya Khan was given control of Lahore by Persian Emperor Nader Shah during his invasion of the Mughal Empire in 1738 in return for annual tribute payments to the Persian crown. [4] He continued the persecution of Sikhs and appointed Salabat Khan to block Amritsar and not allowing Sikhs to worship there. Zakaria Khan condemned the religious martyr, Haqiqat Rai, to death. [5] According to prominent early Sikh historian Ratan Singh Bhangu, in response to having his scalp torn off, Bhai Taru Singh cursed Zakaria Khan, saying he would be killed by his shoes. According to Sikh sources, after cutting Bhai Taru Singh's scalp, Zakaria Khan was stricken with unbearable pain and the inability to urinate. As a last resort, Khan sent an apology to the Khalsa Panth for his persecution of Sikhs and begged for forgiveness. It was suggested that if Khan hit himself with Singh's shoes, his condition might be lifted. Although it would cure Khan of his condition, he died 22 days later from having hit himself with the shoes, just as Singh predicted. Salabat Khan was killed in an encounter with Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and Sikhs liberated Amritsar in March 1748. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batala</span> City in Punjab, India

Batala is the eighth largest city in the state of Punjab, India in terms of population after Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Bathinda, Mohali and Hoshiarpur. Batala ranks as the second-oldest city after Bathinda. It is a municipal corporation in Gurdaspur district in the Majha region of the state of Punjab, India. It is located about 32 km from Gurdaspur, the headquarters of the district. It is also a Police District. Batala holds the status of the most populated town of the district with 31% of the total population of district. It is the biggest industrial town in the district. Batala is the centre of the Majha region of Punjab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dal Khalsa (Sikh Army)</span> Sikh military confederation during the 18th century in Punjab

Dal Khalsa was the name of the combined military forces of 11 Sikh misls that operated in the 18th century (1735–1799) in the Punjab region. The military force was established by Nawab Kapur Singh in the mid 1730s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhai Mani Singh</span> 18th-century Sikh religious leader and martyr

Bhai Mani Singh was an 18th-century Sikh scholar and martyr. He was a childhood companion of Guru Gobind Singh and took the vows of Sikhism when the Guru inaugurated the Khalsa in March 1699. Soon after that, the Guru sent him to Amritsar to take charge of Harmandir Sahib, which had been without a custodian since 1696. He took control and steered the course of Sikh destiny at a critical stage in Sikh history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haqiqat Rai</span> Martyr for the cause of Sikh Religion

Haqiqat Rai Bakhmal Puri was an 18th-century martyr from Sialkot, who was executed in Lahore during the time of Zakariya Khan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Majha</span> Region in the central parts of the historical Punjab region

Majha is a region located in the central parts of the historical Punjab region split between India and Pakistan. It extends north from the right banks of the river Beas, and reaches as far north as the river Jhelum. People of the Majha region are given the demonym "Mājhī" or "Majhail". Most inhabitants of the region speak the Majhi dialect, which is the basis of the standard register of the Punjabi language. The most populous city in the area is Lahore on the Pakistani side, and Amritsar on the Indian side of the border.

Guru Nanak founded the Sikh faith in the Punjab region of the northern part of the Indian subcontinent in the end of fifteenth century. He was first of the ten Sikh Gurus. The tenth, Guru Gobind Singh, formalised its practices on 13 April 1699. He baptised five Sikh people from different parts of India, with different social backgrounds, to form Khalsa fauj. Those five Beloved Ones, the Pañj Piārē, then baptised him into the Khalsa fold. This gives the order of Khalsa a history of around 500 years. Historical theory and analysis suggests that Sikhism came into existence during the early Medieval period of the Bhakti movement and also after repeated invasions by Muslim rulers upon the Hindu community during Mughal rule, which lasted between especially in the region of North India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhai Taru Singh</span> 18th-century Sikh martyr

Bhai Taru Singh was a prominent Sikh martyr known for sacrificing his life, for protecting his Sikh values, by having had his head scalped rather than cutting his hair and converting to Islam.

<i>Chhota Ghallughara</i> 1746 genocide of Sikhs by the Mughal Empire

Chhota Ghallughara was a massacre of a significant proportion of the Sikh population by the Mughal Empire in 1746. Mughal army killed an estimated 7,000 Sikhs in these attacks while an additional 3,000 Sikhs were taken captive. Chhōtā Ghallūghārā is distinguished from the Vaddā Ghallūghārā, the greater massacre of 1762.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mehtab Singh Bhangu</span> Sikh warrior

Mehtab Singh was a Sikh warrior and martyr. He was the son of Hara Singh of Mirarikot, a Sikh of the Bhangu clan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afghan–Sikh Wars</span> 1748–1837 wars between the Afghan and Sikh empires

The Afghan–Sikh Wars spanned from 1748 to 1837 in the Indian subcontinent, and saw multiple phases of fighting between the Durrani Empire and the Sikh Empire, mainly in and around Punjab region. The conflict's origins stemmed from the days of the Dal Khalsa, and continued after the Emirate of Kabul succeeded the Durrani Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adina Beg</span>

Adina Mirza Beg Khan was a Punjabi general and administrator who served as the last governor of the Punjab region of the Mughal Empire, including the provinces of Lahore and of Multan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tara Singh Wan</span>

Bhai Tara Singh Wan was an eighteenth-century Sikh martyr. He was from the village of Wan, also known as Wan Tara Singh and Dall-Wan now in Tarn Taran district tehsil Bhikhiwind of the Eastern Punjab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaheed Ganj Mosque</span> Former mosque in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

Shaheed Ganj Mosque, originally named the Abdullah Khan Mosque, was a mosque in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The Mosque was commissioned in 1722 during the reign of Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah and built by Abdullah Khan construction was completed in 1753 during the reign of Ahmad Shah Bahadur. It was constructed next to the shrine of Pir Shah Kaku. Sikh rule began in 1762, the Gurdwara Bhai Taru Singh was built afterwards within the same grounds. The mosque site was under dispute during British rule, but was demolished by Sikhs on the night of 8 July 1935.

Gurudwara Buddha Johad(in Punjabi ਗੁਰੂਦੁਆਰਾ ਬੁੱਢਾ ਜੋਹੜ ,in Hindi and Rajasthani गुरूद्वारा बुड्ढा जोहड़)is a historical Gurudwara in Ganganagar district of Rajasthan, India. It was built in the remembrance of the event when Sukha Singh and Mehtab Singh brought here head of Massa Ranghar, who was guilty of sacrilege of Amritsar's Golden Temple.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baba Darbara Singh</span>

Baba Darbara Singh, also known as Diwan Darbara Singh, was second Jathedar of Budha Dal and third leader of the Akal Takht. He should not be confused with other Darbara Singh of Sirhind who fought in the Battle of Anandpur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian campaign of Ahmad Shah Durrani</span> Overview of 18th-century Afghan military conquests in India under Ahmad Shah Durrani

Ahmad Shah Durrani invaded the Indian subcontinent from the northwest eight times between 1748 and 1767. After the assassination of Nadir Shah, Ahmad Shah Durrani succeeded the throne of Afghanistan and started plundering wealth from nearby regions. His repeated incursions brought the Mughal empire to the brink of collapse and further dealt a major blow to Maratha dominions in the North at Panipat, creating a power vacuum. His objectives were met through the raids and caused political issues in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gurdwara Shaheed Bhai Taru Singh</span> Sikh temple in Lahore, Pakistan

Gurdwara Shaheed Bhai Taru Singh or Gurdwara Shahidi Asthan Bhai Taru Singh ji is a Sikh Gurdwara at Naulakha Bazaar in Lahore, Pakistan, which commemorates the spot where Bhai Taru Singh was executed. The shrine was built on the grounds of the Shaheed Ganj Mosque, leading to a legal dispute over ownership that began in 1850. British, and later Pakistani, courts upheld the right of Sikhs to maintain a place of worship at the site. While a settlement was being negotiated by British authorities, a group of Sikhs demolished the mosque on 7–8 July 1935, triggering communal riots. In December 2022, the official Gurdwara’s doors where locked by the local people was turned into a mosque.

The Battle of Basarke, also known as Battle of Basarke and Hujra Shah was fought on 23 October 1736 between the Sikh forces led by Nawab Kapur Singh and the Mughal forces led by Lakhpat Rai.

The Siege of Amritsar was a siege that took place on March 1748.The Battle was fought between the Sikhs led by Nawab Kapur Singh against the Mughal Forces lead by Salabat Khan.The Sikhs successfully defeated and killed Salabat Khan and conquered the city of Amritsar from the Mughals.

Samad Khan's Expedition against the Sikhs was an expedition of the Mughal Empire led by Samad Khan against the Sikhs led by Nawab Kapur Singh

References

  1. Charles Francis Massy (1890). Chiefs and Families of Note in the Delhi, Jalandhar, Peshawar and Derajat Divisions of the Panjab. Pioneer Press.
  2. The advanced study in history of the Punjab: Volume 1; G. S. Chhabra (1968), p 346
  3. Punjab district gazetteers, Volume 9, 1987, p 72
  4. bahādur.), Muḥammad Laṭīf (Saiyid, khān (1891). History of the Panjáb from the Remotest Antiquity to the Present Time. Calcutta Central Press Company, limited.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. Nirankari, Maan Singh (2008). Sikhism, a Perspective. Edited by Neelam Man Singh Chowdhry. Chandigarh: Unistar Books. p. 154. ISBN   81-7142-621-2. OCLC   289070938. 6. Hakikat Rai: He was born at Sialkot in 1781 B.S. or 1724 C.E. in a Kshtriya household of Bhagh Mal and his wife Kauran. He was married to Durga Devi daughter of a Sehajdhari Sikh Kishan Chand of Batala. He entered the Sikh faith through the inspiration of Bhai Budh Singh from Batala. When the Muslim ruler asked him to convert to Islam, he refused to obey his orders. As a result, this young boy was slaughtered under the orders of Khan Zakariya Khan, the Nawab of Lahore in 1741. A fair used to be organized on the day of Basant Panchmi in his memory at Lahore in the pre-partition days.
  6. Singha, Dr H. S. (2005). Sikh Studies. Hemkunt Press. ISBN   9788170102588.