Zakariya Khan Bahadur

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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
Governor of Lahore
In office
1726 –1 July 1745
Military service
Allegiance Mughal Empire
Branch/service Mughal Army
Battles/wars

Zakariya Khan (died 1 July 1745), alternatively spelt as Zakaria Khan, was the Mughal subahdar of the Lahore and Multan subahs from 1726 till his death in 1745, succeeding his father, Abd al-Samad Khan, at the both posts. He continued and extended his father's policy of severe persecution of Sikhs, and thousands of Sikhs were killed during his period and post his death, especially during the Chhota Ghallughara. [1] [2]

Contents

Early life

Zakaria Khan was Turkic on paternal side with origins in modern day Tashkent, his mother was probably descended from the Ansari family of Panipat. [3]

Administrative career

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]

Persecution of Sikhs

He continued the persecution of Sikhs and appointed Salabat Khan to block Amritsar and not allowing Sikhs to worship there. Zakaria Khan condemned the Hindu religious martyr, Haqiqat Rai, to death. [5] Zakaria Khan also dispatched a Mughal force that ended-up killing Tara Singh Wan. [6]

In the early part of the 1730s, Zakaria Khan attempted to broker peace with the Sikh rebels by offering a nawabship, jagir grant, and robe-of-honour from the Mughal emperor to the chosen leader of the Sikhs, with Kapur Singh being selected to receive this. [6] However, Sikh-Mughal relations soon broke down once again and Zakaria Khan continued his anti-Sikh policies with a greater level of intensity. [6]

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.

Death and successor

Zakariya Khan died in 1745 and was survived by three sons: Yahya Khan, Hayatullah Khan, and Mir Baqi. [7] Yahya Khan and Hayatullah Khan were at the imperial court at the time of the father's death whilst Mir Momin and Nimmat Khan were away on an expedition against the Hill States. [8]

Salabat Khan was killed in an encounter with Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and Sikhs liberated Amritsar in March 1748. [9]

Film and television

Zakariya Khan is portrayed by:

See also

References

  1. ↑ The advanced study in history of the Punjab: Volume 1; G. S. Chhabra (1968), p 346
  2. ↑ Punjab district gazetteers, Volume 9, 1987, p 72
  3. ↑ Charles Francis Massy (1890). Chiefs and Families of Note in the Delhi, Jalandhar, Peshawar and Derajat Divisions of the Panjab. Pioneer Press.
  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   978-81-7142-621-8. 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. 1 2 3 Grewal, J. S. (Oct 8, 1998). "Rise to Political Power". The Sikhs of the Punjab. Cambridge University Press. pp. 88–89. ISBN   9780521637640.
  7. ↑ Sinha, Narendra Krishna (1946). Rise of the Sikh Power. University of Calcutta. p. 11.
  8. ↑ Rashid, Abdur (1978). History of the Muslims of Indo-Pakistan Sub-continent, 1707-1806. Vol. I. Research Society of Pakistan. p. 219.
  9. ↑ Singha, Dr H. S. (2005). Sikh Studies. Hemkunt Press. ISBN   9788170102588.
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