Adina Beg
Adina Beg | |
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Battle of Manupur (1748)
Siege of Sirhind 1758 |
Adina Beg Khan ( c. 1710 – 15 September 1758) 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. He defeated Afghans after rising to power and was recognised as the Nawab of Punjab by Mughal emperor Alamgir II, who also gave him title of Jang Bahadur.[1]
Early life
Named Dina at birth, Adina was born to Channu into a
Rise to power
Beg began his career as domestic servant
That same year,
Imprisonment
Nader Shah's invasion resulted in widespread looting, and led to Zakariya Khan being unable to pay his soldiers. After widespread protests by the soldiers, Zakariya Khan ordered his Diwan Lakhpat Rai to make the payments. The Diwan was imprisoned when he refused to do so and his brother Jaspat Rai was then ordered to demand arrears from all the nazims and faujdars in order to raise money.[7] Adina Beg subsequently found himself imprisoned for being in arrears and was stripped of his position as governor of the Doaba.[7]
After a year, Bhwani Das was released on the security of his brother Sri Navas and Adina escaped and fled to the hills. Bhwani Das was then re-arrested and order to disclose the accounts of Adina which he refused to do. He was then placed in a large pot and half boiled.[5] The now released Diwan, Lakhpat Rai, was so impressed by his loyalty that he halted the punishment and granted him one request.[11] The latter demanded the reinstatement of Adina, and after a warning he Adina awarded a robe of honour and made Deputy Governor of the Doaba under Shahnawaz, the son of Zakariya Khan.[12]
Durrani Invasions
The death of Zakariya Khan on 1 July 1745 created a power struggle to succeed him as viceroy and six months later his son Yahiya Khan was named as his successor.[13] Recognising the hostility between Yahiya Khan and his younger brother Shahnawaz, Adina sought to develop relations with Yahiya whilst also maintaining the trust of Shahnawaz.[5] To support the Yahiya government in Lahore he assisted in Lakhpat Rai's campaign against the Sikhs between April and June 1746. In November 1746, Shahnawaz began an insurrection and forcibly occupied Lahore demanding a complete division of his father's property. This time Adina placed himself in the camp of Shahnawaz and the following March, on hearing news that Yahiya was seeking to launch an attack against Shahnawaz, Adina led an attack near the tomb of Hazrat Ishan.[5] Shahnawaz was victorious and marched into Lahore unopposed on 21 March 1747 to usurp the Punjab government. He subsequently appointed Adina in charge of civil and military affairs for the Doaba. Shahnawaz now lobbied the Delhi government to become subahdar of Lahore in return for the release of Yahiya. However, on Yahiya's escape from captivity in July, Shahnawaz lost his bargaining power and on the advice of Adina he invited Ahmad Shah Durrani to invade the Mughal Empire.[14]
Adina then notified the Delhi government of Shahnawaz's treachery, and on hearing of the news, the Delhi government hurriedly acquiesced to Shahnawaz's demands. They were however too late to halt
In 1752, whilst travelling in Gurdaspur, he found the town of Adinanagar.[16]
Consolidating power
On Mir Mannu's death on 3 November 1753, his two-year-old son was proclaimed viceroy, with his mother Surayya Begum becoming de facto ruler.
In November 1756, following advances from the Begum the Afghans launched a campaign to ransack Delhi. Adina, accompanied by Sadiq Beg and Jamal-ud-Din abandoned his positions and fled to Hansi.[21] The Afghans successfully sacked Delhi in 1757, and the Begum was granted the Doaba and Jammu and Kashmir as a fief. In turn the Begum invited Adina to rule the Doaba on her behalf. The new Viceroy at Lahore, Jahan Khan, then demanded the full obedience of Adina and threatened to lay waste to the Doaba if refused.[21] Adina agreed, however soon disagreement over the payment of tribute to Jahan Khan heightened tensions. Jahan Khan invited Adina to court to discuss ways to subdue the Sikhs, but was rebuffed by Adina who sent agents in his place. A detachment of troops was then sent to arrest Adina, however he retired to the foothills and recruited a large body of Sikh soldiers to counter the detachment. The Sikhs led by Sodhi Bharbag Singh and Jassa Singh Ahluwalia routed the Afghans and looted their luggage. In return Adina granted the Sikhs leave to pillage the Doaba including the city of Jullundur. Amid the looting and Afghan defeat, and anarchy persisted in the Punjab between November 1757 to February 1758.[22]
Afghan expulsion and Maratha alliance
In early 1758, Adina sought out allies to expel the Afghans from the Punjab and restore stability. He struck a deal with Sikh leaders Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and Sodhi Vadhbhag Singh, and with their help defeated the Afghans at
Death
On 15 September 1758, only a few months after his appointment, Adina Beg passed away at Khanpur near Hoshiarpur.[2] The Marathas appointed Sabaji Shinde to succeed him as the governor of the Punjab.[29][page needed] A tomb was erected at his grave in Khanpur.[2] His life is described in an unpublished Persian manuscript, the Ahwal-i-Dina Beg Khan.
In popular culture
- In the 2010 historical TV series Maharaja Ranjit Singh telecasted on DD National, the character of Adina Beg is portrayed by Rajendra Gupta.
Gallery
See also
References
- ISBN 978-8178441580.
- ^ a b c d Beale 1894.
- ^ Gupta (1944), p. 57: "Adina Beg Khan was ... of low birth, unlettered, but endowed with a masterful ambition and a persevering temper. He was first employed ... as a servant in the households of Mughal officers, and rose to power by patient labour and force of character, until, he ultimately became Viceroy of the Panjab and played an important part in the closing scenes of Muslim rule in the province.".
- ISSN 0031-0077.
- ^ a b c d Gupta 1940, p. 25.
- ^ Gupta 1940, p. 26.
- ^ Trust for History, Arts and Architecture of Pakistan(THAAP). Lahore.
- ^ Lepel Griffin, Rajas of the Punjab, Vol-II
- ^ a b Hari Ram Gupta, History of the Sikhs, Vol-II
- ^ Purnima Dhavan (2011). When Sparrows Became Hawks: The Making of the Sikh Warrior Tradition, 1699–1799, Oxford University Press
- ^ Gupta 1940, p. 29.
- ^ Gupta 1944, p. 63.
- ^ Gupta 1940, p. 30.
- ^ Gupta 1940, p. 33.
- ^ Gupta 1940, p. 42.
- ^ Gupta 1940, p. 43.
- ^ Gupta 1940, p. 44.
- ^ Gupta 1940, p. 47.
- ISBN 9788121508308.
- ^ Gupta 1940, p. 49.
- ^ a b Gupta 1940, p. 53.
- ^ Gupta 1940, p. 56.
- ^ a b c Mehta 2005.
- ISBN 978-1-59884-337-8. [2 volumes]. p. 43:
The Marathas, assisted by Sikhs, defeated the Afghans and captured Attock, Peshwar and Multan in the spring of 1758.
- ^ Mehta 2005, pp. 236, 260.
- ISBN 9781615301225.
- ISBN 9780803213449.
The Marathas attacked soon after and, with some help from the Sikhs, managed to capture Attock, Peshawar, and Multan between April and May 1758.
- ISBN 978-81-7824-109-8.
- ISBN 978-1-315-82810-7.
Sources
- Beale, Thomas William (1894). "Adina Beg Khan". An Oriental Biographical Dictionary. London: W. H. Allen & Co. p. 34. ISBN 9781404706484 – via Internet Archive. (Alternative link: via Google Books)
- Gupta, Hari Ram (December 1940). "Adina Beg Khan". Journal of the Panjab University Historical Society and the Panjab Historical Society. 6: 23–77.
- Gupta, Hari Ram (1944). "IV. Adina Beg Khan: The Mughal Viceroy of the Panjab". Studies in Later Mughal History of the Panjab (1707-1793). Lahore: Minerva; Sang-e-Meel. pp. 56–108.
- Mehta, Jaswant Lal (2005). Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707-1813. New Dawn Press. ISBN 9781932705546.
Further reading
- Gandhi, Surjit Singh, Struggle of the Sikhs for Sovereignty. Delhi, 1980
- Khan, Sarang (9 October 2020). "Adina Beg: Soldier, Statesman, Diplomat, Hero". Punjabi Waseb.
- Bhagat Singh, Sikh Polity. Delhi, 1978