Diwan Bhawani Das
| Diwan Bhawani Das | |
|---|---|
| Finance minister of the Sikh Empire | |
| Reign | 1811-1834 |
| Predecessor | Position established |
| Successor | Diwan Dina Nath[1] |
| Born | 1770 |
| Died | 1834 |
| Father | Diwan Thakur Das |
| Religion | Hinduism[2] |
Diwan Bhawani Das (1770 - 1834) was a high-ranking Hindu[1] official under Durrani emperors, Zaman Shah and Shah Shujah. He later became the revenue minister of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, ruler of the powerful Sikh Empire.[3][4][5][6]
Life
Bhawani Das was born in 1770 and was the second son of Diwan Thakur Das, the revenue minister of the Durrani emperor, Ahmad Shah Abdali. He was born into a Khatri family.[7] Bhawani Das served as a high-ranking revenue officer under Durrani emperors, Zaman Shah and Shah Shujah, mostly employed in collecting the custom duties of Multan and Derajat.
In 1808, disgusted at the way he was treated at the Kabul court, he went to Lahore to serve under Maharaja Ranjit Singh, ruler of the Sikhs. He was warmly welcomed by Ranjit Singh as the Sikh state was in need of a proper state treasury and system of regular accounts. His employment proved fruitful- Bhawani Das established an office for pay of troops and a finance office, of both of which he was made the head.[8] He set up 12 departments called daftars (offices) to deal with all civil and military accounts. In the districts of different subahs, treasuries were established to maintain regular accounts of income and expenditure. In newly conquered territories, settlement officers were appointed to regulate revenue and finance.[3][4][9] His successes impressed Ranjit Singh and he was appointed the finance minister in 1811.[9] However, Bhawani Das was not an honest man, and had to reprimanded on several occasions.[10] Sohan Lal Suri, author of the Umdat-ut-Tawarikh, writes- "His hunchback was full of mischief".[11]
Bhawani Das was one of Ranjit Singh's counsellors at the negotiations with the British envoy, Charles T. Metcalfe. In 1810, a huge force under the command of Diwan Bhawani Das was dispatched by the Sikh court at Lahore to crush the rebellion of the popular warrior Mian Dido in the hills of Jammu and capture him. However, he failed in capturing Mian Dido despite trying his best and succeeded in only restoring order in Jammu town and failed to impose his authority in large areas of Jammu hills.[12][13] In the same year, Bhawani Das was sent to collect tribute from the rulers of Mandi and Suket. In 1813, he invaded and annexed Haripur State in the Kangra hills[14] and accompanied Maharaja Ranjit Singh for the acquisition of the famed Koh-i-Noor diamond from Shah Shujah Durrani.[15] He was made chief diwan of prince Kharak Singh in 1816 and in the same year, he successfully annexed the Ramgarhia estates to the Sikh Empire.[3]
He was also present at the
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7556-4033-1.
- ISBN 978-93-5150-504-4.
- ^ a b c d e "Diwan Bhawani Das- Sikh Wiki". Sikh Wiki. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ a b c d Griffin, Sir Lepel Henry (1890). The Panjab Chiefs: Historical and Biographical Notices of the Principal Families in the Lahore and Rawalpindi Divisions of the Panjab. Civil and Military Gazette Press.
- ^ Events At The Court Of Ranjit Singh, 1810-1817 (1935).
- ISBN 978-0-9695964-2-4.
- ISBN 9780755640348.
- ^ Journal of Indian History. Department of History, University of Kerala. 1926.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-78672-095-5.
- ISBN 978-93-5118-102-6.
- ^ Suri (Lala), Sohan Lal (1961). Umdat-ut-tawarikh ... S. Chand.
- ISBN 978-81-7387-082-8.
- ^ Mohammed, Prof Jigar. "Mian Dido: The man Jammu must know". The Dispatch. Archived from the original on 2022-12-05. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
- ^ "Princely States of India".
- ISBN 978-81-7017-410-3.
- ^ Punjab Revisited: An Anthology of 70 Research Documents on the History and Culture of Undivided Punjab. Gautam Publishers. 1995.
- ISBN 978-93-5150-504-4.
- ^ "BELĪ RĀM (d. 1843)".