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2 CHAPTER III.
3 FROM THE RISE OF SYAD AHMAD, THE GHAZI, TO THE
4 CLOSE OF THE KABUL WAR, AND THE END OF THE
5 MAHARAJA’S LIFE, 1827-1839. ~
6 CC the early part of 1827 a Mahomedan fanatic, named Syad Ahmad,
7 having set himself up as a reformer, raised the green standard of the
8 Prophet in the Husafzai hills, between Peshawar and Attak, and declared a
9 religious war against the Sikhs. He belonged to a family of Syads in
10 Bareli, in Upper India, and commenced life as a petty officer of horse in the
11 service of the great mercenary leader, Amir Khan. After the termination
12 of the war against the joint power of the Maharattas and Pindaris, result-
13 ing in the destruction of the military power of that chief by the British,
14 and his recognition as an independent prince, the Syad, severing his
15 connection with Amfr Khan, took a fanatical turn, and, pretending to have
16 received special revelations from heaven, went to Dehli. Here he asso-
17 ciated with Moulvis Abdul Hai, Muhammad Ismail and Abdul Aziz,
18 preachers of great sanctity in the city, in whom he found zealous supporters
19 of the doctrines propounded by him, These were, strict obedience to the
20 precepts of the Qurdn, the recognition of nothing not inculcated by the
21 word of God as contained in the Qurdn, the recognition of the sayings of
22 the saints as the mere outcome of pious men, without giving them undue
23 importance, the abolition of corrupt forms of worship, including bowing
24 before tombs of saints and paying benedictions to their memory, the cele-
25 bration of the death of Husan and Husein during the month of Moharram,
26 and a variety of other customs and usages which were denounced by the
27 reformer as idolatrous. In 1822 he visited Calcutta, and the force of his
28 eloquence, coupled with his religious fervour, and the sanctity attached to
29 his declared mission, gained for him a large number of followers from
30 among the Mahomedan population. He sailed for Mecca and Medina on ,,°
31 a pilgrimage, and is believed also to have visited Constantinople. On his
32 way back, he travelled through India, preaching his new doctrines, and
33 returned to Delhi after an absence of four years. Here he was joined by
34 his devoted followers, Moulvis Abdul Hai and Ismail, and a work known
35 as “Takviat wl Islém,” or “ The Basis of the Faith of Islam,” was published,
36 setting forth the views of the reformer. In this large city numerous con-
37 gregations flocked around the new saint, and he now declared his resolution
38 to devote himself to the cause of his religion. He called upon the faith-
39 ful to join him in a holy war against the infidel Sikhs, who, he said, had
40 committed countless outrages on the followers of the Prophet, and must
41 be extirpated. He was careful to avoid complications with the British
42 authorities ; and although funds were raised in aid of his declared designs
43 in all parts of the British territories, he gave no cause of offence to the
44 officers of that Government. He left Delhi with about 500 followers
45 in 1826, and it was arranged that this band of zealots and fanatics
46 should be followed by other bands, led by fixed leaders, He first repaired
47 to Tonk, the chief town of his old master, Amir Khan, who being dead,
48 The origin of Syad
49 Abmad.
50 He sets himself up as
51 a reformer.
52 His doctrines.
53 He visits Calcutta,
54 Sails for Mecca and
55 ina,
56 Travels through
57 India,
58 Returns to Delhi.
59 Calls upon his
60 followers to join him
61 in a holy war against
62 the Sikhs.
63 Leaves Delhi, 1326,
64 f
65 the saint enlisted his son, the ruling nawdb, among the followers of the :
66 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh] i eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com