Punjab States Gazetteers Bahawalpur State Vol.36

· 1908 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

2■' Bahawalpue State.] The Mdchhis .

4[Past A.

5I CHAP^I,C.

6I Population.

7th-i Jfiic/i/.is.

9-'1

10'i

114

121

13and to have migrated thence to the vicinity of Kat’bala, where they

14v'ere settled when the Imam Husain was killed there, and they

15claim to have been followers of that Iniiini and to laye care’ i y

16interred his body after his martyrdom, but their enemies say they

17were enemies of the fmam and that Shimar the Cine was ^

18race. From Karbala they migrated along the skirts of the hills in

19southern Persia and Afshanisuin to Kccli-iMekran, thence to Be a

20Jhal, now held b\ Kaivtli- (now Nawiib) Kesar Khan, Magassi

21Baloch, and thence' again to Qahit where they remained some time.

22Finally thev settled in Shikarpnr. Early in the 1 8th century they

23were allies of the Kalhoras against the Daiidpotias at the battle

24vf rnuiv.hj..... Mas.m Kiian l^l'achhi founded Massnwala in the

25Kaslimor of the .lacobabad District and made the Massuwiih

26Canal, about the same period, but when the Kalhoras took

27Haidarabad and Shikarpnr, they leased the extensive tract of

28Ubaiira to the D;ihrs, who, unable to repel the inroads of the Sahu

29freebooters of -laisalmer, called on Sultiln Khan, son of Massu

30Khan, to aid them against the Sahus, in return for lands in Ubaura

31sufficient to maintain him .and his whole tribe. Sultan Khan

32acceded au'l was niigrating to IJbaura when he heard- that the

33Sahus were besit'ging the fort of that name, and made a sudden

34attack on the besiegers. The Duhrs also sallied forth from the fort

35and the Sahus thus surrounded were utterly defeated, but the Dahrs

36and Ahichhis lo-^t as many men as theii’ enemies, and the total loss

37on both sides was believed to amount to 100,o0b men, whence the

38depression near Uliaura ^\a^ nr.-.ued Liiklii. In retuni for this

39service the Diilirs gave the dlachlds the tract betiveen Lakhi and

40Massnwala, iioth tribes holding as joint lessees of the Kalhoras.

41But when the 'I'alpur W.azlrs usurped the government of ’the

42Kalhonls they re^uinwl the lease and Avrested all their lands from

43the ^hichhis, except Fateni.nr m\d Machhka, which Sabzal Khan

44.afteiavards amalgamateil tvith his own domain of Kot Sabzal.

45When that State was annexed by Bahawal Khan TV Fatehpur-

46Machhka became a jiart of the BahaAvalpiir State and the Machhis

47as a body remained loyal to the Xawiil) rvlien the Diiudpotra Khans

48of Kot Sab/.al rose in rebellion, only Fath Muhammad Machhi of

49IMirharamad iMur.id in the Ahmad] )ur Laniraa ildqn siding with the

50rebel Khiins, in conse(]uencA‘ of Avhich his property Avas confiscated

51and he fled the Btate. The iMiichhis still boast that they received

52Rs. 5 for the head of eveiy^ rebel.

53The Machhi Sai-fFr-i ai-o named alternately Sultan Khun and

54Jahiln Khi'm, and the jmesent Sui-dar, .Jahiin Khan, is ao-ed 13

55being the Avard of Sardar Khan, his }xaternal grandfather’s brother

56during his minority. The Machlds are exceedingly obedient to

57their chief, who is moreover sole owner of the tribal territory

58I (78,000 hhjnhs in area, paying Rs, l.s,'.M)0 in revenue) of Fatehpur-

59I Machhka, the tribesmen being his tenants, and the Sardar settles

60■ all hia disputes as to custom and other domestic matters.

614