History Of The Panjab(1891)

Latif,syad Muhammad · 1891 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

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2TsaxjiiSm-

3kind friends who have assisted me hj imiding me rate bookSt^es* with

4their advice. Dewdn Ram Nath most ocmrteouslj aUowed- me. I&e

5use of his learned fiitl^er Dew4a Amar Nath’s manuscript historj,

6called the Khdlsd Dewant ^ Persian, 1 had also the privil^e of

7using Moulvi Din Muhammad’s History of Panjdb, in manuscadpt,

8which was lent me by bis son, Munshi Ghulam Farid Khan, 'Shctra

9Assistant Comnriissioner. In sketching the British Period, ^e offi-

10cial reports were c<msulted as well as my own notes.

11A few words are here necessary regarding the arrangement of

12the work. Although particular care has been taken to narrate every

13important fact that I was able to ascertain relating to the Panjdb,

141 have omitted nothing which was likely to be of interest td the

15student of history. Though care has been taken to avoid entering

16into the broad subject of Indian history, many events have had to

17be mentioned for th^sake of their historical value, and the intense

18interest attaching to them. For instance, while describing the

19events which occurred in the Panjdb in connection with the invasion

20of Nadir Shah, or Ahmad Shah, 1 found it impossible to omit men-

21tion of the more important account of the sack of Delhi and the

22massacre of its inhabitants. Delhi, although the ancient capital of

23Hindostdn, forms now an integral part of this province, and 1 have

24treated it as a Panjdb city. Hence, whatever of interest took place

25there, has been mentioned ; for, as it was fhe capital of the Mahome-

26dan Empire of India, the incidents at the Court materially affected

27the welfare of the Panjdb and its people. The Histoi'y of the Pan-

28jdb would have lost much of its interest if no mention, however

29brief, of the political condition of the empire, of which it formed a

30component part at various periods, had TOen made. Some events,

31although, strictly speaking, not relating to the Panjdb, had to be

32noticed, to render the narrative complete, for without them the link

33between connected seiies of important occurrences would have been

34missing. For instance, while describing the exploits of Mahmiid of

35Ghazni on the frontier of the Panjdb, i could not -see my way to

36omit mention of Jiis more important victories at Somnath, so cele-

37brated in historj', and read with equal interest everywhere. A full

38life has been given of celebrated sovereigns, conquerors and other

39personages known to Indian history, w^ho played a conspicuous part

40in Panjdb pdlijiics, such as Alexander the Great, Akber, Nddir, Ja-

41hdngfr and the Empress Nur Jabdn. A full life of Mahardjd Ranjlt

42Singh, of modern fiime, and a fuller account of his interesting reign

43than has ever yet been published, have been given. The livesf of the

44Sikh Gurus, and an account of the Sikh misls will, it is hoped, be

45• found to contain much new and important matter. They will give

46the reader an idea of the manner in which the Sikh religion and

47power developed in the Panjab. The reign of each Mahomedan

48King has been separately treated, with special reference to the

49cyqnts of the Panjdb and the political ‘ changes and conditicm. of