Gazetteer Of The Jhang District

· 1883 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

1Jhang District. ]

2CHAP. II.— HISTORY. 33

3Kot Isa Shah, but Inayatulla, after disposing of Shahddat Khan,

4marched against the invader and_ defeated and drove him out of

5the Jhang territory. The Sials of Rashldpur had now become

6powerful, and were noted for their turbulence and bravery. To

7punish them for some disobedience, Inayatulla obtained the aid

8of some Durrani horsemen from the governor of the day, and

9harried their lands. In return for this, forty horsemen of the

10Sials of Rashldpur gave the chief a taste of their quality by

11taking him prisoner at Jhang, and carrying him off under the eyes

12of his army to Rashldpur. They kept him in confinement in the

13castle of Sat in the Thai for some six months. Apparently neither

14during this nor the previous reign had the rule of the Sials extended

15very far down the right bank of the Chenab, for among Inayatulla’s

16achievements is reckoned his defeat of the two Sikhs who were

17the sub-governors of Islamabad and the annexation of their charge.

18This incensed the Governor of Mooltau, and an ambuscade was

19laid for Inayatulla while on a visit to Shorkot. He, however,

20got word of the plan from the Sarganas of Kund Sargana, and

21collecting an army of Kathias and Kamlana, Rajbana, and

22Sargana Sials, defeated the Mooltan troops with great slaughter

23at Ivotla Afghana close by Shorkot. At one time Inayatulla

24found it politic to pay Malik Sher Tiwami black mail as the

25cheapest way of protecting the outlying paryana of Marl. Sub-

26sequently, thinking himself strong enough, he discontinued the

27payment. Sher Khan then assembled his clan, and driving the

28Sials out of Khdi, a few miles north of the present district bound-

29ary on the right bank of the Jhelam, laid siege to Kot Langar,

30now Thattl Langar, just inside the present boundary. Here

31Inayatulla met and defeated the Tiwana force. Both sides are

32said to have had some Sikh chiefs as auxiliaries. At another

33period the Sial chief defeated and subdued the Beioches of Haidar-

34abad in the Thai. Ho also took the fort of Uch founded by a

35Belot Sayad who had settled in the Kaehlii during his reign. It

36was in this reign that the Bhangi Sardars first made their power

37felt. About 1760, Hail SiDgh ravaged Jhang and imposed a

38tribute. About 1778, Inayatulla ceased to pay tribute and recap-

39tured Chiniot, but it had apparently again fallen into the hands of

40the Bhangls before his death. It is related of Inayatulla that he

41met Jahan Khan, the grandfather of Dost Muhammad Khan of

42Kabul, while on his way back from Hindustan, who asked for one

43of his sisters in marriage. There were three or four unmarried,

44but the proud Sial sent word to Bhawi'mx Das, bis Divan, to have

45them all married at once, and declined the preferred alliance on

46the ground that he had no sisters unmarried.

47Inayatulla died in 1787, and was succeeded by his imbecile

48son Sultan Mali mud, whose weakness ouly served to set off the

49great force of character possessed by his wife Mussammat Niamat

50Khatun, the daughter of Shahadat Khan. Manh Singh, father of

51Ranjit Singh, nourished designs on Jhang, but the army collected

52by Mussammat Niamat Khatun was so formidable that he post-

53poned his invasion. Shortly after, Sahib Khan, half brother of

54SultJn Mahmud, who was constantly endeavouring to dethrone

555

56Chapter II.

57History.

58In.lyatulla KTiin.

59Inayatulla Kh&n’»

60successors.