ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>AKHB&#256R-I-DARB&#256R-I-MUALL&#256 </TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279<i>AKHB&#256R-I-DARB&#256R-I-MU'ALL&#256, </i> in Persian, News of the Exalted (Imperial Mu<u>gh</u>al) Court (darb&#257r), was not, as the title suggests, exclusively news of the royal court. They were, broadly speaking, court bulletins which included, besides provincial newsletters and reports of generals and governors, orders, activities and observations of the emperors, appointments, promotions, transfers, dismissals and references to other matters of State. The Mu<u>gh</u>al emperors had an elaborate system for the collection of news from all parts of the country through a network of officials, newswriters called <i>A<u>kh</u>b&#257r-naw&#299s, waq&#257'i-naw&#299s</i> or <i>waq&#257' i-nig&#257r</i>, who regularly sent their news-sheets or reports to the imperial capital, where a regular department existed for the compilation of day-to-day news of the kingdom for presentation to the emperor for his information or orders. Copies of these bulletins were kept by feudatory chiefs, officers and governors through their <i>vak&#299ls</i> or agents stationed at the capital. There is an invaluable stock of such news bulletins, in Persian, at Jaipur, now partly transferred to B&#299k&#257ner, in R&#257jasth&#257n, covering the period from 1650 to 1730 with some gaps. Especially noteworthy is news from the Punjab from 1708 to 1716 when it faced a strong armed uprising led by the Sikh warrior Band&#257 Si&#7749gh Bah&#257dur. The late Dr Ga&#7751&#7693&#257 Si&#7749gh scrutinized these papers from September 1944 to January 1945 and prepared a manuscript, comprising extracts of reports pertaining to the Punjab, with special reference to the Sikhs. This manuscript, <i>A<i>kh</i>b&#257r-i-Darb&#257r-i-Mu'all&#257</i>, is now preserved in the Punjabi University Library, to which the learned historian had donated his entire collection of books, manuscripts and papers. The <i>Akhb&#257r</i> manuscript comprises 220 foolscap pages and embraces events from the ninth year of Aura&#7749gz&#299b's reign to the seventh of Farru<u>kh</u> S&#299yar's, i. e. from 1667 to 1719. In the news of Aura&#7749gz&#299b's reign there are wide gaps, yet the manuscript provides interesting and authentic details about the Sikh movement from 1708 to 1716, and about the efforts made by the imperial government to suppress it. Although a contemporary record, the contents of the <i>A<u>kh</u>b&#257r</i> have to be used with caution because at places the newswriters have been victims of grave misunderstanding or prejudice. For example, Band&#257 Si&#7749gh has been referred to variously as Gur&#363, Gobind, Gur&#363 Gobind and Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh. Similarly, Aj&#299t Si&#7749gh of the A<u>kh</u>b&#257r was the adopted son of M&#257t&#257 Sundar&#299, widow of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh, and not S&#257hibz&#257d&#257 Aj&#299t Si&#7749gh, the real son of the Gur&#363.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As revealed by the <i>A<u>kh</u>b&#257r</i>, the Sikh movement under Band&#257 Si&#7749gh had a strong base in the villages. As soon as he started his operations in the Punjab, the peasants promptly rallied round him and accepted him as their overlord. During the entire period of their struggle against the Mu<u>gh</u>als, Band&#257 Si&#7749gh and his Sikhs could move almost unchecked in the eastern part of the Punjab. The <i>zam&#299nd&#257rs</i> of the Punjab, mainly of the northeastern districts of B&#257r&#299 Do&#257b, supplied arms and horses to Band&#257 Si&#7749gh and many of the hill chiefs of the &#346iv&#257lik ranges provided him shelter. However, this does not mean that there was no opposition from any of the <i>zam&#299nd&#257rs</i>. Besides the Muslim <i>zam&#299nd&#257rs</i>, many Hindu chiefs also sided with the Mu<u>gh</u>als mainly with a view to escaping harassment at the hands of the government. For instance, in the early stages, Bh&#363p Park&#257sh, son of Har&#299 Park&#257sh, ruler of N&#257han, supported the cause of Band&#257 Si&#7749gh. According to the A<u>kh</u>b&#257r, Bh&#363p Park&#257sh was called to Delhi and imprisoned. In order to prove her loyalty to the Emperor, Bh&#363p Park&#257sh's mother captured many Sikhs and sent them to Delhi for execution or imprisonment. The <i>zam&#299nd&#257rs</i> of Kum&#257o&#7749 and Sirm&#363r, too, were hostile to Band&#257 Si&#7749gh.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;According to the entry, dated 10 December 1710, the Emperor asked Ba<u>kh</u>sh&#299 ul-Mum&#257lik Mah&#257bat <u>Kh</u>&#257n that under his name orders should be issued to the <i>faujd&#257rs</i> around Sh&#257hjah&#257n&#257b&#257d that wherever N&#257nak-worshippers be found they should be executed. This order was repeated by Emperor Farru<u>kh</u>-S&#299yar in almost the same words. There are news items in the <i>A<i>kh</i>b&#257r-i-Darb&#257r-i-Mu'all&#257</i> about the help rendered to Band&#257 Si&#7749gh by the <i>banj&#257r&#257s</i>, grain carriers, who moved about in all parts of the country plying their trade. It is recorded in the <i>A<u>kh</u>b&#257r</i> that on 11 October 1711, forty <i>banj&#257r&#257s</i>, who were N&#257nak-worshippers, were brought to Delhi and on their refusing to accept Islam were executed under the orders of the Emperor. In a newsletter of 28 October 1711, it was reported to the Emperor that the Hindu <i>faqirs, yog&#299s</i>, <i>sanny&#257s&#299s</i> and <i>bair&#257g&#299s</i> conveyed the news of the Imperial court to Band&#257 Si&#7749gh. A newsletter of 29 May 1711 shows that the Mu<u>gh</u>al Emperor Bah&#257dur Sh&#257h had issued an edict ordering the <i>mutasaddis</i> (accountants) to realize <i>Jizyah</i> from the N&#257nak-worshippers at a double rate. A newsletter of 9 November 1713 records that Emperor Farru<u>kh</u> S&#299yar ordered that the <i>kotw&#257l</i> of Delhi should announce it with the beat of drum that the Hindus should not ride palanquins and horses of Iraqi and Arab breed. None of the Hindus should play or celebrate <i>hol&#299</i>.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Despite the ruthlessly repressive measures adopted by the government, Band&#257 Si&#7749gh did not resile from his liberal principles. The newsletter of 28 April 1711 records Band&#257 Si&#7749gh's promise and proclamation: "I do not oppress the Muslims. " For every Muslim who approached him, he fixed a daily allowance and wage and took good care of him. Another newsletter, dated 21 April 1711, records that Band&#257 Si&#7749gh permitted Muslims to recite <i><u>kh</u>utb&#257</i> and <i>n&#257m&#257z</i>. 5, 000 Muslims had gathered around him.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;From the news it is evident how seriously the Mu<u>gh</u>al authority took Band&#257 Si&#7749gh's revolt and how thorough were the operations launched against the Sikhs. Commanders and officers of very high rank were deputed by the Emperor to fight against them with all the resources at their command. According to newsletter, dated 20 October 1710, F&#299roz <u>Kh</u>&#257n Mew&#257t&#299 chopped off 300 heads of the rebel Sikhs and made a gift of these to the Emperor. According to the newsletter of 6 December 1710, Am&#299n <u>Kh</u>&#257n Bah&#257dur wrote to the Emperor that he had killed one thousand Sikhs at Sirhind. He sent 500 heads of the Sikhs to the Emperor who ordered them to be publically displayed. According to the newsletter of 29 November 1713, 'Abd us-Samad <u>Kh</u>&#257n carried 900 heads of N&#257nak-worshippers to Delhi. The heads were exhibited in the Ch&#257ndn&#299 Chowk B&#257z&#257r.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1">Bhagat Singh, trans. and ed. , <i>A<u>kh</u>b&#257r-i-Darb&#257r-i-Mu'all&#257</i>. Patiala, 1984<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Bhagat Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>