Murad: The Unsung Hero of Punjab

A little is known about the resistant history of the Punjab. People are not familiar with the heroes who raised their voice and arms against the internal as well as external tyranny. In the far-off northern valleys surrounded by snow-clad mountains and in the deep thick jungles on the banks of the rivers many battles had been fought from time immemorial. Many men of true mettle had challenged the might of their own rulers, who became ruthless and flouted the norms of good governance. Most of these worthy men have been forgotten by the people. That is most unfortunate. Anyhow, someone somewhere can still find a clue to the lost chapters of history. One unknown, unsung hero from the plains of Central Punjab is Murad Daleel-da (Murad son of Daleel) who was the trusted lieutenant of Ahmad Khan Kharl, who rose against the new foreign masters of the Punjab in 1857.

Murad was arrested in October or November of 1857. And when he was being transported from Sahiwal areas to Andaman Island (Kala Pani) he sang:

مراد آکھے: اسانوں تاں لکھیا ڈھیئس، پر بنگلے گوگیرے توں نہ لیسیں کچہری

لوہے دیاں بیڑیاں گھت، جا بیڑیاں وچ چڑھائے

مراد آکھے: اسیں وگے جانے ہائیں، کافر مار دوپہری خوش وسیں او دیس اساڈیا

Murad says: We have to face whatever is our fate. But you will never again hold your court in Gogera. They were fettered and put aboard the river boats. Murad says: We have killed our enemies in broad-day light. We are happy over that, may you live long and prosper, our country!

Murad Fatiana a Mahini Sial of Garh Fatiana of Toba Tek Singh belonged to the tribe of Saheban, the ill-fated heroine of the popular legend. Ahmad Khan Kharl, the leader of the rebels of 1857, belonged to the tribe of Mirza the hero of the above mentioned story. When Saheban eloped with Mirza and Mirza was murdered by her brothers, the tribes had a bloody battle in which the Kharls emerged victorious. The town of Mahini Sials – Kheeva – was ransacked and totally destroyed by the Kharls. From that time the two tribes were never on good terms with each other. They came a little closer when in the Sikh period Ahmad Khan Kharl got some Mahini Sials released from the custody of Ranjeet Singh. Rai Ahmad was a respected senior elder of the areas on both sides of the river Ravi. When the Meerut mutiny started and many jails were broken, Shamoo of Dherkey, who had been held in the Agra jail, came to this area and called on Rai Ahmad Khan.

شاموں دھیرے کا آگرے دی جیل توں نٹھا

اوہ گھر پچھدا رائے نتھو دے احمد خان دا

اس وہیا آن سنایا، مارے ہندوستان دے

Shamoo Dherkey told Rai Ahmad what had happened in Delhi and around after the armed uprising against the Whites. The District Gazetteer of Montgomery says. Emmasaries from Delhi appeared before the end of May to have crossed the river from the direction of Sirsa and Hisoar – news of Meerut mutiny and massacre and of the disarmament of the native troops at Mian Mir reached Gogera via Lahore on the 18th May.

Ahmad was an above average bold and crafty. In 1848 he had induced Dhara Singh of the Gogerra Nakkai to hold Satghar against the English. It was this man who roused the tribes.

And one of the dhola says:

رائے احمد گھل کے ہیرو، کاٹھیئے، ویہنی وال، ماہنی سیال، بگھیلے، وٹو، کھرل لیوس کول بلا

Rai Ahmad has called the meeting of the elders of the Hairo, Kathia, Vahniwal, Mahini Sial, Baghela, Wattoo, and Kharl tribes.

Rai Ahmad sought their collaboration and help to fight against the English. But the elders from some tribes were not ready to face the might of the foreigners.

چڑھدے رائے نوں پرہیں پیاں ہٹکیندیاں تھا پیالنیاں ایں نال سرکار دے

ایہناں انگریزاں اگے راجے رنجیت سنگھ نوں تختوں لاہ لیو ای

مولراج رنگے دی دھکے گئے، خزانے لیانیں کھوہ انعام دا

They warn Rai Ahmad who is out to face the English. You are challenging the Government. They had dethroned Raja Ranjeet Singh. They have subdued Moolraj (of Multan) by force. They have plundered his coffers.

But Rai Ahmad refused to listen to them and Kathias, Wattoos and some sections of Kharls, and Sials, and Vahniwals, committed their support to him. Murad of Garh Fatiana was one of them.

خان احمد آہندا اے: ایہناں انگریزاں دی ہک ہور گل دی جاننا ہاں

اگے چھ آنے روپیہ اگھاڑ کے کھادا اے راجے بہاؤالحق دا

اودوں تنبؤ جا ٹھوکے ہانیں وچ ملتان دے

ایہناں انگریزاں نوں راجے بہاولپور والے من لیا ہئی

بیکا نیر والیاں چھ آنیا تاریا بہہ کے وچ ہندوستان دے

Rai Ahmad says: I know more about the British. They had 37% share in the collection of Pir Bahaulhaq Zakarya. They invaded Multan. The Nawab of Bahawalpur has recognized them. In Hindostan, rulers of Bekanir have also given them 37% share

And the Gazetteer says:

“The first real precursor of the storm that was brewing occurred on the night of July 26th in the shape of an outbreak in the Gogera jail. This appears to have been in all probability the work of Ahmad Khan, as he had managed with the connivance of the Darogha to pay an unauthorised visit to the jail during June, when he no doubt conferred with the more turbulent of its inmates. The outbreak in the jail was promptly suppressed, 51 prisoners were wounded and killed”.

Rai Ahmad and many other chiefs were detained in Gogera at an earlier stage of the war of independence. On the banks of river Ravi his followers continued creating trouble. And one day Rai Ahmad again escaped. He crossed the river. Berkely, the Extra Assistant Commissioner, chased him but failed to catch him. In anger he looted and burnt the village Jhamara of Rai Ahmad.

Rai Ahmad with Sarang and Murad tried to win the support of tribes of the right bank of river Ravi. He succeeded in organizing a sizable force to reckon with the English. In the meanwhile, his opponent and a Kharl patronized by the British, Sarfraz Khan of Kamalia, “on the night of September 16 informed Capt. Elphinstone that all the chiefs of the Ravi tribes who had been called into Kamalia had fled evidently with the intention of rising in their villages”.

To quell the turbulent tribes under the leadership of Rai Ahmad, about 10 different detachments were sent under the command of Col. Paton, Captain Black, Lieutenant Chichester. Capt. Elphinstone, Mr. Berkely, Captain Chamberlain, Lieutenant Neville, Captain Snow and Captain MacAndrew. They all were after the head of Rai Ahmad Khan Kharl. On 21st Sept, “a sharp skirmish took place in which the cavalry had to retreat. They however, rallied and Ahmad together with Sarang, chief of the Begke Kharls was killed”.

Ahmad had refused to attack a Government post in Syedwala (Sheikhupura) because it was manned by native sepoys. Throughout his armed struggle his targets were the English and that was the motto of all of his lieutenants including Murad Fatiana.

When Ahmad was martyred his head was severed and brought to Gogera jail where it was put on display. This was an added insult. After three days one of his daredevil companions stole the head and it was buried in his ancestral graveyard.

After the death of Rai Ahmad, Murad Fatiana Sial became desperate. He declared that, come what may, he would kill the well-armed English commander and do the same with his dead body what they had done with the body of Rai Ahmad. Murad continued the struggle launched by Rai Ahmad and Sarang. He declared:

احمد خان شہید ہویا تاں سر پنجاب دے نوں برطانیئے جا گھتیا اے ہتھ

With the fall of Ahmad. Britain has tried to lower the head of the Punjab

برکلی آکھے: اساں راٹھاں دے دتے مونہہ کڑیا لے اتے کیتی چڑھ سواری

ہکناں نوں مار گھتیا، ہکناں دے نک وچ لئی اے گھت مہاری

- - -

بولی پھٹ تلوار اے جیہڑی انگریز برکلی کڈھ وجودوں ماری 

ایہہ گل سن کے گڑھ آلیا فتیانیاں تھاپی ڈھول تے ماری

آکھے مراد فتیانہ: ساوی تینوں پھیراں نت کھرکھرے تے دیواں کھنڈ نہاری

ہک واری لے چل انگریز برکلی تے، میں ویکھاں اس دی بگھی کالی

ساوی آکھیا: توں کر بسم اللہ دھر پیر رکابے میں جاساں مار اڈاری

انگریز دا کلہ گیا ڈھے سنہری!

تے مڑ ہینوں کڈھ برکلی نوں سٹاوئس

جیویں مت وچوں لچھا لیندا جھول للاری!!

 

Berkely says, we have clamped the mouths of the Chiefs.We are riding with chafing bits rough-shod on their backs. Some have been killed. While others’ noses have been bored and nailed. This taunt made by Berkely, is no less than a sword-cut, taunts hurt the chiefs. As a spark burns through silk. After hearing this taunt, Fatianas of Garh have sounded the war drum. Murad Fatiana says to (Savi) his mare: I have given you unprecedented service. I have given you the best to eat. Take me once to English Berkely. I want to smash his black baggi into smithereens. Mare says: In the name of Allah mount my back I will fly. And the golden headgear of the English falls, Murad pieces Berkely, he falls from his horse as a dyer loops out a skein from his cauldron.

مارے برکلی دیاں لندن خبراں، سروں لاہ کے پٹن گورے

کھلیاں بانہواں کر کے روند ماں میماں

ساڈا ماریا گیا باراں کمپنیاں دا سردار

جٹاں لٹ لیا اے گھر سرکار

News of the death of Berkeley is heard in London. They mourn his death and beat their bare heads in sorrow. The English women weep and wail and say: Our commander of twelve companies has been slain. The Jats have plundered the palace.

And thus says the Gazetteer:

“By the 4th November insurrection was over. The leaders were executed or transported and many persons sentenced to other punishments. Over four lakhs of rupees were realized from the insurgent tribes by fine or by confiscation and sale of property”.

Murad says:

مراد آکھے: اسیں راضی وگے جانے ہائیں، کافر مار دوپہری

خوش وسیں او دیس اساڈیا!