Cycle of Life – How the once Most Powerful Mughal Family was left Penniless

Banda Singh Bahadur waged a war against the Mughal rule, fought oppression, tyranny and strived for justice against the crimes committed towards the family of the last Sikh Guru Gobind Singh. Banda Singh was an excellent military commander and a great leader, who in a span of a few months defeated the powerful Mughal governor of Sarhind along with other chiefs of smaller principalities. He established the first Sikh kingdom which lasted from 1710 till 1715.

Due to internal schism, some of his generals left him while his army was besieged at Gurdas Nangal by the Mughals. After facing a stiff resistance and holding on for a few months against a superior force, Banda Singh along with seven hundred of his followers was captured by the Mughals, who were under the command of Muhammad Amin Khan. He was of a Turani descent and Grand Wazir of the mighty Mughal Empire. Banda Singh was later on taken to Delhi and was mercilessly tortured and eventually killed along with his young son and his remaining soldiers.

According to the author of a book Siyar-ul-Mutakherin, Ghulam Hussain Khan, before Banda Singh died, Muhammad Amin Khan had the opportunity to come close to him and observed the great Sikh general and was surprised at the nobleness of his features. He asked Banda Singh, ‘It is surprising,’ said he, ‘that one, who shows so much acuteness in his features and so much of nobility in his conduct, should have been guilty of such horrors.’ With the greatest composure, Banda Singh replied: ‘I will tell you. Whenever men become so corrupt and wicked as to relinquish the path of equity and to abandon themselves to all kinds of excesses, then the Providence never fails to raise up a scourge like me to chastise a race so depraved; but when the measure of punishment is full then he raises up men like you to bring him to punishment.’

After Muhammad Amin Khan, his son Qmar-ud-Din Khan became the Grand Wazir of the Mughal Empire and served under the Emperor Muhammad Shah. He died an agonizing death during the first invasion of Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1748, when he was struck by a canon on his waist while performing his prayers. His son, Mir Mannu succeeded him and became the Governor of Lahore. He led one of the bloodiest campaigns against the Sikhs and executed thousands of them during his five year rule. During his tenure, Sikhs were almost exterminated from the Punjab and they were killed on sight. There is a saying by the Sikhs from the period: ‘Mir Mannu is our sickle, We the fodder for him to mow, The more he reaps, the more we grow.’ According to one version, Mir Mannu died an ignominious and painful death while he was on an expedition to eradicate Sikhs. While riding, his horse suddenly started galloping and he was thrown off the saddle while his foot got stuck in the stirrup. He was dragged in this position for a distance and was struck by debris and rocks while the horse ran aimlessly. He eventually succumbed to his injuries and died a horrific and unpleasant death.

Qmar-ud-Din’s other son, Gazi-ud-Din also became the Wazir of the Mughal Empire and due to his incompetence and un-statesman qualities, Ahmad Shah Durrani invaded India for the fourth time in 1756/57. During this invasion, Durrani reached Delhi and divested its residents, both rich and poor of their wealth. Durrani had the Haveli of Gazi-ud-Din thoroughly searched, he had the floors ripped apart and the ceilings removed. It has been said that the total wealth accumulated by Muhammad Amin Khan and his descendants since the last seventy years was taken away by Durrani. It consisted of: One and Half Crore Rupees (15 million) in cash, there were more than two hundred gold bar candle sticks, large quantities of diamonds, emeralds, rubies, pearls, mattings and carpets of exotic make, gold and silver covered maces. They also took away one hundred beautiful women from his Haram. Thus in the end, the entire wealth of the family was taken away by another invader who was more powerful and ruthless. Hardly anything remained in the possession of the once most mighty, wealthy and noble family.

Written By: Gurmeet Singh Sandhu

References:

A Short History of Sikhs by Dr Ganda Singh

Banda Singh Bahadur by Dr Ganda Singh

Ahmad Shah Durrani by Dr Ganda Singh

Information about the Painting from

1888 – 90 India

‘Great Mogul and his Court Returning from the Great Mosque at Delhi’

Shah Jahan (1628 to 1658)

Artist – Edwin Lord Weeks, 1888 – 1890 oil on canvas.

(East India Company & Raj Research Group 1600 – 1919)