by Jia Lal Kilam

CHAPTER XVII
Dila Ram The Madarulmiham

AZAD KHAN, the new Subedar was after the fullest pattern of his father. He had a spurring urge from within in a greater degree than his father had, that goaded him unceasingly on the path of creating daily fresh troubles and tribulations for his subjects. He always regaled himself at the sufferings of others, and when he had nothing better to do, he at least killed one or two individuals to satisfy his ingrained - perversity of mind. By such means he piled the number of dead to his credit by thousands. Forster the European traveller already referred to who visited Kashmir during Azad's regime has described Azad as an "infernal despot". The European has mentioned some facts in support of his description which may be given in his own words. Says he "While he was passing with his Court under one of the wooden bridges of the city, on which a crowd of people had assembled to observe the procession, he levelled his musket at an opening which he saw in pathway and being an expert marksman he shot to death an unfortunate spectator. Soon after his accession to the Government he accused his mother of infidelity to her husband, and in defiance of the glaring absurdity which appeared in the allegation, as well as the anxious entreaties of the woman who had borne him to save her from shame, she was ignominously driven from the palace, and about the same time, on a like frivolous pretence he put one of his wives to death. A film on one of his eyes had baffled the attempts of many operators and being anxious at the want of success, he told the last surgeon who had called in that if the disorder was not remedied within a limited time, allowing but a few days, his belly would be cut open. The man failed in his cure and Azad Khan verified his threat''. But then there was the Pandit Peshkar whom even the monster like Azad could not touch. Dila Ram, as already stated, had carved GUt an abiding place for himself in people's minds. Azad knew this. He not only continued to bestow his favours on him but even raised him to the exalted office of Madarulmiham (the Prime Minister). In various matters of state Dila Ram wielded an unbounded influence over Azad, but then it was not possible even for the resourceful Pandit to put a ckeck to the orgies of his brutal passions which asserted themslves in spite of the greatest restraint. Soon after succeeding to his father's place, Azad led an expedition against the neighbouring State of Poonch. He was successful, but tarnished his victory by untold miseries and hardships that he inflicted upon the people there. For full seven days, the town of Poonch was subjected to plunder and arson and then he returned back only after having put Gobind Pandit Dar along with a number of other Pandits to death.

Azad Khan after his return from Poonch became greatly elated with his success there, and let loose his brutal passions in an unbridled manner which culiminated in greater hardships for his subjects. Gobind Pandit's murder only whetted his appetite for the Pandits, blood, which he nowplanned to shed promiscuously. Elaborate plans were laid out for effecting their extermination, but then they proved more than a match for him. They, somehow or other, took scent of the impending trouble, and before any harm could overtake them, most of them including the surviving members of Pandit Kailas Dar's family left Kashmir secretly." Some of them found their way to Poonch, others went to Kishtwar, Rajauri and Jammu, and many more fled to Hindustan." Obviously all these Pandits were informed by Dila Ram of the impending peril. But Azad Khan was not a person to be discouraged. There were other Pandit dignitories who could serve his purpose. One such victim he found in the person of Pandit Gulab Joo Dar who was the officer in charge of Kamraj division. This division was held in their charged by the ancestors of Gulab Joo Dar ever since the day when Jehangir had bestowed it upon Meru Pandit in lieu of his meritorious services rendered by him to the Emperor, when he was taken prisoner by Mahabat Khan while coming to Kashmir. But Pandit Gulab Joo - who had received timely information of the impending trouble from Dila Ram thought it indiscreet to remain in Kashmir and made secret but effective preparations to leave the country. His own son Pandit Birbar, he left under the protection of his own brother-in-law, Pandit Taba Bhat of Anantnag and his two nephews Sahaj Ram and Mirza Pandit, he consigned to their maternal uncle's care at Safapur. Himself Gulab Joo went to Kishtwar, and took refuge with the Raja there. For full three years Gulab Joo lived as an exile at Kishtwar. At last he opened correspondence with Dila Ram who finding a suitable opportunity, interceded on hisbehalf with Azad Khan, and secured his permission for Gulab Joo's coming back to Kashmir.

Azad Khan was a Muslim by religion, but his Muslim coreligionists fared no better than Pandits. So far as the latter were concerned, they had one saving factor, i.e. Dila Ram was the Prime Minister. His presence in the administration as its head, always served a sort of check upon the brutal orgies of Azad And besides that whenever a plan was hatched by Azad to deal the Pandits a death blow, there was Dila Ram to put them on guard. But there are some people who may find it difficult to defend the co-operation which Dila Ram extended to Azad Khan who was believed by them and rightly too as a veritable scourage on earth created for the tormentation of its otherwise innocent denizens. But then apart from the moral values involved in it, Dila Ram fully justified his action by the practical results he achieved. Would it not have spelled ruin for the country and his community if Dila Ram had allowed an opportunity of at least serving a brake in Azad's brutalities to slip out of his fingers and should he have in its stead become a mute observer of all the troubles that would have otherwise fallen to the lot of the people of Kashmir? Politics cannot be always judged by the standards of saintliness. Dila Ram proved himself a real politician.

Azad Khan was a Muslim, but he was a Muslim by name only. May be that his conception of religion did not rise higher than his actual doings. But at any rate he proved by his actions that he had no love for religion as understood by the rest of mankind even in his time, nor did he feel any qualms of conscience so as to deter him from his misdeeds. He made himself dreaded by friend and foe alike. His exactions from his subjects were so very terrible that the fruit growers of Kashmir effected such a grafting in their trees which spoiled the taste of the fruits. By this means alone could they save their fruit from falling in Azad's hands. A person devoid of religion, with no pangs of conscience, haughty arrogant and vain as Azad was, it was quite impossible that he could continue his allegiance to the Afghan king for any length of time. The result was that soon after his conquest of the Bomba and Khokha principalities, he proclaimed his independence and took the title of Nadir Shah II. So arrogant had he become that he put two Kashmiri notables, Sher Ali Khan and Khwaja Mohammad Ganai to death for the mere suspicion of loyalty on their part towards the Afghan king. News travelled very slow in those days, and it took some time before the Kabul king came to know of Azad!s rebellion. Taimur Shah the Afghan king, instead of taking any drastic measures, deputed Kifayat Khan to bring him round by peaceful methods. Kifayat Khan who had the gift of a flowery tongue, made Azad understand the pros and cons of his action and was on the verge of success, when news reached Kashmir that a huge Afghan force had already made its appearance in Kashmir. The negotiations thus having fallen through, Azad Khan also started with a huge army. The two armies met at Muzaffarabad. Azad Khan came out victorious and he returned back with a number of prisoners and a lot of war material. The prisoners were, some of them killed at Maisuma and the rest drowned at Nurbag in river Jhelum. His own assistant Diwan Singh he put to death at Haft Chinar.

But with all this, Azad had his own anxieties, his own cares, although they were the creation of nobody but himself. One would have expected that after his victory over the royal forces, he would have had a smooth sailing, but then his victory added so greatly to his vanity and arrogance that even his most faithful servants turned away from him in sheer disgust. Pahalwan Khan and Maluk Khan, two of his most trusted lieutenants hatched up a conspiracy for his destruction. They succeeded in winning the support of Izmat Khan who was in charge of Azad's bodyguard. One night Izmat Khan, finding a suitable opportunity fired at Azad, but missed the aim. In horror, Azad leapt through the window towards the river Jhelum flowing nearby. He took a boat and hurried towards Rainawari where he took shelter in Dila Ram's house. Izmat and his party gave him a hot chase, but he reached his destination in safety. At Rainawari all of them tried to enter Dila Ram's house forcibly but failed. In the melee that ensued, Azad Khan remained unscathed though Dila Ram sustained some minor injuries. The whole night witnessed a number of petty skirmishes between the partisans of Izmat and Azad. Next morning Azad came out of his place of shelter and camped at Maisuma. Pahalwan Khan also came out with his forces, but not feeling himself strong enough to force an action he fell back and took shelter behind the walls of the Sher Garh fort. Azad at once laid siege to the fort. For seven days bombardment proceeded on from both the sides. At last a breach was made in the walls, and the Azad's forces rushed in. In the fight that ensued Pahalwan Khan was killed and with him ended his infructuous rebellion.

But even then Azad was destined to have no rest or respite. Taimur Shah could not sleep over the defeat suffered by his army and thus lose a province like Kashmir. Again did Taimur arrange an expedition to Kashmir and this time it was equipped well and put under the command of a veteran general Madad Khan. Azad's star was now on the wane. By his own arrogance he had lost the co-operation of almost all his trusted servants. Those few who had for one reason or the other kept hanging on around him, finding time propitious joined the other side. But even then his cruelty of temper met with no set-back. Sardar Arsala Khan who had joined Madad Khan, was chosen by him for a terrible vendetta. His two sons and a daughter were drowned in a river and the modesty of his wife was got outraged by his own children. But all this had now only one effect: that of antagonizing further the people against him. A terrible battle was fought in the year 1785 A. D. near Khushi Pura village, which culminated in a victory for Madad Khan. Azad, crest fallen with no friend and forsaken by all ended his inglorious career by ending his life with his own hands and Madad Khan with nobody to oppose him made a triumphant entry into the city of Srinagar in 1785 A. D.