by Jia Lal Kilam

CHAPTER XVIII
Dila Ram wins fresh Laurels

Dar Tawarikhi yak hazar u dusad
Zulmi " Azad " ra rasid madad.

"In the year one thousand and two hundred,
the zulum of Azad received Madad ( help)."
 

IN these poetic words did the public sentiment find articulation, when the bard in his humour of despair composed the above couplet to chronicle the arrival of Madad Khan. Azad had proved himself a terror in the past and the people had iost all hopes in the future. But Madad Khan was of a different frame of mind. He realised that Azad had by dint of his misdeeds greatly lowered the public estimate about the Afghans. He, therefore, decided to turn a new leaf in the dark chapter that was opened by his two predecessors in the history of Kashmir and he set himself in right earnest in applying a healing balm to the lacerated hearts of the people.

Nor did he let the machinations of the mischief-mongers, of whom there was no dearth in the country, go unheeded. He suppressed all those elements with an iron hand. He also made recommendation for the remission, of the taxes that were specifically levied upon the Pandits, but they expressed their willingness to continue payment if only they were left in peace thereby. But with all his good work, Madad Khan was not to remain in Kashmir for more than ten months, when he was called to make room for his successor Mirdad Khan in year 1786 A. D.

Mirdad Khan made a good start with Mulla Gaffar Khan as his Assistant. The Finance Department was put under the charge of Pandit Dila Ram. For some time to come, the affairs went on smoothly. But somehow or other there came about a rupture in the harmonious relations that had hitherto subsisted between the Subedar and his Assistant, Mulla Gaffar Khan. Both of them tried to harm each other and both of them sought the help of Dila Ram. Dila Ram kept himself outside all the rival cliques. This naturally added to his popularity with the masses and greatly enhanced his power and prestige.

The news that the Subedar and his Assistant were not pulling on well with each other, did after all reach Kabul. The Subedar Mirdad Khan undertook the collection and realization of the land revenue without the help of his Assistant, Mulla Gaffar Khan, who was as a result, removed from office and Mirdad Khan was put in the sole charge of the country. One would have expected that now as the dual element in the administration was ended, there would be peaceful days ahead, but even this did not in any way ease the matters.

Dila Ram, as already stated in these pages was a man of extraordinary resourcefulness. In the unsettledness that prevailed during those days, if there was one man who came out unscathed out of the fiery ordeal it was Dila Ram. Azad rebelled against his Afghan overlord. He was made to suffer an ignominous defeat. Afghan rule was again established but Dila Ram did not find his prestige or power diminished even by an iota. This gave rise to a number of enemies for Dila Ram who were impotent for the time being to shake Dila Ram from his position, but nevertheless always planned secretly for his destruction. They waited for an opportune time to strike, which they got after all under circumstances, rather interesting. Hafiz Kamal, a Muslim divine of Srinagar, who was once the chief preacher of the city, was deposed from his office on an accusation of heresy having been brought against him. Having passed a number of years in retirement, he at last came out from his seclusion and started his preachings again. He was again accused of using profane language ( Tabarra ). This kindled the fire of a religious upheaval and people assembled in their thousands demanding th e head of the heretical Kamal. Poor Kamal was made to ride a donkey and was paraded through the streets of Srinagar He was later beheaded at Haft-Chinar This incident was closed so for as Kamal was concerned, but it left behind a legacy of religious commotion which even the ignominous death of Kamal did not end. The enemies of Dila Ram could not have chosen a better occasion to bring about his fall. At once an accusation was brought against him as well that he too had used profane language with respect to the Muslim religion. This accusations served as a spark in a powder magazine, and the result was a conflagration of a worse kind. People assembled in the Shah Hamdan mosque and the Jama Masjid. After listening to the mischievous harangues of certain persons, in whose breasts lay the enmity against Dila Ram hidden, they closed the doors of both the mosques and went to meet the Pandit. An attack was made upon Dila Ram who was seriously wounded. He would have met with his death, had not the Subedar arrived on spot, and pacified the mob. Mirdad Khan took no notice of the accusation brought against Dila Ram, knowing as he was full well that the agitation against him was artifically-engineered. Within a few days the excitement subsided and Dila Ram went on with his work as before.

In these very days, there was some disturbance in Kamraj created by one Mir Jaffar Kanth, but it was soon suppressed. Mirdad Khan, however, was not destined to live long. A short while after he fell ill and breathed his last in the year 1788 A. D. He was succeeded by Mulla Gaffar Khan but he too was recalled back after a period of only four months. Sirdar Jumma Khan Alkozai was appointed to succeed him.

Jumma Khan was a man of humane temperament and more or less justice loving. He patronised learning and was a great lover of poetry. He had hardly set his foot in Kashmir when the country was devastated by floods. A number of houses were destroyed and many people were left without a shelter. But Juma Khan coped with the calamity very bravely and rendered relief to the people, as best as he could.

In those days the accounts from Kashmir were periodically submitted to the Kabul Government, and this time Pandit Dila Ram assisted by Mir Jaffar was deputed to present the accounts' statement at Kabul. Dila Ram was already a known figure at Kabul and he was very well received by Taimur Shah, the Kabul king. The king was greatly impressed with the regularity of the accounts maintained under the supervision of Dila Ram. The king took the latter in his favour and took all sorts of liberties with Dila Ram and put a number of questions to him about the Hindu religion. One day Dila Ram was sitting in the Durbar at Kabul, when Taimur Shah rather abruptly inquired of him the reason as to why he had put a Tilak mark on his forehead. Quick came the reply that the mark resembling alif was an indication of the fact that God was one without a second. The king in order to baffle him pursued the query further and asked as to why he had annointed his ear tips also with the same substance. Without a moment's thought Dila Ram replied that the two marks were in token of two witnesses needed to prove a fact according to Muslim law (Shara). Taimur Shah put a third question as to why he had a mark on his throat as well. Dila Ram replied that this mark signified that the person who denies the truth of this statement needs being hanged. The witty repartee over, Taimur Shah bade him to state the true significance of the Tilak mark. Pandit Dila Ram read out a Persian couplet in answer which runs as follows:
 

Bar chahram Nazr kun Peshaniam bibeen,
Dagi gulamie shahi Maulast bar Jabin.

" Cast a glance over my face and look to my forehead,
there you will find a mark which singles me out as a slave of the Lord.''
 

Dila Ram came back to Kashmir richly laden with honours by the Kabul king. His various qualities of head and heart, his rich experience of men and affairs, his immense store of wit and humour and above all his affable manners and mild disposition won for him the friendship of many people at Kabul. But in Kashmir he had trouble ahead of him. There were conspiracies and cliques against him. For long did Dila Ram hold his own against all the unholy cliques of his enemies. But unsettled as the times were, they had not to wait for long. They soon got a propitious time for putting into practice their nefarious designs. Not only was Pandit Dila Ram Quli killed but the community to which he belonged was also made to suffer those untold miseries the like of which one fails to find anywhere in the annals of the civilised world.

Jumma Khan's closing years would have been rather peaceful but for the construction of a Matam Sarai by Shias which was greatly resented by the Sunni Muslims. The building was demolished and a severe warning was administered to the Shias against their introducing such practices as caused resentment to the Sunnis. There was also an insurrection by Khokha and Bomba chieftains but it was soon suppressed. Jumma Khan died in the year 1792 A. D. and was succeeded by Mirza Khan. Mirza Khan who was of a religious bent of mind did not remain in Kashmir for more than four months. He installed in his place his son Mir Hazar Khan and himself became a religious recluse.