Forgotten heroes of Punjab
Attacks and occupation by foreign rulers has had a deep impact on the psyche of Punjabis — their threshold for subjugation has increased. They continue to readily accept a man on horseback the moment he appears on the horizon
Punjab is one of the earliest known civilizations of the Indus Valley (4,000 to 5,000 BC) which had well-planned streets and drainage. While the Aryans (1,500 BC) are said to have annihilated the civilization, the Caucasian Aryans introduced fair colour and coloured eyes in the gene pool of the otherwise dark-skinned locals called Dasas and the horse and chariot to the present Punjab area. Those were also the days of the Mahabharta and the Ramayana.
Punjab has always been a place of small independent villages where people dwelled in their own agrarian way of life in the past. The waters of the five rivers irrigated its fertile lands, providing a stable means of livelihood. But this prosperity invariably proved to be a liability when peace and tranquillity was shattered by invaders — both from the East and West. Even if the rulers gave in easily to the invading forces, some brave Punjabis rose and fight for their land. This is the story of those heroes.
When Alexander (325 BC) wanted to cross River Jhelum, he had to face Poros from Mandi Bahauddin. Poros fought bravely. But eventually, Alexander’s horses won against Poros’ elephants. Thereafter they became friends. Alexander finally crossed River Jhelum hundreds of miles South at Athara Hazari. For some reason, while the Punjabis still name their sons after Alexander, I have yet to hear someone called Poros. Thereafter, Punjab became a part of the Eastern empires of Chandra Gupta and Asoka, with Taxila becoming the centre of Buddhism.
As the centuries roll by, we hear about two folk heroes of Punjab — Raja Rasalu and Puran Bhagat, sons of the Raja of Sialkot (AD 100-200). Raja Rasalu was a handsome prince who dallied with pretty maidens, went hunting, killed giants, robbed the rich and gave to the poor. He rode a horse called Fauladi and a parrot called Shadi always resting on his shoulder. Puran, the younger brother, was more like a saint. He rebuffed the advances of his mother-in-law, Leena, and left home. He became a symbol of goodness and was called Puran Bhagat. And so, as history moves on, Punjab was again broken up into small principalities until taken over by the Gupta Empire around AD 400. This was the time of the Puranas.
The next intruders were Iraqi Arabs (Ommayads and Abbasis) (AD 712) who conquered Southern Punjab upto Multan. They ruled for almost 150 years. But Islam came to Punjab much later through the non-Arab sufi saints of Turk, Persian and Afghan origin.
After the Arabs, Mahmud of Ghazni (AD 1018) made his incursion from the North-West. Raja Jaypal of Shahi Dynasty faced him at Attock. Mahmud had 1,500 horses and Jaypal had 300 elephants. It was a bloody fight and Jaypal lost the battle. But Jaypal’s sense of honour and pride was such that instead of returning to Attock, he chose to burn himself at a funeral pyre. As Mahmood advanced, he showed no mercy even to the Muslim states of Multan and Talamba. His Turko-Afghan successors such as Qutbuddin Aibak, Altumush and Razia Sultana were a bit better and during their period, art and literature flourished. These were the times of Guru Nanak and Kabir. Data Gunj Bakhsh came to Lahore with Mahmud Ghazni’s son, the governor of Lahore.
The next invader, Taimur (AD 1370), was held by Shaikha Ghakkar, the chieftain of the Salt Range. Shaikha fought bravely but Taimur prevailed. The moment Taimur left for Delhi to end the Tughlaq Dynasty, Shaikha again captured Lahore. On his way back, Taimur again took back Lahore, but this time with Shaika’s son, Jasrat. On the way to Farghana, Jasrat escaped, returning through the arduous terrain and again recaptured Lahore. During this period, we hear of a peasant revolt led by Sarang (AD 1419).
Then after 100 years, Babur (AD 1526) came to defeat the Afghan ruler Ibrahim Lodhi. In his Baburnama, the Mughal described the bravery of the Jats and Gujjars who had fiercely resisted him at Sialkot. Then Dulla Bhatti of Pindi Bhattian revolted and held against Akbar for 10 years. The peasants were asked not to pay tax and revenue. Finally, Akbar agreed to let the land be a hereditary right, a departure from the past where all land belonged to the king.
Nadir Shah (AD 1736), the Persian ruler, moved into Punjab on his way to Delhi. At the Indus-Jhelum doab, the Khattars, Ghaebas and Gakkhars fought against him. After he crossed Jhelum, the Gondal Rajputs took him on. Najabat, a poet of the time, wrote about the accounts of valour by Dhilloo and Saidoo. After crossing Gujarat, when he reached Chenab, Mirza Qalandar was waiting for him. When he reached Ravi, Khoja Yaqub was there to fight him. He spared Lahore from rampage. But when he reached Delhi to put an end the reign of Muhammad Shah Rangeela, he went to the Jamia Mosque and took out his sword — a signal for the pillage of Delhi. Around 20,000 were killed and the booty included the Peacock throne and Kohinoor diamond. Mir Taqi Mir, who was then 16, explained this gruesome brutality in his verses.
Ahmed Shah Abdali (AD 1747), founder of the first Pakhtoon state, came next. Mir Manu fought him, though he did manage to capture Sialkot and Pasrur. Finally, Abdali ended the reign of Azuddin Alamgir.
Under the efficient rule of Ranjit Singh (AD 1799-1839), the empire extended upto Kabul and Kandahar. After the death of Ranjit Singh, the British found an opportunity to capture Punjab. Ahmed Khan Kharal of Rai Nathoo, at the age of 80, took up arms against the British in the War of Independence of 1857. Then Bhagat Singh (AD 1926) was instrumental in beginning a labour and peasant movement in Lahore. Lala Lajpat Rai, Sher-i-Punjab, lost his life in this struggle. The British radically transformed the landscape of Punjab by introducing a canal system, railways and cantonments. They set up seminaries and churches and introduced a new faith in the area.
Punjab has become a part of the Western Empire about six times — Greeks, Arabs, Afghans, Turks, Persians and Pakhtoons. And it has also become a part of the Eastern empires about four times — Chandra Gupta, Asoka, Mughal and the British.
Punjab has so far produced brave soldiers such as Poros, Jaypal, Ranjit Singh, Shaikha, Jasrat, Dilloo, Saidoo, Ahmed Khan Kharal, Bhagat Singh, Lala Lajpat Rai and Mirza Qalandar. Romantic heroes such as Raja Rasalu, Puran Bhagat, Sarang and Dulla Bhatti live even today in the memories of village folk. Its sufi saints and poets, who preached the message of love include Amir Khusrao, Guru Nanak, Kabir, Data Gunj Baksh, Baba Fareed, Bhauddin Zakaria, Bulleh Shah, Sultan Bahu, Mian Mohammad and Shah Hussain. Not only great men, Punjabi folklore also has strong-willed women who dominated their beloved such as in the tales of Heer Ranjha, Sassi Punnu, Mirza Sahiban and Sohni Mahiwal.
All invaders who came to this land had one basic human failing — a greed for wealth. And their wrath was indiscriminate, irrespective of religion, race or creed. The attacks and occupation by foreign rulers has had a deep impact on the psyche of Punjabis — their threshold for subjugation has increased. They continue to readily accept a man on horseback the moment he appears on the horizon.
