In the early 18th century, an aged Pashtun chieftain, Jalal Khan Orakzai, along with his sons, followers, and dependents, heroically saved thousands of Muslims in India from a genocidal maniac.
That genocidal maniac was Banda Singh Bairagi, the savage successor of Guru Gobind Singh. Maddened by anti-Muslim rage, Banda Singh completely destroyed Sirhind city in 1709 and sacked a vast territory of East Punjab with unprecedented barbarity in India. He knew no limits when committing atrocities; he and his followers even ripped open the bellies of pregnant women and brutally killed suckling babes. The author of "Siar-ul-Mutakhireen" writes:
"He (Guru Gobind) was succeeded by Banda, that butcher-like man. This infernal man having assembled multitudes of desperate fellows, all as enthusiasts, and all as thirsty of revenge as himself, commenced ravaging the country with such a barbarity as had never had an example in India. They spared no Mohammedan, whether man or woman or child. Pregnant women had their bellies ripped open, and their children dashed against their faces or against the walls." It is no wonder that the mild Bahadur Shah shuddered on hearing of such atrocious deeds.
Capitalizing on Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah's preoccupation in the Deccan, Banda Singh occupied a vast territory of East Punjab, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction. Emboldened by his successes, Banda Singh marched upon Saharanpur (Western U.P.) with a large body of his followers. An aged Pashtun zamindar named Jalal Khan Orakzai possessed certain villages in the pargana of Thana Bhawan in Saharanpur, where he built a mud fort with a small town inside it, named Jalalabad after himself. His father, Hazar Mir Orakzai of Miranzai Khel, had come to India during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan. While others fled in terror at the news of Banda Singh's approaching horde, Jalal Khan and his Pashtuns remained unflinched, deciding to face the Sikhs head-on. Despite having only a small lashkar at his disposal, he stoutly defended his town of Jalalabad and routed the Sikhs with such tenacity that they abandoned any further advance into modern-day Uttar Pradesh, retreating instead to Punjab. Thus, his brave resistance saved the lives of tens of thousands of Muslims. The contemporary historian Mirza Muhammad summarizes the achievements of Jalal Khan Orakzai in his Ibratnama [written in 1719] as follows:
"The Sikhs in the (Ganga-Yamuna) Doab who after the capture of Saharanpur, entertained the ambition of conquering that entire territory, suffered much punishment from the swords of the sons and relatives of Jalal Khan Ruhela, the master of Jalalabad, 7 kurohs from Deoband. Thereafter, contenting themselves with they had already obtained in the Doab, they turned back from there." [English translation by Iqbal Hussain]
The following account of the war between Jalal Khan Orakzai and Banda Singh's Sikhs is largely drawn from William Irvine's 'Later Mughals,' which is based on contemporary Persian sources. When the Sikhs crossed the Yamuna River and entered Saharanpur territory, the city's faujdar, Ali Hamid Khan Qannauji, a Hindustani Muslim, was seized by fear. That night, he and his soldiers abandoned Saharanpur and fled to Delhi, leaving its people defenseless. Learning that the imperial officer had deserted the town, the Sikhs hastened to the spot. They soon overcame the inhabitants' resistance and subjected the city to the same atrocities they had committed in Sirhind. The entire country, far and near, was in a panic. People, rich and poor alike, began to flee the region. In this way, half of the Saharanpur sarkar fell into the hands of the Sikhs.
Earlier, the only defeat Banda Singh's followers had suffered in Punjab was at the hands of Shams Khan, a Kheshgi Afghan of Kasur. Consequently, they were naturally hesitant to attack the town of Jalalabad, an Afghan colony within the Saharanpur sarkar. Jalalabad, founded by Jalal Khan, was surrounded by mud walls. It lies approximately thirty miles south of Saharanpur and about twenty miles west of Deoband.
The Sikhs sent messengers to Jalal Khan Orakzai, calling upon him to submit. However, the proud Afghan was unfazed by the recent Sikh successes. When the Sikh messengers appeared before him, Jalal Khan Orakzai ordered them to be paraded derisively through the streets and then expelled from the town. Immediate preparations were subsequently made for the defense of the small town of Jalalabad.
Soon, Jalal Khan received word that the Sikhs had surrounded two villages, both dependent on Jalalabad and located four or five miles away. He immediately dispatched a force, led by his grandson Ghulam Muhammad Khan and cousin Hizbar Khan, to relieve these villages. Encouraged by the reinforcements, four or five hundred villagers, armed with matchlocks or bows, along with many of their tenantry, who were variously armed (many with only slings and stones), boldly emerged to disperse the Sikhs. In the ensuing fight, Hizbar Khan and a number of Afghans and villagers lost their lives. Ultimately, however, pressed by repeated Afghan onslaughts, the Sikhs retreated.
Other contests followed between the Sikhs and Jalal Khan, and the former were repulsed two or three times. In spite of these reverses, the Sikhs persisted in their attempts against the town. Banda Singh had brought seventy to eighty thousand men from all parts to capture Jalalabad. The Sikh assailants prepared two to three hundred movable batteries, formed of planks and mounted on cartwheels. Jalalabad was closely invested. When these batteries were brought to the foot of the walls and close to the town gate, the Sikhs showered bullets, arrows, and stones upon the Afghans from them. Then, with cries of "Fateh Darshan," four or five hundred Sikh men, carrying mattocks and other tools, rushed forward, intending to dig through the earthen wall, to affix ladders, and to set fire to the gates. At such moments, the Afghans threw open the gates and, sword in hand, with their shields raised before their faces, made a rush upon the foe. In each sally, they cut down two or three hundred of the Sikhs, at the same time losing many lives on their own side. At night, other sallies were made, catching the besiegers unawares and putting them to the sword. For twenty days, the besieged found no proper leisure to eat or rest. In the end, after losing some thousands of men, the Sikhs withdrew without having been able to take the town. [Ref: 'Later Mughals', Volume-I, pp-101-102]
The clashes between Afghans, led by Jalal Khan, and Sikhs, led by Banda Singh, spanned from June to October 1710. Numerous encounters between the two forces are recorded in 'Akhbar-i-Darbar-i-Muala' (The Mughal News-letters). Jalal Khan became a punishing sword against the Sikhs. Even after the Battle of Jalalabad, Jalal Khan continued to pursue and relentlessly attack the Sikhs.
For the victory over the Sikhs, Jalal Khan was rewarded by the Nazim of Delhi, on 31st August 1710 AD, with the Faujdari of Saharanpur deserted by Ali Hamid Khan Qanauji. He was raised to the rank of two thousand and five hundred in the reign of Jahandar Shah, with a further promotion during Farrukh Siyar's time. He died in September 1718 AD. [Ref: Ibrat-Namah by Muhammad Harisi, 82b]
JLALABAD WAS NOT BUILT BY JLALA KHAN. IT WAS FORMERLY KNOWN AS MANHARKHEDA , TOWN AND FORT WAS BUILT BY RAJA MANHAR SINGH PUNDIR. AFTER TREACHERY BY BRAHMANS, PATHAN JLALA KHAN TOOK THIS FORT IN HIS UNDER, NOT BY FIGHT, BY TREACHERY..
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