Marwat Khan Lodhi
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He was a religious fanatic, who was impressed from the ideas of Abdul Wahab of Najd. He tried to enforce his Wahabi beliefs in the Subcontinent especially present day Pashtunkhwa. The purposes of his arrival in the Pashtun region can be summarized as follows:
a. To establish an Islamic state comprising of Pashtun areas of present day Pastunkhwa and use it to launch attacks on Sikhs and capture Punjab from them. Later they wanted to bring the whole of India under a Wahabi Islamic rule. Thus he meant to use the Pashtuns love of religion and martial character for his political dreams.
b. To bring reforms and changes in Pashtun's way of life and modify them according to his Wahabi ideology.
c. To have an elite force of Pashtun warriors by which he wanted to defeat the Sikh and British occupation of India.
Syed Ahmed Shaheed had already served in the army of the Yousafzai state of Tonk in India so he had made up his mind to come to Yousafzai areas to fullfil his dream of political control and establishing of an Islamic Emirate.
He had concluded that Afghans were enthusiastic Muslims and thus greatly influenced by mullahs. He thus planned to use religion to achieve his political aims using the Pashtun nation. He, thus, decided to migrate to Pashtun areas across Indus River along with a group of his Indian followers. To avoid confronting Sikhs, he adopted a long route and passed through Sindh, Balochistan and then Kabul and finally arrived at Nowshera.
He presented himself as a devout Muslim and promoted his cause as a fight for the supremacy of Islam, just talibans today. Local Pashtuns, naturally welcomed him and assured their help to his cause of serving Islam. The influence of Mullahs in Pashtun society helped him attract Abdul Wahab Of Najad a good number of Pashtuns to be enlisted in his ranks for jihad. After having satisfied himself that he had gained sufficient power to challenge Ranjit Singh, the ruler of Punjab. He sent a message to him to either accept Islam or pay jiziya or prepare for war. Ranjit singh refused the message and decided to crush the newly emerging power in the west of his state. He sent a powerful army under Hari Singh and Badi Singh to defeat Syed Ahmed Shaheeds forces. At the batlle at Akora Khattak fought in 1826, Syed Ahmed Shaheed and his Mujahideen were victorious and Sikhs suffered a huge defeat. The next year i.e. 1827, the Sikhs were again defeated at Hazro on the eastern band of River Indus.
These two successive victories increased the popularity of Syed Ahmad and more people joined him. With two successive victories under his belt and thousands of mujahideens fighting under him, he declared areas under his influence as an Islamic state and titled himself as "Amir-ul-Momineen". He arranged for his name to be mentioned in Fridays sermons.
He implemented his version of Islamic Sharia and appointed Qazis and Aamils from amongst his Indian followers. Thus he and his band of Indian followers began to rule the Pashtuns just like the Talibans of Afghanistan and fazlullah's rule in swat.
As mentioned earlier, the Pashtun loves his religion, but he loves his culture as much, if not more. After establishing himself as Amir-ul-Momineen, Syed Ahmed Shaheed and his clique of religious followers started fiddling with the Pashtun culture and social values. This was the beginning of the turn of tide for Syed Ahmed. As a consequence the two prominent Sardars of Peshawar, Sardar Yar Mohammad Khan and his brother Sultan Mohammad Khan rose against the self styled Amir-ul-Mominin, Syed Ahmad and fought a battle against him. The Sardars were defeated in the ensuing battle. Yar Mohmmad khan was killed and Sultan Mohamed Khan was captured but later he was released and was appointed as Sardar of Peshawar by Syed Ahmed as part of his Emirate as a compromise.
The current Pakistani text books, in their eagerness to glorify Syed Ahmed and his religious movement falsify the truth, when they state that that the two sardars took bribe from Sikhs to fight against Syed Ahmed. The reality is different and easy to understand if you are a Pashtun yourself. The actual story behind the scene is that Syed Ahmed had in fact demanded the daughter of Yar Mohammad Khan in marriage which was taken as an insult by Yar Mohammed Khan. Thus the Sardars turned against Syed Ahmed.
Sultan Mohammed khan after his release from the captivity of Syed Ahmed, did not forget the defeat and death of his brother. He made a plot for revenge and killed over 150 Aamils, Syed Ahmeds Indian followers and his assistants to control the areas, in just one night. This broke Syeds authority in the region.
Most of Syed's Indian followers were young and unmarried, just like the current day Talibs. Those who were married had left their wives back in India.
These so called mujahids were greatly attracted by wordly desires of women, after getting some power. They demanded Syed Ahmed for permission for marrying local Pashtun women. Syed Ahmed assured them that they will get what they want. He called the local Pashtun elders and demanded to give their girls to his Indian followers in marriage. At that time giving girls in marriage to the Indiian people was considered taboo by Pashtuns so they naturally refused. Syed Ahmed did not bother about their refusal and instead pressurized them more; using force as in his thinking it was un-Islamic not to give their daughters to his men. This infuriated the Yousafzais across the region and they rose in defence of their cultural values. In the ensuing battles, the Pashtuns almost killed each and every Indian follower of Syed Ahmad.
In the 19th century, Syed Ahmad, just like todays Taliban , tried to enforce his wahabi ideas in the Pashtun lands and started interference in the local Pashtun culture and traditions. He tried to eliminate the codes of Pashtunwali, which was rejected by Pashtuns. He loathed the local Sardars /elders and tried to abolish the traditional Pashtun Jirga system. These actions were sufficient to provoke the Pashtuns and unite them against Syed Ahmed.
The ensuing massacre of his men forced Syed Ahmed to run away from the Yousafzai area with his surviving 600 followers towards Hazara in a marooned state. Here again, he made a plan to free Hazara and Kashmir by inciting the locals and after that he planned to take revenge from Pashtuns and Sikhs. Here he couldnt muster any support and finally in 1831 he was surrounded by a large Sikh army and killed at Balakot.
The text books of Pakistan studies have been falsified to blame Pashtuns for the failure for Syed's attempt to establish an Emirate in Pashtun lands. They have gone to the extent of even labeling the Pashtuns as traitors, just to glorify Syed Ahmed. This lack of understanding that anybody who tries to meddle in the traditional Pashtun culture and tries to impose their brand of religious and cultural values on the Pashtuns are bound to fail. It was Syed Ahmed political ambitions which brought him to the Pashtun lands and not his love for religion. He tried to use the traditional Pashtuns love for the religion and his bravery in fighting for his own vested interests just like the Al-Qaeda of today. However, his folly to meddle in Pashtun's social and cultural affairs, attempt to pressurize and terrorize them to submission and forcing them to give their daughters for his hungry Indian men, turned the Pashtuns against him. His introduction of Wahabism also backfired and he had to face the final music when he tried to interfere in Pashtunwali , by which the Pashtuns love to live and which regulates their lives socially, politically and psychologically. Syed Ahmad and his Indian followers story has strong parallels with the recent events in Pashtunkhwa. There are lessons both for the outsiders and Pashtuns in this narrative. The one and most important lesson for us Pashtuns is- Our culture and values are under threat once again. Only by uniting against the foreigners, just like our forefathers did in the 19th century, can we hope to defeat them and resurrect our Pashtunwali.
a. To establish an Islamic state comprising of Pashtun areas of present day Pastunkhwa and use it to launch attacks on Sikhs and capture Punjab from them. Later they wanted to bring the whole of India under a Wahabi Islamic rule. Thus he meant to use the Pashtuns love of religion and martial character for his political dreams.
b. To bring reforms and changes in Pashtun's way of life and modify them according to his Wahabi ideology.
c. To have an elite force of Pashtun warriors by which he wanted to defeat the Sikh and British occupation of India.
Syed Ahmed Shaheed had already served in the army of the Yousafzai state of Tonk in India so he had made up his mind to come to Yousafzai areas to fullfil his dream of political control and establishing of an Islamic Emirate.
He had concluded that Afghans were enthusiastic Muslims and thus greatly influenced by mullahs. He thus planned to use religion to achieve his political aims using the Pashtun nation. He, thus, decided to migrate to Pashtun areas across Indus River along with a group of his Indian followers. To avoid confronting Sikhs, he adopted a long route and passed through Sindh, Balochistan and then Kabul and finally arrived at Nowshera.
He presented himself as a devout Muslim and promoted his cause as a fight for the supremacy of Islam, just talibans today. Local Pashtuns, naturally welcomed him and assured their help to his cause of serving Islam. The influence of Mullahs in Pashtun society helped him attract Abdul Wahab Of Najad a good number of Pashtuns to be enlisted in his ranks for jihad. After having satisfied himself that he had gained sufficient power to challenge Ranjit Singh, the ruler of Punjab. He sent a message to him to either accept Islam or pay jiziya or prepare for war. Ranjit singh refused the message and decided to crush the newly emerging power in the west of his state. He sent a powerful army under Hari Singh and Badi Singh to defeat Syed Ahmed Shaheeds forces. At the batlle at Akora Khattak fought in 1826, Syed Ahmed Shaheed and his Mujahideen were victorious and Sikhs suffered a huge defeat. The next year i.e. 1827, the Sikhs were again defeated at Hazro on the eastern band of River Indus.
These two successive victories increased the popularity of Syed Ahmad and more people joined him. With two successive victories under his belt and thousands of mujahideens fighting under him, he declared areas under his influence as an Islamic state and titled himself as "Amir-ul-Momineen". He arranged for his name to be mentioned in Fridays sermons.
He implemented his version of Islamic Sharia and appointed Qazis and Aamils from amongst his Indian followers. Thus he and his band of Indian followers began to rule the Pashtuns just like the Talibans of Afghanistan and fazlullah's rule in swat.
As mentioned earlier, the Pashtun loves his religion, but he loves his culture as much, if not more. After establishing himself as Amir-ul-Momineen, Syed Ahmed Shaheed and his clique of religious followers started fiddling with the Pashtun culture and social values. This was the beginning of the turn of tide for Syed Ahmed. As a consequence the two prominent Sardars of Peshawar, Sardar Yar Mohammad Khan and his brother Sultan Mohammad Khan rose against the self styled Amir-ul-Mominin, Syed Ahmad and fought a battle against him. The Sardars were defeated in the ensuing battle. Yar Mohmmad khan was killed and Sultan Mohamed Khan was captured but later he was released and was appointed as Sardar of Peshawar by Syed Ahmed as part of his Emirate as a compromise.
The current Pakistani text books, in their eagerness to glorify Syed Ahmed and his religious movement falsify the truth, when they state that that the two sardars took bribe from Sikhs to fight against Syed Ahmed. The reality is different and easy to understand if you are a Pashtun yourself. The actual story behind the scene is that Syed Ahmed had in fact demanded the daughter of Yar Mohammad Khan in marriage which was taken as an insult by Yar Mohammed Khan. Thus the Sardars turned against Syed Ahmed.
Sultan Mohammed khan after his release from the captivity of Syed Ahmed, did not forget the defeat and death of his brother. He made a plot for revenge and killed over 150 Aamils, Syed Ahmeds Indian followers and his assistants to control the areas, in just one night. This broke Syeds authority in the region.
Most of Syed's Indian followers were young and unmarried, just like the current day Talibs. Those who were married had left their wives back in India.
These so called mujahids were greatly attracted by wordly desires of women, after getting some power. They demanded Syed Ahmed for permission for marrying local Pashtun women. Syed Ahmed assured them that they will get what they want. He called the local Pashtun elders and demanded to give their girls to his Indian followers in marriage. At that time giving girls in marriage to the Indiian people was considered taboo by Pashtuns so they naturally refused. Syed Ahmed did not bother about their refusal and instead pressurized them more; using force as in his thinking it was un-Islamic not to give their daughters to his men. This infuriated the Yousafzais across the region and they rose in defence of their cultural values. In the ensuing battles, the Pashtuns almost killed each and every Indian follower of Syed Ahmad.
In the 19th century, Syed Ahmad, just like todays Taliban , tried to enforce his wahabi ideas in the Pashtun lands and started interference in the local Pashtun culture and traditions. He tried to eliminate the codes of Pashtunwali, which was rejected by Pashtuns. He loathed the local Sardars /elders and tried to abolish the traditional Pashtun Jirga system. These actions were sufficient to provoke the Pashtuns and unite them against Syed Ahmed.
The ensuing massacre of his men forced Syed Ahmed to run away from the Yousafzai area with his surviving 600 followers towards Hazara in a marooned state. Here again, he made a plan to free Hazara and Kashmir by inciting the locals and after that he planned to take revenge from Pashtuns and Sikhs. Here he couldnt muster any support and finally in 1831 he was surrounded by a large Sikh army and killed at Balakot.
The text books of Pakistan studies have been falsified to blame Pashtuns for the failure for Syed's attempt to establish an Emirate in Pashtun lands. They have gone to the extent of even labeling the Pashtuns as traitors, just to glorify Syed Ahmed. This lack of understanding that anybody who tries to meddle in the traditional Pashtun culture and tries to impose their brand of religious and cultural values on the Pashtuns are bound to fail. It was Syed Ahmed political ambitions which brought him to the Pashtun lands and not his love for religion. He tried to use the traditional Pashtuns love for the religion and his bravery in fighting for his own vested interests just like the Al-Qaeda of today. However, his folly to meddle in Pashtun's social and cultural affairs, attempt to pressurize and terrorize them to submission and forcing them to give their daughters for his hungry Indian men, turned the Pashtuns against him. His introduction of Wahabism also backfired and he had to face the final music when he tried to interfere in Pashtunwali , by which the Pashtuns love to live and which regulates their lives socially, politically and psychologically. Syed Ahmad and his Indian followers story has strong parallels with the recent events in Pashtunkhwa. There are lessons both for the outsiders and Pashtuns in this narrative. The one and most important lesson for us Pashtuns is- Our culture and values are under threat once again. Only by uniting against the foreigners, just like our forefathers did in the 19th century, can we hope to defeat them and resurrect our Pashtunwali.
