Thread by @Pashz7

Sikhs owed their rise in 18th century to Adina Beg Arian (a Punjabi Muslim). The latter believed in "chaos is a ladder" and used Sikh marauders to destroy the law & order of Punjab. The suffers of his dangerous games, were none other than his own Punjabi

(Continued in thread)

Muslims. Mughals would have easily exterminated the menace of Sikh marauders but Adina Beg (who was in the service of Mughals) made sure that Sikh marauders were not eliminated.

Some time after the invasion of Nadir Shah Afsar, Zakariya Khan (the Mughal governor of Lahore subah)

appointed Adina Beg as Nazim (governor) of Jalandhar Doab and ordered him to crush the Sikh marauders there who were not powerful at that time. Adina Beg did the opposite, he nurtured the Sikh marauders. James Browne, writing in 1787, says : "The force he (Adina Beg) had him was

fully equal to the execution of that service, but Adina Beg, considering that if he should entirely put an end to all disturbances in that district, there would remain no necessity for continuing him in so extensive a command, carried on intrigues with the chiefs of the

Sicks (Sikhs), and secretly encouraged them to continue their depredations, at the same time pretending to be very desirous of subduing them. From this management the Sicks became daily more powerful and

seized upon several places in distant parts of the subah of Lahore. "

This short-sighted silliness had repercussions for him. Due to the devastation and lootings by Sikhs (facilitated by Adina beg himself) in Jalandhar Doab, Adina Beg could not realize revenue from the people.

He failed in paying his revenue to the Lahore government. He was dismissed from the governorship of Jalandhar Doab and was thrown into prison. After an year of imprisonment, Zakariya Khan released him with a warning and appointed him deputy governor of Jalandhar Doab under .

Shahnawaz Khan (son of Zakariya Khan).

Adina Beg had plans to bring ruin upon Mughals. In 1747 he encouraged his master Shahnawaz Khan (then governor of Lahore subah) to open communications with Ahmad Shah Abdali, while at the same time he informed the Delhi Wazir that

Shahnawaz was turning rebel against the authority of of the Mughal emperor and that he had invited help of Ahmad Shah Abdali. The author of Siyar-ul-Mutakherin (written in 1780) writes: "the advisor of the young viceroy (Shahnawaz Khan) was Adina Beg Khan, who was a devil under

the appearance of a man. He was resolved to overset his master's power and to raise his own on its ruins. "

In 1748 Mir Mannu (the new Mughal governor of Lahore subah) appointed Adina Beg as faujdar of Jalandhar Doab. Mir Mannu ordered Adina Beg to eliminate the Sikh marauders

but the latter undermined the authority of Mughals and "began as formerly to intrigue with the Sicks, and took no effectual means to suppress them" (James Browne, 1787 AD).

Kauramal (a Nanakshahi Sikh in the service of Mughals) advised Mir Mannu that he should reconcile with

Sikh marauders. He said : "The Sikhs always cause confusion and disorder. It will be advisable, if you settle some thing for these people. They will not create disturbances, and I will be responsible for it" (Tarikh-i Ahwal-i Sikhan of Khushwaqt Rai, Witten in 1811 AD).

Adina Beg who wanted disorder in Punjab and troubles for Mughals at the hands of Sikhs, disagreed with the advise of Kauramal and said to Mir Mannu : "Goodness to evil-doers is doing evil to good people". However Mir Mannu heeded the advise of Kauramal and granted Sikhs

one-fourth revenue of Patti.

I will continue the thread later.

In December 1751 Ahmad Shah Abdali entered Punjab and laid siege to Lahore. After four months, Mir Mannu called a council of war and asked them to come up with best plan of action against the besiegers. Kauramal pointed out that Mir Mannu's troops were no match in open for the

hardy Afghans, and that Abdali's camp was also short of provisions, and that shortly afterwards hot Indian summer would set in, which will be unbearable for Abdali's troops and he would either return or attack them at disadvantage.

This was a wise plan but Adina Beg was up to

no good and he recommended immediate action against the besiegers. Mir Mannu agreed with Adina Beg, issued from the city and attacked Abdali's camp. According to Farhat-un-Nazirin (written in 1770 AD), Adina Beg instructed one of his men to shoot Kauramal from behind. When

Kauramal was shot dead by his man, Adina Beg treacherously withdrew his troops and Mir Mannu suffered a complete defeat. He surrendered to Ahmad Shah Abdali who installed him in the governorship of Lahore on his behalf.

After some time Mir Mannu dispatched Adina Beg against

Sikhs who were ravaging Jalandhar Doab again. Adina Beg was viewed with some suspicion because of his treacherous conduct in the latest battle with Ahmad Shah Abdali. So to dispel the suspicions, he used to send 40 or 50 Sikh captives from Jalandhar Doab to Mir Mannu from time to

time. John Malcolm in 1810 writes: "That able but artful chief (Adina Beg) considered this turbulent tribe (Sikhs) in no other light than as the means of his personal advancement. He was careful not to reduce them altogether, but, after defeating them in an action which was

fought near Makhowal, he entered into a secret understanding with them, by which though their excursions were limited, they enjoyed security to which they had been unaccustomed, and from which they gathered strength and resources for future efforts."

In 1757 Afghans began to directly rule Punjab and restored peace and order for few months. Jahan Khan (the regent of Timur Shah Durrani) made the mistake of appointing Adina Beg as faujdar of Jalandhar Doab, conceding to him the privilege that he would not be required to attend

the court at Lahore. Adina Beg began to undermine the Afghan government through Sikhs just like he had undermined the previous Mughal government. When the disturbances caused by Sikh marauders increased, Jahan Khan summoned Adina Beg to devise means for subduing Sikhs. But Adina

Beg flatly refused to come. He had also defaulted in paying the tribute of Jalandhar Doab. Jahan Khan realized that Adina Beg was mal-intentioned so he sent a detachment to seize him. Adina Beg had not choice but to openly join his Sikh allies and resist Afghans. He and his

Sikh allies succeeded in driving out Saadat Khan Afridi from Jalandhar city and plundered all the Jalandhar Doab.

Adina Beg realized that he can not entirely depend on Sikhs to oust Afghans from Punjab so he invited Marathas to invade and annex Punjab, promising them to pay them

one lakh of rupees for every day of marching and Rs.50,000 for each day of halt.

In March 1758 the combined forces of Marathas and Adina Beg (which largely comprised of Sikhs) totaled two lakh fighters and they easily captured the Sirhind city. The author of

Tarikh-i-Alamgir-Sani (written in c1759) writes: "As the Marathas and the Sikhs thought of nothing but plunder they so thoroughly looted the inhabitant of Sirhind, high and low, that none, either male or female, had a cloth on his or her person. They pulled down the houses and

carried off the timber. They dug up floors for buried treasures and seized every thing they could lay their hands on".

Marathas occupied Punjab and expelled Afghans. They entrusted Adina beg with the governorship of the Punjab on promising on annual tribute of 75 lakh rupees.