Thread by @Aabhas24

1/n #SadarPranam to Ishvara within you @NafeesRehmanDr . Unfortunately you have put completely untrue account about Wazir Khan & Hari Singh Nalwa.

Check this thread where I give light to your lies. @gauravcsawant may notice.

https://twitter.com/nafeesrehmandr/status/1606336139606036484

2/n Firstly, there is absolutely 0 evidence to prove that Wazir Khan killed Hari Singh Nalwa in the battle of Jamrud (1837) as you claim.

You use Siraj ul- Tawarikh as cited by Dalrymple but the point is former was published by a Afghan court chronicler in 1912 (1837+75 years).

https://twitter.com/NafeesRehmanDr/status/1606336915338366976

3/n Hence the source is nowhere close to be contemporary. In fact the chronicler’s name is Faiz Mohammad Katib Hazara who wrote after being commissioned by Amir Habibullah Khan with clear intent to glorify the realm of Islam.

4/n It certainly can’t be denied that Hari Singh Nalwa indeed was killed for the injuries faced in the battle of Jamrud. It is clearly attested in all sources.

You smartly use the writings of Gardner (one of the most authentic source in this case) to prove your point.

https://twitter.com/NafeesRehmanDr/status/1606337243706265600

5/n But @NafeesRehmanDr you indulge in dishonest portrayal of his work. Gardner clearly says that Nalwa wasn’t up to the mark to defend against Wazir Khan & was killed in the battle but there isn’t any claim that Wazir Khan actually killed him. It is ambiguous.

6/n In fact what Gardner writes next gives a clear picture that Wazir Khan whom you try and make hero out of was actually a pussy cat.

Read it here (screenshots from next pages which you don’t bring). Link : books.google.com/books/about/So…

7/n When Wazir Khan heard of Sikhs marching to the place your hero ran away @NafeesRehmanDr .

He was so scared of Army of Ranjit Singh even without Nalwa.

Now the question arises what the reason for the fall of Nalwa & was he really feared among Afghans? Let’s deal with it.

8/n I pick another near contemporary neutral source. Work on Punjab Chiefs (1865) by
Lepel H. Griffin. The vol-2 has the details. The preface in Vol-1’s original edition makes it clear that all records presented are based on primary source from official archives.

9/n So what does Griffin say about the Battle of Jamrud? The Jamrud was being protected only by 800 men & so your brave Afghans with around 25,000 chose to attack the place @NafeesRehmanDr .

Hari Singh Nalwa was really unwell & when these 800 couldn’t defend, he comes in.

10/n Such was the greatness of this man that his arrival itself had brought life to the whole Sikh party though still they were less than half the number of Afghans.

They retreated and were defeated & these honour full men didn’t knew that they would come back again.

11/n They came back & now the ill Hari Singh was wounded. No one knows whose weapon hit him but these wounds would take him away from the mortal realm.

The story of his death was concealed for 2 days, this itself tells what he meant to both parties.

12/n The same near contemporary source also tells us that Afghan mothers used to tell terror stories of Hari Singh Nalwa to their children.

Perhaps the Gabbar Singh dialogue too was inspired from here (beta so ja, nahin toh Gabbar aa jaega).

13/n Yet, the Afghans couldn’t win the battle and they had to run away.

Dear @NafeesRehmanDr , history isn’t about your opinion but about the experienced truths.

14/n In fact Afghans were always gullible in general at least from the time they chose Islam as faith. In fact Babur tells about their nature to be unable to resist so well in Baburnama. Read this snippet from there:

15/n Precedents & analytical reading of history don’t support your claims @NafeesRehmanDr . However folklore type tweet may be of @gauravcsawant ,truth is Afghans feared Nalwa like anything. In that case take that metaphor of “salwar kameez” with bags of salt! #vandemataram