Langah Sultanate
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The Langah Sultanate was a late medieval
sultanate Sultan (; ', ) is a Royal and noble ranks, position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". La ...
based in the
Punjab region Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
in the western
Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...
between the 15th and 16th centuries. It was the dominant power of the lower Doab tract with
Multan Multan is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, fifth-most populous city in the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab province of Pakistan. Located along the eastern bank of the Chenab River, it is the List of cities in Pakistan by populatio ...
at its centre. The Langah Sultanate was annexed in 1527 but had autonomous authority until its merger with the
Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...
in 1530. The sultanate gave the Derajat region to the Mirani mercenaries who ruled it as their direct vassals.


Origins

There is much uncertainty about the ethnic origins and even the chronology of Langah rulers as primary accounts differ among them widely. According to the 16th-century writer and author of the ''Tārīkh-i ḥaqqī'', Abd al-Haqq, the founder of the dynasty was one "Buddhan Khan", chief of the Langah tribe of the Baloch. The historian, Suhail Zaheer Lari, who specialises in the history of Sindh and southern Pakistan, also calls the tribe as Baloch. The 17th century Deccan-based historian Firishta on the other hand gives the name of the founder as "Rai Sahra" and further calls him an Afghan. Dr. Mahmudal Hasan Siddiqi, however, discredits this account for Langahs since their mention is absent in the Afghan genealogies. Originally a doctoral dissertation presented at the
University of Manchester The University of Manchester is a public university, public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester city centre, Manchester City Centre on Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road. The University of Manchester is c ...
in 1958, first published by the University of Sindh in 1972 (see Preface, pp. ix–xiii)
He also notes that the local traditions of Multan ascribe a
Rajput Rājpūt (, from Sanskrit ''rājaputra'' meaning "son of a king"), also called Thākur (), is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating fro ...
origins to Langahs, although contemporary Langahs are classed as Jats now. In addition to Firishta, Nizamuddin, Mir Ma'sum, Abbas Sarwani and Sujan Rai also call the dynasty's founder as Rai Sahra (or Sehra), however, provide no further information regarding his ethnic origins. According to the historian Dr. Hameed-ud-Din the title Rai prefixed to Sahra's name suggests a Rajput origin. The place of origins for Langah sultans is similarly disputed, with Siwi (modern
Sibi Sibi (; ;) is a city situated in the Balochistan (Pakistan), Balochistan Subdivisions of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. The city serves as the administrative headquarters of the Sibi District, district and Sibi Tehsil, tehsil of the same name ...
) and Rapar in Mailsi near Multan being usually suggested. According to Siddiqi, it seems more than probable that Langahs were initially settled near Rapar, and their association with Siwi is probably a transcription error as they have never been noticed near it.


History

After the invasion of Emir
Timur Timur, also known as Tamerlane (1320s17/18 February 1405), was a Turco-Mongol conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire in and around modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia, becoming the first ruler of the Timurid dynasty. An undefeat ...
in 1398, the
Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate or the Sultanate of Delhi was a Medieval India, late medieval empire primarily based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for more than three centuries.
greatly weakened and the city of
Multan Multan is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, fifth-most populous city in the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab province of Pakistan. Located along the eastern bank of the Chenab River, it is the List of cities in Pakistan by populatio ...
became independent of the Sultanate of Delhi. The inhabitants chose Shaikh Yousaf Qureshi, a descendant of the famous Sufi Baha-ud-din Zakariya, as ruler in 1438. He was a mild and inexperienced ruler. In 1445, Rai Sahra, chief of the Langah, attacked the city at night with the help of his tribesmen, arrested Sheikh Yousaf and proclaimed himself sultan. In this way Multan passed to the Langah clan, thus establishing the Langah Sultanate. The reign of Sultan Husayn I, who ruled from 1469 to 1498, is considered to be the most illustrious of the Langah sultans. Multan experienced prosperity during this time, and a large number of Baloch settlers arrived in the city at the invitation of Shah Husayn. Shah Husayn successfully repulsed attempted invasion by the Delhi sultans led by Tatar Khan and Barbak Shah. He fought off attempts to reinstall Shiekh Yousaf, who had taken refuge under Delhi sultans. Eventually, he signed a peace treaty with Sikandar Lodi and abducted in the favour of his son. His successor, Budhan Khan, who assumed the title Sultan Mahmud Shah I, inherited the sultanate stretched encompassing the neighbouring regions, including the cities of Chiniot and Shorkot. During the rule of the Langah, a large number of Baloch tribes were allowed to settle in the Derajaat Border in turn for military service.


Decline

Sultan Husayn I being unable to hold his trans-Indus possessions, assigned the region around
Dera Ismail Khan Dera Ismail Khan (; Urdu and , ), abbreviated as D.I. Khan, is a city and capital of Dera Ismail Khan District, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is the 10th largest city of Pakistan and third or fourth largest in the province of Khy ...
to Sardar Malik Sohrab Dodai in 1469 or 1471 and appointed him as "Jagirdar". During the reign of Mahmud Langah, his Vizier rebelled and declared himself independent ruler of Sorkot. The city was invaded during the reign of Sultan Husseyn II by ruler Shah Husayn of the Arghun dynasty, probably at Babur's insistence.
Multan Multan is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, fifth-most populous city in the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab province of Pakistan. Located along the eastern bank of the Chenab River, it is the List of cities in Pakistan by populatio ...
fell in 1528 after an extended siege and Shah Husayn appointed his son Mirza Askari as governor of the city, assisted by Langar Khan, one of the powerful Amirs of Sultan Mahmud Langah I. Shortly after Shah Husayn departed Multan for Thatta, however, the governor was thrown out of the city. The rebels under Sultan Mahmud II administered Multan for a time independentlyDavies, pp. 627-8 but in 1541,
Sher Shah Suri Sher Shah Suri (born Farid al-Din Khan; 1472 or 1486 – 22 May 1545), also known by his title Sultan Adil (), was the ruler of Bihar from 1530 to 1540, and Sultan of Hindustan from 1540 until his death in 1545. He defeated the Mughal Empire, ...
captured Multan, and the sultanate ended.


Culture

The position of
Multan Multan is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, fifth-most populous city in the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab province of Pakistan. Located along the eastern bank of the Chenab River, it is the List of cities in Pakistan by populatio ...
as trans-regional mercantile centre for trade with the Islamic world remained dominant during the sultanate era. During their reign, Multan became the principle caravan route between Qandahar and
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
. The extent of Multan's influence is also reflected in the construction of the Multani Caravanserai in
Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...
,
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...
— which was built in the 15th century to house Multani merchants visiting the city. Legal records from the Uzbek city of
Bukhara Bukhara ( ) is the List of cities in Uzbekistan, seventh-largest city in Uzbekistan by population, with 280,187 residents . It is the capital of Bukhara Region. People have inhabited the region around Bukhara for at least five millennia, and t ...
note that Multani merchants settled and owned land in the city in the late 1550s. Another important feature of this era was migration of Baloch tribes and their settling in South Punjab. They soon became core of the military and held political positions in regions like Derajat. Langahs are not known to have issued any coins, and no building built by the Langahs has survived. However, several mausolea belonging to the Langah period are still extant, including those of Bibi Jawindi (built , Uch),
Tahir Khan Nahar Tahir Khan Nahar () (or Tahar Khan Nahar) also known as ‘Sakhi’ (generous or liberal) was chief of his independent kingdom in Seet pur. In 1455 A.D. Bahlul Lodi gave a large treaty to his relative Islam Khan Lodhi. He adopted the title Naha ...
(built late 15th century, Sitpur) and Ghazi Khan Mirani (built , Dera Ghazi Khan), among others.


Ministers

Following is the list of known ministers of Langah Sultanate: * Imadul Mulk (1469–1499), he was Vizier of
Husseyn Langah I Husseyn Langah or Husayn Shah Langah I ( Punjabi: حُسین لنگاہ اَوّل ''Huṣaīn Langāh Awwal'') was a Punjabi Muslim He was the son of Rai Sahra Langah. chief the second Sultan of Langah Sultanate, who reigned from 1469 until 1498 ...
. He rebelled against him and was imprisoned. * Jam Bayzid (1499–1503), he was Vizier of Mahmud Langah I. Due to his strained relations with the Sultan, he rebelled and declared himself independent ruler of Sorkot. * Shuja Bukhari (1503–1518), He was Vizier of Mahmud Langah. * Langar Khan (1518–1526), He was last Vizier of Sultanate. He assisted Shah Hussain Arghun to conquer Multan.


Rulers

{, style="width:100%;" class="wikitable" ! style="background:#f0dc88; width:17%;", Titular Name(s) ! style="background:#f0dc88; width:17%;", Personal Name ! style="background:#f0dc88; width:7%;", Reign , - , style="text-align:center;", ''Sultan Qutbu'd-Din Mahmud I''
, style="text-align:center;", Rai Sahra Langah
, style="text-align:center;", 1445 – 1469 , - , style="text-align:center;", ''Sultan Husseyn I''
, style="text-align:center;", Husseyn Shah Langah
, style="text-align:center;", 1469 – 1498 , - , style="text-align:center;", ''Sultan Feroz''
, style="text-align:center;", Feroz Khan Langah
, style="text-align:center;", 1498 – 1499 , - , style="text-align:center;", ''Sultan Husseyn I''
, style="text-align:center;", Husseyn Shah Langah
, style="text-align:center;", 1499 – 29 August 1502 , - , style="text-align:center;", ''Sultan Mahmud II''
, style="text-align:center;", Budha Khan Langah
, style="text-align:center;", 30 August 1502 – 1525 , - , style="text-align:center;, ''Sultan Husseyn II''
, style="text-align:center;", Husseyn Langah
, style="text-align:center;", 1525 – 1527 , - , style="text-align:center;", ''Sultan Lashkar''
, style="text-align:center;", Lashkar Khan Langah
{{Nastaliq, لشکر خان لنگاہ , style="text-align:center;", 1527 – 1530 , -


See also

*
History of Multan Multan in Punjab province of Pakistan is one of the oldest cities of South Asia, though its exact age has yet to be determined. Multan is known for its rich ancient heritage and historic landmarks. Multan was the capital and primary cultural centr ...
*
History of Punjab The History of Punjab is the history of the Punjab region which is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in the northwest of South Asia, comprising the Punjab province in Pakistan and the Punjab state in India. It is believed that t ...
*
Emirate of Multan The Emirate of Multan was a medieval kingdom in Punjab region in the northwest Indian subcontinent that was centred around city of Multan (present-day Punjab, Pakistan). It initially extended towards parts of Kashmir, and included parts of present ...


References

History of Punjab Medieval Indian monarchies States and territories established in 1445 States and territories disestablished in 1530 History of Multan