Muqarrab Khan Gakhar ( Punjabi: مقرب خان گکھڑ) was a

Punjabi Muslim Punjabi Muslims are Punjabis who are adherents of Islam. With a population of more than 112 million, they are the third-largest predominantly Islam-adhering Muslim ethnicity in the world, after Arabs and Bengalis. The majority of Punjabi Musl ...

general and a

tribal chief A tribal chief, chieftain, or headman is a leader of a tribe, tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies There is no definition for "tribe". The concept of tribe is a broadly applied concept, based on tribal concepts of societies of weste ...

who rose to power and became the Sultan of Pothohar from 1739 until 1767 succeeding his father Mu'azzam Khan. He also captured the city of Gujrat in 1741 and made it his capital until 1765 when it was conquered by the

Sikhs Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Sikh'' ...

. Muqarrab was succeeded by his sons in the remaining territories of Pharwala and Dahan Gali

Early life

Muqarrab Khan was born as Mukarram Khan in 1705 in Pharwala to Mu'azzam Khan Gakhar the chief of the Gakhar tribe and a noble lady Bibi Shukar Bano. Muqarrab Khan's father, Mu'azzam Khan, and grandfather Dulu Murad Khan were the

mansabdar The Mansabdar was a military unit within the administrative system of the Mughal Empire introduced by Akbar later used in all over in early modern India. The word ''mansab'' is of Arabic origin meaning rank or position. The system determined th ...

of the cities of

Kohat Kohat (; ) is a city that serves as the capital of the Kohat District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is regarded as a centre of the Bangash tribe of Pashtuns, who have lived in the region since the late 15th century. With a population o ...

Bannu Bannu (, ), also called Bani Gul or Bani (, ) is a city located on the Kurram River in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is the capital of Bannu Division. Bannu's residents are primarily members of the Banuchi tribe and speak Banuch ...

, and

Mianwali Mianwali (Saraiki language, Saraiki, ) city in Mianwali Tehsil is the capital city of Mianwali District in Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab, Pakistan. The Largest cities of Pakistan, 81st most populous city of Pakistan, it is known for its diverse popu ...

and were appointed by Emperor

Aurangzeb Alamgir I (Muhi al-Din Muhammad; 3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by the title Aurangzeb, also called Aurangzeb the Conqueror, was the sixth Mughal emperors, Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707, becomi ...

himself as the Gakhar chiefs were trusted allies of 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 ...

. The

jagir A jagir (), ( Hindustani: जागीर/جاگیر, ''Jāgīr''), ( Marathi: जहागीर, ''Jahāgīrá'') also spelled as jageer, was a type of feudal land grant in the Indian subcontinent at the foundation of its Jagirdar ( Zamindar ...

s of Pharwala and Dahan Gali were the ancestral lands of the Gakhars since Emperor

Babur Babur (; 14 February 148326 December 1530; born Zahīr ud-Dīn Muhammad) was the founder of the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent. He was a descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan through his father and mother respectively. He was also ...

's reign. Muqarrab, being the eldest of his siblings, was made heir to the Gakhar estate by his father. In December 1738,

Nader Shah Nader Shah Afshar (; 6 August 1698 or 22 October 1688 – 20 June 1747) was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran and one of the most powerful rulers in Iranian history, ruling as shah of Iran (Persia) from 1736 to 1747, when he was a ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

crossed the

Indus River The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayas, Himalayan river of South Asia, South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in the Western Tibet region of China, flows northw ...

where Mu'azzam Khan submitted to him. At the behest of next year, Mu'azzam Khan died and was succeeded by Muqarrab Khan.

Reign

The hereditary title of

Sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a 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". Later, it came to be use ...

was passed down to Muqarrab after his ascendancy. Muqarrab Khan accompanied

to his invasion of the Mughal Empire and was also present at the

Battle of Karnal The Battle of Karnal (Persian Language, Persian: نبرد کرنال) (24 February 1739) was a decisive victory for Nader Shah, the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Persian Empire, Iran, during his Nader Shah's invasion of India, invasion of ...

. Mu'azzam Khan's sudden death led to an anarchy in

Pothohar The Pothohar Plateau (, : ''Pо̄ṭhoā̀r Paṭhār''; , ''Satāh Murtafā Pо̄ṭhohār''), also spelled Pothwar, is a plateau in the Sind Sagar Doab of northern Punjab, Pakistan, located between the Indus and Jhelum rivers. Etymology A l ...

. Muqarrab Khan immediately called Diwan Ahmed Khan Gakhar of Mirpur and Mahabat Hayatullah Khan Gakhar of Akbarabad-Takhpari for a Panchayat and a tripartite alliance was made. Jang Quli Khan Khattak, also known as Khojam Quli Khan utilising the dire state of the Gakhars, laid siege to the fortress of

Rawalpindi Rawalpindi is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, third-largest city in the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is a commercial and industrial hub, being the list of cities in P ...

. Muqarrab Khan at once came to the defence of Amir Khan Firuzal of Rawalpindi and defeated and forced Jang Quli Khan out of Rawalpindi. Muqarrab Khan also helped Diwan Ahmed Khan in subduing the Andarhal hills centred around Mirpur from the Chibs led by Asalat Khan Chib of Mauza Punir. Muqarrab then continued his expedition against Malik Khan Mangrial of Saila Kotla,

Jammu Jammu () is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute ...

, a rival of Diwan Ahmed Khan. Malik Khan's forces were routed, and he himself was killed. After Nader Shah's invasion, the influence of the

in Punjab was practically diminished. Thus, in 1741, Muqarrab Khan took the city of Gujrat and made it his capital. He also built a Baradari in the city and used it as his primary residence. This Baradari was renovated by

Ranjit Singh Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839) was the founder and first maharaja of the Sikh Empire, in the northwest Indian subcontinent, ruling from 1801 until his death in 1839. Born to Maha Singh, the leader of the Sukerchakia M ...

in 1835. After the Fall of Punjab, it was given to the

deputy commissioner A deputy commissioner is a police, income tax or administrative official in many countries. The rank is commonplace in police forces of Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries, usually ranking below the Commissioner. Australia In all Aust ...

of Gujrat. Muqarrab Khan was again challenged in Pothohar, but this time by Himmat Khan Gakhar of Domeli, one of his kinsmen. His main objective was to kill Muqarrab's commander-in-chief and was successful in doing so in an ensuing conflict. Muqarrab, in retaliation, pillaged and burned many villages and killed many of the preparators while the rest were pardoned through the intervention of Nawazish Ali Khan Gakhar of

Khanpur Khanpur may refer to: Places in India * Khanpur, Chanditala-II, a village in Hooghly district, West Bengal * Khanpur, Delhi, a neighbourhood in Delhi * Khanpur, Ghazipur, a village in Ghazipur district, Uttar Pradesh * Khanpur, Gujarat, a town in G ...

. An invasion was made by

Yusufzai The Yusufzai or Yousafzai (, ), also referred to as the Esapzai (, ), or Yusufzai Afghans historically, are one of the largest tribes of Pashtuns. They are natively based in the northern part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ( Malakand, Dir, Swat, Shangl ...

Afghans eying for land and property in the Pothohar plateau. The tripartite alliance came into effect as the Yusufzais were defeated and expelled. Muqarrab Khan then clashed with Chaudhry Mehr Qassar, a

Zamindar A zamindar in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semi-autonomous feudal lord of a ''zamindari'' (feudal estate). The term itself came into use during the Mughal Empire, when Persian was the official language; ''zamindar'' is the ...

of Badshahani (a village in

Jhelum Jhelum (; , ) is a city, located along the western bank of the Jhelum River, in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the 21st largest city in Punjab and 31st largest in Pakistan, by population. Located in northern Punjab, it serves as the capital of the ...

) for forcibly carrying off some of his men who had found asylum in Muqarrab's dominion. The Chaudhry was ambushed, defeated, and killed.

Allegiance to Ahmad Shah Durrani

In December 1747,

Ahmad Shah Durrani Ahmad Shāh Durrānī (; ; – 4 June 1772), also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī (), was the first ruler and founder of the Durrani Empire. He is often regarded as the founder of modern Afghanistan. Throughout his reign, Ahmad Shah fought ov ...

crossed the

and razed the Gakhar town of Mu'azzam Nagar to ground. He also ordered the sacking of the Tilla Jogian Temple complex. This forced the Gakhar chiefs to submit to him, and so did Muqarrab Khan, who was guaranteed his previous holdings in Pharwala, Dahan Gali, and Gujrat. Likewise, the

Sindh Sagar Doab Sindh Sagar Doab (, ''Sind Sāgar Dōāb''), sometimes shortened as Sagar Doab, is a '' Doab'' or tract of land in the Punjab region, lying between the Indus and Jhelum rivers, in present-day Pakistan. It, administratively, covers a huge portio ...

and

Chaj Doab Chaj Doab () is one of the main regions of the Punjab province in Pakistan. Punjab historically has been divided into regions based on its various rivers, since the name Punjab is based on its five main rivers. The Chaj doab includes the area bet ...

were allocated to Muqarrab as well in return for Durrani suzerainty. Around this time, Muqarrab Khan gathered his troops and invaded the Chibhal territory. Sulaiman Khan Chib, the

Raja Raja (; from , IAST ') is a noble or royal Sanskrit title historically used by some Indian subcontinent, Indian rulers and monarchs and highest-ranking nobles. The title was historically used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. T ...

Bhimber Bhimber () is a town and the headquarters of the eponymous district in Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir. The town and district are between the Jammu region of Indian-administered Kashmir and Pakistan proper, about by road southeast of M ...

, put up a tough fight but was eventually defeated, and Gakhar forces raided and plundered the country even coming to the suburbs of Bhimber. In 1756, Ahmad Shah Durrani crossed the Indus River for his fourth invasion and was joined by Muqarrab Khan's sons Naazir Ali Khan and Saadullah Khan along with a contingent of Gakhar soldiers. Both of his sons were present in the Sack of Delhi and were greatly rewarded for that. In 1758, the Afghan influence in Northern India was at its peak, and to challenge their authority, the

Marathas The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern India, early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent List of Maratha dynasties and states, Ma ...

and their Peshwa

Balaji Baji Rao Balaji Baji Rao (8 December 1720 – 23 June 1761), often referred to as Nana Saheb I, was the 8th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. He was appointed as Peshwa in 1740 upon the death of his father, Peshwa Bajirao I. During his tenure, the Chhatra ...

contacted various local leaders and rulers. Many of them like Sukh Jiwan Mal of

Kashmir Kashmir ( or ) is the Northwestern Indian subcontinent, northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term ''Kashmir'' denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir P ...

Adina Beg Khan Adina Beg Khan (; – 15 September 1758) was a Punjabi general, administrator, and statesman who served as the Nawab of Punjab from April 1758 until his death in September of the same year. He began his career as a patwari (accountant) and l ...

Punjab 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 ...

, Ghulam Shah Kalhoro of

Sindh Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...

and

Nasir Khan I Ahmadzai Mir Muhammad Nasir Khan I Ahmadzai ( Balochi: میر محمد نصیر خان اول احمد زئی) was the Khan of Kalat between 1749 and 1794. Considered the greatest of the Khans of Kalat, his reign was marked by maximum expansion of the st ...

of Kalat were already fighting against the Afghans. Muqarrab Khan called a Panchayat to discuss the matter, but in the end, decided to remain loyal to Durrani. In the winters of 1761–1762, Ahmad Shah Durrani invaded India again, but this time his primary focus were the

. Muqarrab Khan helped Ahmad Shah and gave him the command of his forces. The Sikhs were defeated in the

Battle of Kup The Battle of Kup (part of the Vadda Ghalughara, meaning "greater massacre") was fought on 5 February 1762, between the Afghan forces of Ahmad Shah Durrani and the Sikhs, under the command of Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and Charat Singh. Ahmad Shah ...

in 1762, which was followed by the Vadda Ghalughara. Muqarrab Khan was awarded for his actions in this campaign and received a renewed title of

Nawab Nawab is a royal title indicating a ruler, often of a South Asian state, in many ways comparable to the Western title of Prince. The relationship of a Nawab to the Emperor of India has been compared to that of the Kingdom of Saxony, Kings of ...

. Gujjar Singh Bhangi, Lehna Singh Bhangi of the

Bhangi Misl The Bhangi Misl ( Punjabi pronunciation: ə̃˨ŋɡiː mɪsəl was a large and powerful Sikh Misl headquartered in Amritsar. It was founded in the early 18th century by ''Sardar'' Chhajja Singh Dhillon,Sikh History (2004)"The Bhangi Misal" ...

and Sobha Singh Kanhaiya of the

Kanhaiya Misl The Kanhaiya Misl was one of the twelve misls of the Sikh Confederacy. It had been founded by Sandhu Jats. History Jai Singh Sandhu (son of Khushal Singh) of the village Kanha (district Lahore) was the founder of this ''Misl''; hence th ...

took

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

in 1765 and divided it among themselves. Gujjar Singh was invited by Chaudhry Rehmat Khan Warraich of

Jalalpur Jattan Jalalpur Jattan (, ) is a city in Gujrat District in the province of Punjab (Pakistan), Punjab, Pakistan. It is the centre of Jalalpur Jattan Tehsil and about 50 km from Azad Kashmir, Kashmir. History When Alexander the Great defeated Kin ...

to attack Gujrat. Gujjar Singh set out at once from Lahore and capturing a total of 150 villages including

Wazirabad Wazirabad (Urdu/) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the administrative capital of Wazirabad District (formerly a Tehsil of Gujranwala District). Famous for its cutlery products, it is known as the city of cutlery and is also quite famous f ...

, Eminabad and

Sodhra Sodhra is a town and Union council of Wazirabad District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is part of Wazirabad Tehsil.Gujrat Fort, which was besieged afterwards. Muqarrab Khan fled Gujrat towards

Rohtas Fort Rohtas Fort (; ) is a 16th-century citadel located near the city of Dina in Jhelum district of the Punjab, Pakistan. Commissioned by Sur Emperor Sher Shah Suri, its construction was supervised by Raja Todar Mal and is now one of the largest ...

on the back of an elephant while the surrounding area was captured by Gujjar Singh and added to his domain. Muqarrab Khan losing all power in his traditional stronghold resorted to

and fortified it. In 1767, a Sikh mercenary, Milkha Singh Thehpuria, with assistance from Gujjar Singh Bhangi and Charat Singh Sukerchakia ousted Muqarrab Khan out from Rawalpindi and became the Sardar of the city. Milkha Singh was given the entire governorship of the area between

and

Chenab River The Chenab River is a major river in India and Pakistan, and is one of the 5 major rivers of the Punjab region. It is formed by the union of two headwaters, the Chandra and Bhaga, which rise in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul region of Hima ...

by Gujjar Singh. He established himself in Rawalpindi and came to be known as Milkha Singh Pindivala (Milkha Singh of Pindi) afterwards. The credibility of the presence of Muqarrab in this battle is often debated by modern historians who believe that it was his sons who lost Rawalpindi to Thehpuria.

Death

The death of Muqarrab Khan Gakhar is often debated, but two theories have been put forward by historians; * He could have been caught after the conquest of Gujrat and slain by Gujjar Singh Bhangi. * His rival Himmat Khan of Domeli may have captured him after losing the majority of his power and putting him to death in captivity. The later theory is more favourable among the historians as many reports say that Muqarrab was successful in fleeing Gujrat. His tomb is, however, situated in Bagh Jogian, a town just beside the Pharwala Fort, and a mausoleum has been built over it. He was succeeded by Saadullah Khan and Naazir Ali Khan in Pharwala and Mansur Khan and Shadman Khan in Dahan Gali while the chieftaincy of the tribe was seized by Himmat Khan.

Notes

References

1705 births 1767 deaths Punjabi people History of Punjab {{Improve categories, date=February 2025