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Undoing Abdali’s legacy

Many heads of states visit the Golden Temple every year. The visit of Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani in December was one of them. However, for those who watched the visit closely, it was a defining moment in the history of the subcontinent.

Undoing Abdali’s legacy

PM Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani pay respects at the Golden Temple AFP



Pankaj Garg

Many heads of states visit the Golden Temple every year. The visit of Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani in December was one of them. However, for those who watched the visit closely, it was a defining moment in the history of the subcontinent.

In the 18th century, the then ruler of Afghanistan, Ahmed Shah Abdali aka Durrani, raided Punjab seven times in a span of 17 years between 1748 and 1767. He plundered and looted the region mercilessly. There had been invasions before — by Mohammed Ghori, Timur Lane and Nadir Shah — but Abdali’s persistent attacks were the most devastating.

After Nadir Shah from Persia (Iran) was done with the ransacking of Delhi in 1739, he was holding a durbar at the Red Fort. The then Nizam of Hyderabad, Asifjah-I, was also present there. The Nizam was an expert in physiognomy (assessment of a person’s character or personality from the outer appearance, especially the face). He saw a young man standing in the court and told Nadir Shah that he would become a king one day. Nadir Shah was already impressed with the courage and bravery of that young man. He looked at him and after thinking for a while, took out his dagger. He called the young man near his throne. Everyone present there was expecting some honour to be bestowed on the young soldier. However, Nadir Shah cut a part of the young man’s ear with his dagger and remarked: “When you become king, your ear will remind you of me!” This young soldier was Ahmed Shah Abdali. He was 17 years old when he accompanied Nadir Shah as a young lieutenant on the invasion.

Abdali was promoted to the personal security staff of Nadir Shah. After Nadir Shah was murdered in 1747, Abdali declared himself as king of Afghanistan. No wonder he treacherously used his experience of expedition to India with Nadir Shah and invaded Hindustan. His atrocities and plunders remain unparalleled in contemporary history. He looted masses, raped and kidnapped women and massacred thousands. In 1757, he damaged the Golden Temple and filled the holy pool with the blood of cows. In 1762, he massacred 25,000 civilians in a single day, which came to be known as “Bada Ghalughara”. Such was the terror of Abdali at that time that a saying by Waris Shah became quite popular. Many of us have heard it too:

Khade peeta lahe da, Baki Ahmed Shahe da

(Whatever you eat is yours, the rest belongs to Ahmed Shah)

The time for change had come. In the next three decades, the center of power changed with the rise of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839). Maharaja and his able generals established a vast empire from Delhi to Kashmir and Tibet to Afghanistan. It was for the first time that Khyber Pass was controlled from Hindustan. This pass was the only route for the invasion to happen from the North. The maharaja’s general, who made this victory possible and then administered the Afghan region, was none other than Hari Singh Nalwa (1791-1837). Nalwa’s performance as an administrator and a military commander in the North West Frontier region has remained unmatched even till date. Two centuries on, Britain, Pakistan, Russia and America have been unsuccessful in effecting law and order in this region and could not match the brilliance of general Nalwa.

There was a saying which became popular in Afghanistan at that time and many Afghans still say it when a small child is troubling or not listening: Khufta waashid Hari aayad (Child be quiet, otherwise Hari will come). It was a debt paid back well in time, certainly.

Two and a half centuries back, the then king of Afghanistan filled the holy sanctum of Golden Temple with blood. Our moment of reckoning came in December when the present head of Afghanistan visited the Golden Temple barefoot and knelt before Guru Granth Sahib….

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