Mir ‘Inayatullah Khan Kashmiri

Muhammad Shah invested Mir ‘Inayatullah Khan with the governorship of Kashmir. Inayatullah Khan was a Kashmiri by birth, and was descended from Qazi Musa Shahid who was killed in Yaqub Shah Chak’s days. Inayatullah was originally Mir ‘Inayatullah, nad later became known as ‘Mir Inayatullah Khan. He had six sons of whom the more notable were :

(1) The elder Hidayatullah known first as Vazarat Khan, then as Sa’dullah Khan Mir-i-Saman, and

(2) The younger son was ‘Atiatullah Khan who was given as title his father’s name ‘Inayatullah Khan. Mir ‘Inayatullah is known in Kashmir as Yanna Sor as he built the wall or Sor of Hazrat Makhdum’s mausoleum, Yanna being nicknamed from ‘Inayatullah. His mother Hafiza Maryam, taught the ladies of royal seraglio in the days of Aurangzib ‘Alamgir, notably Zib-un-Nisa. Hafiza Maryam’s mother Jan Begam, the daughter of Mulla Sharif, Mir’Adl, taught the princesses in Shah Jahan’s time. Aurangzib ‘Alamgir. had such great confidence in ‘Inayatullah’s ability that he made him Vazir-i-Azam when Nawwab ‘Umdatu’l Mulk Madar-ul-Mahamm Ja’far Khan, the prime minister of the realm, was ill. ‘Inayatullah compiled to Ahkam-i-Alamgiri. All signed royal commands were collected and edited by him under the title of Kalimat-i-Tayyibat. Alamgir had a high opinion of ‘Inayatullah’s literary attainments and was impressed by his diction, style and mode of calligraphy. ‘Inayatullah was handsome, good-natured, grave, and scrupulously honest. He was simple in his habits and loved to mix with fuqara or friars.

‘Inayatullah himself’ seems to have been a conscientious man and selected his Na’ibs or deputies with a view to proper government of the country. His Na’ib, Mir Ahmad Khan, made honourable amends for the excesses of his predecessors by his good and equitable administration. But trouble arose from a strange quarter.

Mulla ‘Abdun Nabi Muhtavi Khan or Mahbub Khan, who was given the title of Dindar Khan by his followers, had risen on account of his learning to the post of Shaukh-ul-Islm of Kashmir in the time of Shah ‘Alam Bahadur. “Muhtavi or Mahbub Khan Mulla ‘Abdun Nabi” is mentioned in the Maathir-ul-Umara (vol 3. Page 761) as one of the learned men of the time and as selfish in obtaining his object under the cloak of advancing the cause of Islam. The Mulla was also a big landlord. A case of corruption by Pandit revenue clerks demanding gratification from the agents of Mulla Muhtavi brought forth from him summary orders of ostracism for the corrupt clerical caste. Pandit Majlis Rai, Sarraf-i-Padshahi or the Royal Cashier, reported these restrictions to Shahpur Khan, Mir Bakhshi of Kashmir. The Mir Bakhshi was a Shi’a. It appears that disputes developed. And Pandits and Shi’as joined hands to oppose the Shaikh-ul-Islam. Riots ensued. Mulla Muhtavi Khan was murdered by a faction of the Shi’as. His two younger sons were also put to death.

Mulla Sharaf-ul-Din, ‘Abdun Nabi’s son, stepped into the shoes of his father and kept up trouble. Mir Ahmad Khan, the Naib of the Subadar Mir ‘Inayatullah Khan, could not control the situation and was consquently replaced. The second Naib, ‘Abdullah Khan, also failed, and was replaced by Mumin Khan Najm-i-Sani, the third Naib, who likewise failed in restraining the Shaikh-ul-Islam. Inayatullah reigned his post as Subadar.

Saif-ud-Daula proceeded from Lahore with a large army. He took summary action Mulla Sharaf-ud-Din, Shaikh-ul-Islam who had become the leader of the insurrection after his father. Saif-ud-Daula put the Mulla to death, and hanged fifty insurgents. He also removed the restrictions imposed by the former Shaikh-ul-Islam, Mulla Muhtavi Khan, against the Pandits who had been forbidden, for a time, to use the turban, to ride, to wear the tilak or the vermillion mark on the forehead – somewhat paralleling the stricter and much more humiliating restrictions imposed on the Jats and Lohanas of Brahamanabad, the then capital of lower Sind, by the Brahman ruler Chack or Jajja. This action was so much esteemed by the Pandits that one of them sang of Saif-ud-Daula ‘Abdus Samad in Kashmiri :-

“Haqqa ! av Samad phutran zin,

“Na rud Kunih Sharaf, na rud Kunih Din”

In 1724 A.C. = 1137 A.H. ‘Inayatullah was reappointed governor of Kashmir, third time but died after a few months at Delhi. Aqidat Khan, the next governor-elect, appointed Mir Firuz-ud-Din Nawwab Abu’l Barakat Khan Firuz Jang Sufi, to give him his full subsquent title, his Na’ib but he proved a failure. Aghur Khan succeeded ‘Aqidat Khan in 1727 A.C. Aghur came himself to Kashmir, but began to opress the people, and sent Abu’l Barakat, who opposed him, as a prisoner to Delhi. The people became so incensed against Aghur for his opression that they finally chased him out. He escaped to Baramulla where he received orders of his dismissal. Dil Dilir Khan Panipati, Fakhr-ud-Daula Bahadur, and ‘Atiatullah known as ‘Inayatullah Khan Kashmiri, succeeded one after the other.

Abu’l Barakat, who had been removed from the office of the Na’ib, appeared, on release from Delhi, as the champion of popular cause in terms of fires, floods, earthquakes and windstorms and helped them. He rose against the governor, ‘Inayatullah the second, conspired with the leading landlords of Punch, Muhammad Zaman and Wali Muhammad, and had the governor killed on 16th Shawwal, 1154 A.H. = 1741 A.c., at the hands of Pandit Daya Ram, their accomplice. The Mughul Na’ibs or deputies fought either with the neighbouring chiefs and nobles, or with their own master, as was the case of Abu’l Barakat when he was the Na’ib himself.

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