Col J P Singh
Akhnoor is the first place in J&K which tells us that the Dogra rulers consolidated the gains resulting from coronation of Raja Gulab Singh and Treaty of Amritsar and in this regard Dogras had plenty to do. Hostile activities of tribes of Chilas, Punial, Darel, Yasin and Chitral necessitated number of expeditions. Even when the Dogra army was pre-occupied with Northwestern borders, it had to provide forces demanded by the British, against 1857 mutiny, the 2nd Black Mountain Expedition of 1878, the 3rd Black Mountain Expedition of 1888, 1st and 2nd World Wars. Hence it is obligatory that the tales of tribulations of Dogra rulers and their soldiers be kept alive for the posterity. Yearly celebration of Coronation Day at Jeo Pota is a step in that direction.
While the history of formation of J&K by Maharaja Gulab Singh has been well documented, the subsequent period involving consolidation of this huge empire, stretching from Pamir Plateau in the North to plains of Punjab in the South, by his successors is perceived to have received much lesser attention. Maharaja Ranbir Singh succeeded Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1856. He out performed his visionary father in every aspect. Hence an effort is made to describe several expeditions undertaken to consolidate the vast empire that he inherited.
Maharaja Ranbir Singh was more inclined to consolidate and organize the dominions he had inherited rather than fancy for far flung acquisitions of territories. His military activities in Gilgit-Baltistan, may be seen to be conditioned by the British interests in Central Asia which were in conflict with those of China and Russia. Maharaja, who in attempting to consolidate his rule in adjacent regions was forced, in 1860, to renew the conflict in Dardistan. This area was vast landmass of various divisions, each big and small, forming separate republics. Most important of these were Punial, Nagar, Hunza, Ishkoman, Chitral, Yasin, Mastinj, Hasora, Darel, Tangir, Gor, Thalicha, Kotli, Chilas, Palus, Harban, Thur, Thank, Bamar and Palus. Chilas was the largest which lies astride Indus and Nanga Parbat. Its inhabitants were Baltis, Bhutte and Dard.
Maharaja Gulab Singh had no legal or moral right over these areas except for being an empire builder for which conquest of Dardistan was necessary for proper defence of Northwest frontiers. By 1840 he conquered Chilas, Gilgit and its dependencies. He got Kashmir in 1846 by the Treaty of Amritsar. In 1847 Raja of Hunza, incensed by encroachment of his territories by Dogra ruler, attacked Gilgit. Governor Nathu Singh retaliated and entered Hunza. He was however killed along with Raja Karim Khan of Gilgit and his force was routed. Gulab Singh sought British help which could not be provided because of British involvement in consolidating their positions in Cis-Satluj States and foreseeing an uprising in the truncated Lahore Kingdom. Gaur Rehman of Punial and Raja of Darel helped Hunza. Their combined force captured Gilgit thus doing away with control of Dogra ruler for a short spell of time. Maharaja Gulab Singh however dispatched two columns of Dogras, one from Astor and the other from Skardu. Gaur Rehman was defeated. Karim Khan’s son Muhammad Khan was recognized as Raja of Gilgit. Gen. Bhup Singh and Sant Singh were appointed administrators.
Chilasis, a Dard race, inhabiting a long valley on the West of Nanga Parbat, used to occasionally raid Astor valley for plunder of cattle and enslaving people. It was to prevent these raids, Gulab Singh sent a punitive expedition against Chilasis in 1851 under Diwan Hari Chand, Wazir Zorawaru and Colonel Baj Singh. The men and women of Chilas offered stubborn resistance as a result large Dogra force was destroyed. But by a great stratagem Dogras succeeded in reducing these people to some degree of obedience but not without suffering over one thousand dead and wounded. In 1852, Gaur Khan again attacked Gilgit with the help of Raja of Hunza. At that time Gen Sant Singh was commander at Gilgit Fort. Another fort Naupura, close by, was held by Gorkha Regiment under Commandant Ram Din and Gen Bhup Singh was commander of reserve force at Bhawanji and Astor. Gaur Rehman made a surprise attack and isolated and surrounded the two forts. Gen Bhup Singh advanced to their rescue with 1200 men. When he reached the bank of Gilgit River, he was surrounded. After desperate fighting for few days Dogra suffered heavy casualties and few who survived were taken prisoners and sold as slaves. Gilgit Fort met the same fate and fell in the hands of Dards and its occupants were killed along with all the Gorkha woman in the fort. Only one woman escaped and swam across the Indus and reached Bundi to tell the story. Thus the Dogras were expelled from Dardistan and Indus Valley. Gaur Khan once again recovered Gilgit and ruled it till his death in 1860. From the year these events happened, for eight years Dogra Kingdom’s boundaries remained confined to Indus. It was left to Maharaja Ranbir Singh to re-conquer Dardistan.
In 1860, he sent a contingent of 3,000 under Gen Devi Singh Narainia. Dogras crossed the Indus and attacked strong fortifications laid by Gaur Rehman Khan and thought to be impregnable. Gaur Rehman Khan died just before Dogras reached Gilgit. This news disheartened Dards who could not make a determined resistance. A cannon-ball pierced through the door of the fort which killed the Wazir of Gaur Rehman. This decided the fate of Gilgit. The Dogras occupied the fort after which their hold on Gilgit never ended. Ali Daud khan, descendent of the Gilgit ruler was made ruler with Gilgit as tributary of Dogra Kingdom. This settled the affairs of Gilgit in an appreciable manner. But holding Gilgit required reduction of adjoining territories of Yasin and Punial. The Dogra General decided to advance further to follow up the victory. Yasin was easily invaded on 16 September 1860. Instead of physically holding the distant province, Gen Devi Singh appointed Azmat Shah, son of old ruler of Yasin and first cousin of Gaur Rehman as Governor. After investing Punial, its deposed local Chieftan, Raja Isa Bagdur, who had fled his country and sought refuge at the Dogra Court at Srinagar, was reinstated. Isa Bagdur also acquired the territories of Ishkoman, previously a part of Yasin. Taming of Gilgit, Baltistan and Dardistan was accomplished by the Maharaja in 1860.
The arrangement made at Yasin didn’t last long. Azmat Shah was expelled from Yasin by Mulk Aman, son and inheritor of Gaur Rehman Khan. He fled for his life and reached Gilgit even before Dogra forces reached back. Thereafter for three years, Dogras didn’t disturb Yasin but continued consolidation of Gilgit and Punial which would later serve as spring board for his ‘leap forward’ policy in the unknown Dardland. Early in 1863, Ranbir Singh sent a punitive force led by Col Hoshiara to Yasin. Dards offered very little resistance at Yasin but collected at a place called Marorikot, about a day’s march higher up the valley. Dogras marched to Marorikot. Yasinis came to give a battle enroute. They were defeated and fled to hills with Raja Mulk Aman. Others fled to the fort where hand to hand fight led to indiscriminate slaughter. After losing, Yasinis accepted suzerainty of Maharaja of J&K. Yasin was placed under Mir Wali, brother of Mulk Aman who signed an agreement dated 4 September 1864 declaring his loyalty to the Maharaja. Yasin however remained a permanent trouble spot for many years to come.
Dogras advent into Dardlands made all the frontier tribes restless. Reduction of Yasin whipped Hunza people to harass trade caravans traversing the Hunza route for Pamirs. In 1866, Dogra forces were dispatched to Hunza. Nagar allowed Dogras to pass through. Dogra forces advanced along Nagar side of the river towards Hunza until they reached closer to Hunza fort. But found no crossing at the river. While the plans were being made for crossing the river somehow, ruler of Nagar broke the alliance with Dogras. Panic stricken Dogras retreated and returned to Gilgit disgracefully. Thereafter a formidable confederation was made through the efforts of Wazir Rehmat of Yasin, (same person who had two years prior paid his respects to Maharaja on behalf of Raja of Yasin), headed by Mulk Aman, ruler of Chitral. It happened due to Dogras retreat from Hunza and construed weakness.
In September 1866 an expedition was sent into Darel to inflict punishment on all the invaders as retribution for the last invasion on Gilgit. The main body under Wazir Zorawaru and Col Bije Singh went by the Naupura Ravine, which was exactly infront of Gilgit. The other column went up through a side valley from Singhal. The only opposition the main column met was from Aman-ul-Mulk of Yasin and his people, who had come to help Darelis and taken up defensive positions where a ravine debouches into the main Darel valley. Col Bije Singh, an experienced and wary soldier, scaled the steep ascent of the ravine and took the enemy by surprise who fled helter-skelter. After two days both the columns joined. No opposition ahead, Darel lay open to the Dogras. They stayed a week there. Elders of the region offered their submission and held negotiations. After getting guarantee of peace, Dogras withdrew after showing Darelis that their country was not inaccessible. The main force withdrew to Kashmir leaving a routine garrison at Gilgit. The frontier tribes gave him much trouble and several expeditions had to be sent against them from time to time which resulted in complete subjugation of all these republics and khanats and establishment of closer ties with Mehtar of Chitral. In 1867 restless Aman-ul-Mulk of Yasin again invaded Punial. The small Dogra garrison with Raja Isa Bagdur held out till Bakshi Radha Krishan arrived with troops from Gilgit and forced Yasnis to flee. This was the last Yasinis attack on the territories of Maharaja Ranbir Singh. A decade of conflict ended in 1870 with treaties and agreements with Rajas of Hunza and Maharaja. Within 14 years of his rule Maharaja Ranbir Singh had conquered most of the tribal principalities and brought them in his sphere of influence mostly by a show of force and by using one tribal chief against the other.
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