109-784: The Afghan–Sikh wars spanned from 1748 to 1837 in the Indian subcontinent , and saw multiple phases of fighting between the Durrani Empire and the Sikh Empire (and its predecessors), mainly in and around Punjab region . The conflict's origins stemmed from the days of the Dal Khalsa , and continued after the Emirate of Kabul succeeded the Durrani Empire. The Sikh Confederacy had effectively achieved independence from
218-611: A "large body of troops" with him to ensure tribute from strongholds within Kashmir that might attempt to resist Sikh rule. The capture of Kashmir set the boundaries and borders of the Sikh Empire with Tibet . The conquest of Kashmir marked an "extensive addition" to the Sikh Empire and "significantly" increased the empire's revenue and landmass. The battle took place on 14 March 1823, in the bloody battle of Nowshera, Ranjit Singh led Sikh force's defeated Yusufzai Afghan supported by
327-577: A "large city" commanded by a citadel that was surrounded by a moat. In the early 12th century, Multani poet Abdul Rahman penned the Sandesh Rasak , the only known Muslim work in the medieval Apabhraṃśa language. In 1175, Muhammad Ghori conquered Ismaili-ruled Multan, after having invaded the region via the Gomal Pass from Afghanistan into Punjab, and used the city as a springboard for his unsuccessful campaign into Gujarat in 1178. Multan
436-451: A centre for slave-trade, though slavery was banned in the late 1300s by Muhammad Tughluq's son, Firuz Shah Tughlaq . In 1397, Multan was besieged by Tamerlane 's grandson Pir Muhammad . Pir Muhammad's forces captured the city in 1398 following the conclusion of the 6-month-long siege. Khizr Khan the governor of Multan allied with Amir Timur. Timur captured Lahore and gave its control to Khizr khan as reward for his support. Also in 1398,
545-593: A continent". Its use to signify the Indian subcontinent is evidenced from the early twentieth century when most of the territory was either part of the British Empire or allied with them. It was a convenient term to refer to the region comprising both British India and the princely states . The term has been particularly common in the British Empire and its successors, while the term South Asia
654-590: A decisive defeat. Delhi Sultan Alauddin Khalji dispatched his brother Ulugh Khan in 1296 to conquer Multan region which was governed by surviving family members of his predecessor. (Sultan Jalal-ud-din Khalji ) After usurping the throne of Delhi, Alauddin decided to eliminate the surviving family members of Jalaluddin, who were present in Multan. In November 1296, he sent a 30,000–40,000 strong army led by Ulugh Khan and Zafar Khan to Multan who successfully captured
763-427: A great centre of spirituality in entire South Asia and earning the city the sobriquet "City of Saints." The city, along with the nearby city of Uch , is renowned for its large number of Sufi shrines dating from that era. The origin of Multan's name is unclear. An ancient known name of the city was Malli-istan ; Malli was the name of a tribe that inhabited the region and city. The city name may have been derived from
872-646: A hundred and twenty thousand towns and villages". By the mid 10th century, Multan had come under the influence of the Qarmatian Ismailis. The Qarmatians had been expelled from Egypt and Iraq following their defeat at the hands of the Abbasids there. Qarmatians zealots had famously sacked Mecca , and outraged the Muslim world with their theft and ransom of the Kaaba 's Black Stone , and desecration of
981-499: A large army in pursuit of them and managed to overtake them at Hujra Muqim Khan, 64 km south west of Lahore. After this successful juncture, Timur hurried from Shujabad to Multan and ordered a general massacre in the city and besieged the fort in which the Sikh army was residing. Negotiations were held and with the acceptance of conditions, Timur took over the fort on 18 February 1780, following which Timur Shah appointed Muzaffar Khan as
1090-527: A most populous part of the city. The Hindu temple was noted to have accrued the Muslim rulers large tax revenues, by some accounts up to 30% of the state's revenues. During this time, the city's Arabic nickname was Faraj Bayt al-Dhahab , ("Frontier House of Gold"), reflecting the importance of the temple to the city's economy. The 10th century Arab historian Al-Masudi noted Multan as the city where Central Asian caravans from Islamic Khorasan would assemble. The 10th century Persian geographer Estakhri visited
1199-521: A part of South Asia, is usually not included in the Indian subcontinent. Maldives, an island country consisting of a small archipelago southwest of the peninsula, while largely considered a part of the Indian subcontinent, sometimes is mentioned by sources, including the International Monetary Fund , as a group of islands away from the Indian subcontinent in a south-western direction. The population of Indian subcontinent
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#17327661882191308-415: A river or a no man's land . The precise definition of an "Indian subcontinent" in a geopolitical context is somewhat contested as there is no globally accepted definition on which countries are a part of South Asia or the Indian subcontinent. Whether called the Indian subcontinent or South Asia, the definition of the geographical extent of this region varies. Afghanistan , despite often considered as
1417-485: A road between Lahore and Multan to connect Multan to his massive Grand Trunk Road project. Sher Shah Suri also built (or renovated) Delhi-Multan road , the ancient trade route had existed since the time of King Ashoka or earlier. To improve transit in the areas between Delhi and Multan, leading to Kandahar and Herat in Afghanistan, eventually to Mashhad capital of Khorasan province of Iran. It then served as
1526-472: A scorched earth from the fleeing populace, food supplies became a major issue for his army, followed by a cholera outbreak. Meanwhile, Ram Dyal, who was entrenched near Srinagar , received a proposal from Azim Khan for a negotiated peace and was able to extricate himself from a difficult situation. Ranjit Singh's campaign ended in failure. Amritsar , Lahore, and other large cities across the Sikh Empire were illuminated for two months afterwards in rejoicing over
1635-537: A time when the city became known as Dar al- Aman ( "Abode of Peace" ). During the Mughal era, Multan was an important centre of agricultural production and manufacturing of cotton textiles. Multan was a centre for currency minting, as well as tile-making during the Mughal era. Multan was also host to the offices of many commercial enterprises during the Mughal era, even in times when the Mughals were in control of
1744-527: Is a city in Punjab , Pakistan, located on the bank of river Chenab . It is one of the five largest urban centres of Pakistan in 2024 and is the administrative centre of Multan Division . It is a major cultural, religious and economic centre of Punjab region, Multan is one of the oldest cities of Asia with a history stretching deep into antiquity. Multan was part of the Achaemenid Empire of Iran in
1853-799: Is about 1.912 billion which makes it the most populated region in the world. It is socially very mixed, consisting of many language groups and religions, and social practices in one region that are vastly different from those in another. [REDACTED] Media related to Indian subcontinent at Wikimedia Commons [REDACTED] Africa [REDACTED] Antarctica [REDACTED] Asia [REDACTED] Australia [REDACTED] Europe [REDACTED] North America [REDACTED] South America [REDACTED] Afro-Eurasia [REDACTED] Americas [REDACTED] Eurasia [REDACTED] Oceania Multan Multan ( Saraiki / Urdu : مُلْتَان ; local pronunciation: [mɵlˈtäːnᵊ] )
1962-541: Is an indivisible geographical entity." According to geographer Dudley Stamp , "There is perhaps no mainland part of the world better marked off by nature as a region or a 'realm' by itself than the Indian subcontinent." This natural physical landmass in South Asia is the dry-land portion of the Indian Plate , which has been relatively isolated from the rest of Eurasia. The Himalayas (from Brahmaputra River in
2071-485: Is believed to have been originally built to be the tomb of Ghiyath ad-Din, but was later donated to the descendants of Rukn-e-Alam after Ghiyath became Emperor of Delhi. The renowned Arab explorer Ibn Battuta visited Multan in the 1300s during the reign of Muhammad Tughluq, and noted that Multan was a trading centre for horses imported from as far away as the Russian Steppe . Multan had also been noted to be
2180-576: Is believed to have been the Malli capital that was conquered by Alexander the Great in 326 BCE as part of the Mallian Campaign . The Mallian people , together with nearby tribes, gathered an army of 90,000 personnel to fight against an army of 50,000 Greeks. This was the largest army faced by Greeks in the entire subcontinent. During the siege of the city's citadel, Alexander reputedly leaped into
2289-635: Is regarded as a saint by both Sufis and Sikhs , was born in Uch, Multan province. In the second half of the 17th century, Multan's commercial fortunes were adversely affected by silting and shifting of the nearby river, which denied traders vital trade access to the Arabian Sea . Multan witnessed difficult times as the Mughal Empire waned in power following the death of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707. Under Mughal rule, Multan enjoyed 200 years of peace in
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#17327661882192398-483: Is the more common usage in Europe and North America. According to historians Sugata Bose and Ayesha Jalal , the Indian subcontinent has come to be known as South Asia "in more recent and neutral parlance". Indologist Ronald B. Inden argues that the usage of the term South Asia is becoming more widespread since it clearly distinguishes the region from East Asia. While South Asia , a more accurate term that reflects
2507-796: Is the only subregion of Asia that lies partly within the Southern Hemisphere : the British Indian Ocean Territory two of the 26 atolls of the Maldives lie entirely within the Southern Hemisphere. Historically, the region surrounding and southeast of the Indus River was often simply referred to as "India" in many historical sources. Even today, historians use this term to denote the entire Indian subcontinent when discussing history up until
2616-592: The Delhi Sultanate . Earlier he spent his time in Multan and fought 28 battles against Mongols from there and saved the regions from advances of Mongols. He wrote in the jamia Masjid of Multan that he had fought 28 battles against Mongols and had survived, people gave him the title Ghazi ul Mulk. Ghiyath al din's son Muhammad bin Tughlaq was born in Multan. After Ghiyath's death he became the Sultan and ascended
2725-654: The Durrani throne after his father, Timur Shah died on 20 May 1793. Zaman Shah lead multiple campaigns of Punjab against the Sikhs. His first campaign was in November 1796. Zaman Shah's campaign of Punjab in 1796 against the Sikhs, led to capture of Lahore in January 1797, without any opposition as the Sikh chiefs retired to Amritsar to protect the holy city. Zaman Shah progressed towards Amritsar on January 13, 1797, where he
2834-752: The Eocene , forming the Indian subcontinent. The zone where the Eurasian and Indian subcontinent plates meet remains geologically active, prone to major earthquakes. Physiographically , it is a peninsular region in South Asia delineated by the Himalayas in the north, the Hindu Kush in the west, and the Arakanese in the east. It extends southward into the Indian Ocean with the Arabian Sea to
2943-753: The Hindu Kush in the west, and the Indo-Burman Ranges in the east. The neighboring geographical regions around the subcontinent include the Tibetan Plateau to the north, the Indochinese Peninsula to the east, the Iranian Plateau to the west, and the Indian Ocean to the south. Apart from Maritime Southeast Asia (the Malay Archipelago ), the maritime region of the subcontinent ( littoral South Asia )
3052-613: The Langah Sultanate. Multan province was one of the significant provinces of the Mughal Empire . In 1848, it was conquered by the British from Sikh Empire and became part of British Punjab . The city was among the most important trading centres and a great centre of knowledge and learning in the medieval Islamic Indian subcontinent, and attracted a multitude of Sufi mystics in the 11th and 12th centuries, becoming
3161-505: The Mughal Empire in 1716, and expanded at its expense in the following decades, despite the Chhota Ghallughara . The Afsharid Persian emperor Nader Shah's invasion of the Mughal Empire (1738–40) dealt a heavy blow to the Mughals, but after Nader Shah 's death in 1747, Ahmed Shah Abdali , the founder of the Durrani Empire declared independence from Persia . Four years later, this new Afghan state came into conflict with
3270-539: The Nazim of Multan and Abdul Karim Khan Babar, a defected Muslim general of the Sikh army was appointed as Naib (Chief officer) of Muzaffar Khan. Multan would remain under Afghan rule until its loss in 1818 to the Sikh Empire, during the Siege of Multan . This phase ended with the death of Timur Shah on 20 May 1793, leading his successor, Zaman Shah Durrani to ascend to the Durrani throne. Zaman Shah Durrani ascended to
3379-596: The Peshawar region and led to multiple Sikh attempts at capturing and the final capture of Peshawar. The battle took place in the Shopian region in the Kashmir region. This battle included the 1819 Kashmir expedition, which led to Kashmir being annexed to the Sikh Empire . When the Sikh army entered the city of Srinagar after the battle, Prince Kharak Singh guaranteed the personal safety of every citizen and ensured
Afghan–Sikh Wars - Misplaced Pages Continue
3488-612: The Talpurs , and the Kalhoras ; Nasir Khan Balouch , the ruler of the Khanate of Kalat under Timur Shah did not acknowledge the authority of Afghan monarch, as a result, inducing other Durrani chiefdoms to do the same, including the chief of Bahawalpur , who treated the authority of Timur Shah with no respect. Timur Shah thereupon tried to recover Multan by diplomacy and therefore sent Haji Ali Khan, as his agent, along with companions, to
3597-584: The Turkic king Iltutmish , the third Sultan of the Mamluk dynasty, captured and then annexed Multan in an expedition. The Punjabi poet Baba Farid was born in the village of Khatwal near Multan in the 1200s. Qarlughids attempted to invade Multan in 1236, while the Mongols tried to capture the city in 1241 after capturing Lahore – though they were repulsed. The Mongols under Sali Noyan then successfully held
3706-527: The spread of Buddhism out of the subcontinent into other parts of Asia. The Islamic expansion arrived into the subcontinent in two ways: through Afghanistan on land, and to the Indian coast through the maritime routes on the Arabian Sea. In terms of modern geopolitical boundaries, the subcontinent constitutes Bangladesh , Bhutan , India, Nepal , and Pakistan , besides, by convention, the island country of Sri Lanka and other nearby island nations of
3815-635: The supercontinent of Gondwana during the Cretaceous and merged with the landmass of Eurasia nearly 55 million years ago, forming the Himalayas. It is one of the most populated regions in the world, holding roughly 20–25 percent of the global population. Geographically, the peninsular region in Southern Asia is located below the Third Pole , delineated by the Himalayas in the north,
3924-461: The "Sikh Interlude Period", from 1772 to 1780. Timur Shah ascended to the throne of the Durrani Empire after his father, Ahmad Shah Durrani 's death. Timur Shah consolidated his rule through multiple attempts, and also attempted an earlier campaign in 1775, however realizing the weakness of his army in view of smaller in number, Timur Shah retired to Peshawar which proceeded with rebellion by Faizullah Khan, who plotted to assassinate Timur Shah but
4033-562: The 1300s during the reign of Muhammad Tughluq, and noted that Multan was a trading centre for horses imported from as far away as the Russian Steppe . Multan had also been noted to be a centre for slave-trade, though slavery was banned in the late 1300s by Muhammad Tughluq's son, Firuz Shah Tughlaq . The extent of Multan's influence is also reflected in the construction of the Multani Caravanserai in Baku , Azerbaijan — which
4142-746: The 19th century. Following the conquest of Upper Sindh by the Mughal Emperor Akbar , Multan was attacked and captured by Akbar's army under the command of Bairam Khan in 1557, thereby re-establishing Mughal rule in Multan. The Mughals controlled the Multani region from 1524 until around 1739. Emperor Akbar established province of Multan at Multan city, which was one of his original twelve subahs (imperial top-level administrative provinces) roughly covering southern Punjab, parts of Khyber and Balochistan bordering Kabul Subah , Lahore Subah , Ajmer Subah , Thatta Subah , Kandahar subah and
4251-477: The Afghans' supplies were exhausted and Dewan Mokham Chand Nayyar marched 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from Attock to Haidaru, on the banks of the Indus River, to offer battle. On 13 July 1813, Dewan Mokham Chand Nayyar split the cavalry into four divisions, giving command of one division to Hari Singh Nalwa and taking command of one division himself. The lone battalion of infantry formed an infantry square protecting
4360-612: The Arghun dynasty, who were either ethnic Mongols, or of Turkic or Turco-Mongol extraction. In 1541, the Pashtun king Sher Shah Suri captured Multan, and successfully defended the city from the advances of the Mughal Emperor Humayun . In 1543, Sher Shah Suri expelled Baloch dynasty , who under the command of Fateh Khan Mirrani had overrun the city. Following its recapture, Sher Shah Suri ordered construction of
4469-570: The Battle of Gohalwar), under the command of Timur Shah Durrani, son of Ahmad Shah Durrani. After witnessing the fall of Lahore, the Durrani commander-in-chief Jahan Khan and Timur Shah fled the city, and while trying to cross the Chenab and Ravi rivers, thousands of Afghan soldiers were drowned and much of the soldiers' baggage abandoned. Sikhs took the captured Afghan prisoners to Amritsar to clean
Afghan–Sikh Wars - Misplaced Pages Continue
4578-664: The Bhangi Sikh Chiefs to negotiate, with advice to behave and be polite, but instead, Haji Ali Khan threatened the Bhangi Chiefs to retire from Multan or face the royal wrath. The Bhangis tied Haji to the tree and shot him dead whereas his companions were left unharmed and sent back to report to Timur. Upon the news of death of his agent, Timur Shah detached a force of 18,000 men that included Yusafzais , Durranis , Mughals and Qizalbashes under general Zangi Khan, with orders to march by less known routes and fall upon
4687-641: The Chahar Mahal, followed with defeat and surrender of relief party sent from Kandahar . Thereafter, Sikhs captured Lahore. In September 1761, near Gujranwala , Ahmad Shah Durrani's governor of the province of Lahore, was defeated by the Sikhs, continued with the defeat and ousting of the remaining commanders of Durrani's, eventually bringing the entire territories from the Satluj to the Indus, under Sikh occupation, along with Bist Jalandhar Doab, Sarhind, Rachna and
4796-730: The Chaj Doabs. Ahmad Shah lost most of the Punjab to Sikhs. In October 1762, Ahmad Shah Durrani attacked Amritsar but was defeated by the Sikhs. In December 1762, he fought a skirmish with Sikh forces at the Battle of the Ravi Ford in December 1762. In November 1763, Sikh forces had forced Durrani armies to advance upon them, which led to the Battle of Sialkot , where the Afghans were defeated, and were forced to leave their Punjab campaign in
4905-430: The Druze religion, which today survives in Lebanon, Syria , and the Golan Heights. Following Mahmud's death in 1030, Multan regained its independence from the Ghaznavid empire and came under the sway of Ismaili rule once again. Shah Gardez , who came to Multan in 1088, is said to have contributed in the restoration of the city. By the early 1100s, Multan was described by the Arab geographer Muhammad al-Idrisi as being
5014-450: The Indian Ocean, such as Maldives and the British Indian Ocean Territory . Unlike "South Asia", sometimes the expression "Indian subcontinent" may exclude the islands of Maldives and Sri Lanka. According to Pawan Budhwar, Arup Varma, and Manjusha Hirekhan, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan constitute the Indian subcontinent. Budhwar, Varma, and Hirekhan also maintain that with Afghanistan and Maldives included
5123-467: The Indian Plate over the Réunion hotspot during the Cretaceous and early Cenozoic times. The Maldives archipelago rises from a basement of volcanic basalt outpourings from a depth of about 2000 m forming the central part of the ridge between Laccadives and the Great Chagos Bank . According to anthropologist Patrap C. Dutta, "the Indian subcontinent occupies the major landmass of South Asia." According to historian B. N. Mukherjee , "The subcontinent
5232-455: The Khwarazmian Empire, whose origins were rooted in Konye-Urgench in modern-day Turkmenistan. Uch and Sindh were also in control of Qabacha. Qabacha also captured Lahore many times and ruled all these regions. He repulsed a 40-day siege imposed on Multan city by Mongol forces who attempted to conquer the city. He gathered a large army from Uch, Multan and Bukkhar (Sukkur) and Mongols were repulsed. Following Qabacha's death that same year,
5341-444: The Persian Safavid empire . It was one of Mughal Empire's largest provinces by land area and population. In 1627, Multan was encircled by walls that were built on the order of Murad Baksh , son of Shah Jahan . Upon his return from an expedition to Balkh in 1648, the future emperor Aurangzeb was appointed Governor of provinces of Multan and Sindh – a post he held until 1652. In 1680, the renowned Punjabi poet, Bulleh Shah , who
5450-562: The Peshawar sardars. Azim Khan Barakzai died shortly after the battle from Cholera . The Battle of Jamrud was the foremost battle within the third Afghan–Sikh war. The result of the battle is disputed amongst historians. Some contend the failure of the Afghans to take the fort and the city of Peshawar or town of Jamrud as a victory for the Sikhs. On the other hand, some state that the killing of Hari Singh Nalwa resulted in an Afghan victory. James Norris, Professor of Political Science at Texas A&M International University, states that
5559-487: The Sikh alliance. On 12 January 1748, Ahmad Shah Durrani invaded and occupied Lahore , after the Mughal governor of Lahore, Shah Nawaz Khan, fled to Delhi. Establishing a governor over Lahore, Ahmad marched his army east taking more territory, but was defeated at the Battle of Manupur by Mughals in alliance with Sikhs and fled back to Kandahar. Sikh bands under Charat Singh , Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and Ala Singh continued to harass Durrani forces as they retreated. Thus,
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#17327661882195668-427: The Sikh army into disarray and captured some artillery. When it appeared the Sikhs had lost the battle, Dewan Mokham Chand led a cavalry charge atop a war elephant that repulsed the Afghans "at all points", and routed the remaining Afghan troops. Fateh Khan, fearing his brother, Dost Mohammad Khan, had died, escaped to Kabul and the Sikhs captured the Afghan camp, including the lost artillery pieces. Two months after
5777-412: The Sikh force under Kharak Singh reached Multan and ordered Muzaffar to pay the large tribute he owed and to surrender the fort, but Muzaffar refused. The Sikh forces won an engagement near the city but were unable to capture Muzaffar before he retreated into the fort. The Sikh army asked for more artillery and Ranjit Singh sent them the Zamzama and other large artillery pieces, which commenced fire on
5886-471: The Sikhs and returned to Peshawar where Sikhs all along harried the Afghans to river Jhelum. While crossing the river, Zaman Shah lost most men, supplies and heavy artillery due to upsurge. Eventually, Shah Zaman and his remaining army reached Kandahar in late 1799, exhausted from the campaign. Zaman Shah set out his third campaign of Punjab in the spring of 1800, plotted to deal with a rebellious Ranjit Singh . However, having civil strife in Afghanistan, he
5995-518: The Sikhs gave tough resistance but were eventually overwhelmed. About 3000 Sikhs were killed, and 500 others drowned in river Jhelum in trying to cross it during the Sikh retreat, while 2000 escaped by successfully reaching the opposite bank of the river. Following the victory, Timur Shah Durrani captured Multan after meeting the relieving Sikh force in Shujabad where a severe battle was fought on 8 February 1780. The Sikhs lost 2,000 men in killed and wounded and proceeded to flee towards Lahore. Timur sent
6104-472: The Sikhs unaware and Zangi Khan gave strict orders to his army to keep the movement secret. Zangi Khan halted 25 km from the Sikh camps with orders to imprison anyone who goes in the direction of the Sikh camp to make the Sikhs aware of their presence. Timur Shah positioned himself in the centre, at the head of 5,000 Yusafzai men. Little before daybreak, early morning, the Sikhs completely unaware of Afghan army's presence, were attacked, and though unorganized,
6213-409: The Sikhs, to destroy them and to enslave their women and children, but Ahmad Shah's march to Punjab in 1764, resulted in failure of Jihad with the defeat, ambush and ousting of advance guards by the Sikhs outside of Lahore. In 1765, Ahmad Shah marched again to Punjab with Qazi Mur Muhammad but his authority was only restricted within his camp as he remained on the defensive side with Sikhs swarming around
6322-454: The Sunni creed. He destroyed the Ismaili congregational mosque that had been built above the ruins of the Multan Sun Temple, and restored the city's old Sunni congregational mosque, built by Muhammad bin Qasim . The 11th century scholar Abu Mansur al-Baghdadi reported that the Ismaili community was still living in the city. Following the Ghaznavid invasion of Multan, the local Ismaili community split, with one faction aligning themselves with
6431-401: The Zamzam Well with corpses during the Hajj season of 930 CE. The governor of Jhang, Umar bin Hafas, was a clandestine supporter of the Fatimid movement and the Batiniya influence spread in Southern Punjab. Then, the Qarmatians who had established contacts with the Fatimids in Egypt set up an independent dynasty in Multan and ruled the surrounding areas. They wrested control of the city from
6540-526: The area. At the time Mansura( the capital of Sindh) along with Multan were the only two major Arab principalities in South Asia. Arabic was spoken in both cities, though the inhabitants of Multan were reported by Estakhri to also have been speakers of Persian, reflecting the importance of trade with Khorasan. Polyglossia rendered Multani merchants culturally well-suited for trade with the Islamic world. The 10th century Hudud al-'Alam notes that Multan's rulers were also in control of Lahore , though that city
6649-432: The artillery, with Gouse Khan commanding the artillery. The Afghans took up positions opposite the Sikhs, with a portion of their cavalry under the command of Dost Mohammad Khan . Fateh Khan opened the battle by sending his Pathans on a cavalry charge which was repulsed by heavy fire from the Sikh artillery. The Afghans rallied under Dost Mohammad Khan, who led the Ghazis on another cavalry charge which threw one wing of
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#17327661882196758-450: The battle's outcome was inconclusive. Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographical region in Southern Asia , mostly situated on the Indian Plate , projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas . Geographically, it spans the countries of Bangladesh , Bhutan , the British Indian Ocean Territory (United Kingdom), India , Maldives , Nepal , Pakistan , and Sri Lanka . Although
6867-400: The belt of service on my waist and put on the cap of companionship for another five years. I imparted lustre to the water of Multan from the ocean of my wits and pleasantries. In the 1320s Multan was conquered by Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq , he was made the governor of Multan and South Punjab, Sindh regions and of Depalpur. He was the founder of the Turkic Tughluq dynasty , the third dynasty of
6976-409: The border (between the Sulaiman Range and the Chaman Fault) is the western boundary of the Indian Plate, where, along the Eastern Hindu Kush, lies the Afghanistan–Pakistan border. In the east, it is bounded by Patkai , Naga , Lushai and Chin hills. The Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea form the boundary of the Indian subcontinent in the south, south-east and south-west. Given
7085-561: The camp, which eventually resulted in Ahmad Shah's return to Kabul without pursuing even a single battle, where the Qazi noticed with disappointment that the country from Sirhind to Derajat was divided amongst the Sikhs with their sovereignty The Sikh sovereignty was further acknowledged in Lahore by striking a coin which pierced the same inscription that fifty five years ago was used by Banda Singh Bahadur on his seal, followed with re-establishment of 13 Sikh rule. The Sikhs would also capture Multan in 1772. The period after this would be known as
7194-433: The centuries. In the mid-5th century CE, the city was attacked by White Huns , a group of Barbarian Hephthalite nomads led by Toramana . After a fierce fight they conquered Multan, but did not stay long. By the mid 7th century CE, Multan was conquered by Chach of Alor , of the Hindu Rai dynasty . Chach appointed a thakur to govern from Multan, and used his army to settle boundary disputes with Kashmir . Multan
7303-419: The city after two months of siege. Amir Khusrau , the famous Indo-Persian Sufi singer, musician, poet and scholar visited Multan on the invitation of Khan Muhammad. Multan at the time was the gateway to India and was a center of knowledge and learning. Caravans of scholars, tradesmen and emissaries transited through Multan from Baghdad , Arabia and Persia on their way to Delhi. Khusrau wrote that: I tied
7412-400: The city at the invitation of Shah Husayn. The Sultanate's borders stretched encompassed the neighbouring regions surrounding the cities of Chiniot and Shorkot, including present day Faisalabad . Shah Husayn successfully repulsed attempted invasion by the Delhi Sultans led by Tatar Khan and Barbak Shah. Multan's Langah Sultanate came to an end in 1525 when the city was invaded by rulers of
7521-507: The city to ransom in 1245–6, before being recaptured by Sultan Ghiyas ud din Balban , the ninth Mamluk Sultan. Multan then fell to the Qarlughids in 1249, but was captured by Sher Khan that same year. Multan was then conquered by Izz al-Din Balban Kashlu Khan in 1254, before he rebelled against Sultan Ghiyas ud din Balban in 1257 and fled to Iraq where he joined Mongol forces and captured Multan again, and dismantled its city walls. The Mongols again attempted an invasion in 1279, but were dealt
7630-429: The city was not plundered. The peaceful capture of Srinagar was important as Srinagar, besides having a large Shawl -making industry, was also the center of trade between Panjab , Tibet , Iskardo , and Ladakh . After taking Srinagar, the Sikh army faced no major opposition in conquering Kashmir . However, when Ranjit Singh installed Moti Ram, the son of Dewan Mokham Chand, as the new governor of Kashmir, he also sent
7739-462: The city's Subjects remained mostly non-Muslim for the next few decades under the Umayyad Caliphate. By the mid-800s, the Banu Munabbih (855–959) also known as the Banu Sama , who claimed descent from Muhammad 's Quraysh tribe came to rule Multan, and established the Emirate of Banu Munabbih, which ruled for the next century. During this era, the Multan Sun Temple was noted by the 10th century Arab geographer Al-Muqaddasi to have been located in
7848-483: The classical and pre-modern sense. The sport of cricket is notably popular in India , Pakistan , Sri Lanka , Nepal and Bangladesh . Within a cricket context, these countries are often referred to simply as the subcontinent around the world e.g. " Australia's tour of the subcontinent". The word is also sometimes used as an adjective in this context e.g. "subcontinental conditions". The Indian subcontinent
7957-721: The deity of ancient Multan Sun Temple . Some have suggested the name derives from the Old Persian word mulastāna, 'frontier land', while others have ascribed its origin to the Sanskrit word mūlasthāna , The region around Multan is home to several archaeological sites dating to the Early Harappan period of the Indus Valley civilization between 3000 BC until 2800 BC. According to the Hindu religious texts, Multan
8066-481: The difficulty of passage through the Himalayas, the sociocultural, religious and political interaction of the Indian subcontinent has largely been through the valleys of Afghanistan in its northwest, the valleys of Manipur in its east, and by maritime routes . More difficult but historically important interaction has also occurred through passages pioneered by the Tibetans . These routes and interactions have led to
8175-729: The early 6th century BC. The ancient city was besieged by Alexander the Great during the Mallian Campaign . Later it was conquered by the Umayyad military commander Muhammad bin Qasim in 712 CE after the conquest of Sindh. In 9th century it became a separate state, Emirate of Multan ruled by the Arab rulers. The region came under the rule of the Ghaznavids and the Mamluk Sultanate in medieval period. In 1445, it became capital of
8284-547: The east to Indus River in the west), Karakoram (from Indus River in the east to Yarkand River in the west) and the Hindu Kush mountains (from Yarkand River westwards) form its northern boundary. In the west it is bounded by parts of the mountain ranges of Hindu Kush , Spīn Ghar (Safed Koh), Sulaiman Mountains , Kirthar Mountains , Brahui range, and Pab range among others, with the Western Fold Belt along
8393-551: The elder Tamerlane and Multan's Governor Khizr Khan together sacked Delhi. The sack of Delhi lead to major disruptions of the Sultanate's central governing structure. Khizr Khan ruled the subcontinent on the name of Timur. In 1414, Multan's Khizr Khan captured Delhi from Daulat Khan Lodi , and established the short-lived Sayyid dynasty — the fourth dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate . A contemporary writer Yahya Sirhindi mentions in his Takhrikh-i-Mubarak Shahi that Khizr Khan
8502-599: The era of the British Raj. Over time, however, "India" evolved to refer to a distinct political entity that eventually became a nation-state (today the Republic of India). According to the Oxford English Dictionary , the term subcontinent signifies a "subdivision of a continent which has a distinct geographical, political, or cultural identity" and also a "large land mass somewhat smaller than
8611-612: The first invasion of Shah proved a failure but it gave an opportunity to the Sikhs to organize themselves into the Dal Khalsa , an army of the Sikh Confederacy, at Amritsar in March 1748. The Sikhs retook Lahore only to lose it to the Afghans by 12 April 1752. The Sikhs used guerilla warfare to try to oust the Afghans from Punjab. In November 1757, the Sikhs were defeated by the Afghan army at Battle of Amritsar (also known as
8720-510: The head of 15,000 cavalry in April 1813 and invested Attock Fort. At the same time Ranjit Singh rushed Dewan Mokham Chand and Karam Chand Chahal from Burhan with a force of cavalry, artillery, and a battalion of infantry to meet the Afghans. Dewan Mokham Chand Nayyar encamped 8 miles (13 km) from the Afghan camp, unwilling to risk a decisive engagement, although both sides engaged in numerous skirmishes and took losses. On 12 July 1813,
8829-491: The heat from summer started to affect the armies, Dewan Mokham Chand marched his army to block the Afghans from getting water from the river. Without water the Afghan troops began to suffer dehydration, so they launched attack after attack towards the river, but were unable to break through. Chand, realizing the Afghans were weakened, charged his cavalry at the Afghans who broke and ran, losing two thousand men. Accusing Ranjit Singh of treachery, Fateh Khan set off from Kashmir at
8938-524: The inner area of the citadel, where he faced the Mallian leader. Alexander was wounded by an arrow that had penetrated his lung, leaving him severely injured. After a fierce battle at the site of 'Khooni Burj' the Mallian army eventually surrendered, preventing further bloodshed. During Alexander's era, Multan was located on an island in the Ravi river , which has since shifted course numerous times throughout
9047-672: The pro-Abbasid Amirate of Banu Munabbih, and established the Emirate of Multan, while pledging allegiance to the Ismaili Fatimid Dynasty based in Cairo. During this period, Uch and Multan remained a central pilgrimage site for Vaishnavite and Surya devotees, and their admixture with Isma’īlīsm created the Satpanth tradition. Hence, the beginning of the eleventh century witnessed a sacral and political diversity in Uch that
9156-481: The region is referred to as South Asia. The periphery of the subcontinent, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the island chains of Maldives, features large Muslim populations, while the heartland, including most of India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, are overwhelmingly Hindu or Buddhist. Since most of these countries are located on the Indian Plate, a continuous landmass , the borders between countries are often either
9265-461: The region's contemporary political demarcations, is replacing the Indian subcontinent , a term closely linked to the region's colonial heritage, as a cover term, the latter is still widely used in typological studies. Since the Partition of India , citizens of Pakistan (which became independent of British India in 1947) and Bangladesh (which became independent of Pakistan in 1971) often perceive
9374-552: The sacred pool in Amritsar that was desecrated by the Afghans. In 1758, the Sikhs defeated the Afghan faujdar (military officer) Sa‘adat Khan Afridi, who fled from Jalandhar , followed with the defeat of Afghan army from all direction. Though the Sikhs captured and plundered Lahore, the Afghans recaptured Lahore in 1761, but just within a couple of months, in May 1761, the Sikh army defeated the Afghan army, led by Ahmad Shah's governor of
9483-590: The southwest and the Bay of Bengal to the southeast. Most of this region rests on the Indian Plate and is isolated from the rest of Asia by large mountain barriers. Laccadive Islands , Maldives and the Chagos Archipelago are three series of coral atolls , cays and Faroes on the Indian Plate along with the Chagos–Laccadive Ridge , a submarine ridge that was generated by the northern drift of
9592-579: The starting point for trade caravans from medieval India departing towards West Asia. Multan served as medieval Islamic India's trans-regional mercantile centre for trade with the Islamic world. It rose as an important trading and mercantile centre in the setting of political stability offered by the Delhi Sultanate, the Lodis, and Mughals. The renowned Arab explorer Ibn Battuta visited Multan in
9701-444: The terms "Indian subcontinent" and "South Asia" are often used interchangeably to denote the region, the geopolitical term of South Asia frequently includes Afghanistan , which is not considered a part of the subcontinent, while excluding the British Indian Ocean Territory which is geologically associated with the subcontinent. Geologically, the subcontinent originates from Insular India , an isolated landmass that rifted from
9810-593: The throne in Delhi. The countryside around Multan was recorded to have been devastated by excessively high taxes imposed during the reign of Ghiyath's son, Muhammad Tughluq . In 1328, the Governor of Multan, Kishlu Khan, rose in rebellion against Muhammad Tughluq, but was quickly defeated. The Tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam was completed during the Tughluq era, and is considered to be the first Tughluq monument. The shrine
9919-438: The use of the Indian subcontinent as offensive and suspicious because of the dominant placement of India in the term. As such it is being increasingly less used in those countries. Meanwhile, many Indian analysts prefer to use the term because of the socio-cultural commonalities of the region. The region has also been called the "Asian subcontinent", the "South Asian subcontinent", as well as "India" or " Greater India " in
10028-509: The victory at Attock, Ranjit Singh decided to capitalize on instability in the Durrani Kingdom, and launched a campaign to take Kashmir from the Durrani Empire. A late Autumn start postponed the campaign until the next spring. By June, an army of 30,000 men under the command of Ram Dyal, grandson of Dewan Mokham Chand , marched toward Baramulla, with a pincer attack of 20,000 men led by Ranjit Singh marching to Poonch. Ranjit's force
10137-401: The victory. After his defeat at Attock, Fateh Khan fought off an attempt by Ali Shah , the ruler of Persia , and his son Ali Mirza to capture the Durrani province of Herat , which left their newly captured province of Kashmir open to attack. In early January the Sikh force began their campaign with the capture of Nawab Muzaffar Khan 's forts at Muzaffargarh and Khangarh . In February,
10246-480: The wake of this defeat. At Gujranwala, Jahan Khan was heavily defeated by the Sikhs, who then continued their victory by sacking the towns of Malerkotla and Morinda, followed with the defeat of the commander of Rohtas Fortress, Sarbaland Khan Saddozai, who was captured and imprisoned but later released after consenting to the Sikh sovereignty. The reports of catastrophe enraged Ahmad Shah and wrote to Nasir Khan, beglar begi of Khalat, to join him in jihad (holy war) against
10355-420: The walls of the fort. In early June, Sadhu Singh and a small band of other Akalis attacked the fort walls and discovered a breach in the wall. As they ran in to battle the unaware garrison the larger Sikh army was alerted and entered the fort through the breach. Muzaffar and his sons attempted a sortie to defend the fort but were killed in the battle. The siege of Multan ended significant Afghan influence in
10464-604: Was a descendant of Muhammad . Multan then passed to the Langah , who established the Langah Sultanate in Multan under the rule of Budhan Khan, who assumed the title Mahmud Shah. The reign of Shah Husayn, grandson of Mahmud Shah, who ruled from 1469 to 1498 is considered to be most illustrious of the Langah Sultans. Multan experienced prosperity during this time, and a large number of Baloch settlers arrived in
10573-538: Was both unique and precarious. The Qarmatian Ismailis opposed Hindu pilgrims worshipping the sun, and destroyed the Sun Temple and smashed its revered Aditya idol in the late 10th century. The Qarmatians built an Ismaili congregational mosque above the ruins to replace the city's Sunni congregational mosque that had been established by the city's early rulers. Mahmud of Ghazni in 1005 led an expedition against Multan's Qarmatian ruler Abul Fateh Daud . The city
10682-573: Was built in the 15th to house Multani merchants visiting the city. Legal records from the Uzbek city of Bukhara note that Multani merchants settled and owned land in the city in the late 1550s. Multan would remain an important trading centre until the city was ravaged by repeated invasions in the 18th and 19th centuries in the post-Mughal era. Many of Multan's merchants then migrated to Shikarpur in Sindh , and were found throughout Central Asia up until
10791-448: Was cunningly executed. In late 1779, Timur Shah decided to conquer Multan . Due to Sikhs having been in possession of the provinces of Lahore and Multan, these provinces served as a barrier for any attempt by Timur Shah to invade, many chiefs and nobility, dependencies of Durranis, paid no respect to the Durrani sovereignty, such as Sind which reduced the amount of tribute and hardly paid it, mostly due to its concurrent civil war between
10900-747: Was defeated and killed by the Sikhs. Having dealt with Mahmud Shah Durrani for the time being, Zaman Shah returned to Punjab and resumed his campaign once again, occupying Lahore in autumn of 1798, without opposition, as it was strategy of Ranjit Singh to drive them into Lahore and then lay siege to the city. Zaman Shah intended to march on Delhi but the Sikhs laid waste around 150 km of his camp to stop supplies and engaged in skirmishes. Facing determined foe who could cut of his communication with Kabul, Shah Zaman exercised discretion and returned to Afghanistan with his troops on 4 January 1799. Bhangi Sikh Misl recaptured Lahore. Zaman Shah then appointed 19 yr old Ranjit Singh as governor of Lahore to try to divide
11009-535: Was defeated by the Sikhs, 10 km away from the city. As intelligence from Kabul had warned of a possible Persian invasion of main Afghanistan , Zaman Shah was forced to abandon his first Punjab campaign and return home to mobilize an army to combat this threat, headed by his own brother, Mahmud Shah Durrani . The Sikhs recaptured Lahore as he left. After retreat, he left his deputy general, Ahmad Khan Shahanchi-bashi in charge, along with Afghan soldiers but he too
11118-405: Was delayed by torrential rains, while Ram Dyal's army took the fortress of Baramulla on 20 July 1814. When Dyal's army reached Shupaiyan, the governor of Kashmir, Azim Khan blocked his advance. Fighting a delaying action, Dyal waited on a reinforcement of 5,000 men from Ranjit. These reinforcements were forced to a standstill by Afghan snipers. Ranjit Singh's force made little progress. Faced with
11227-436: Was first invaded by a Muslim army after the reign of the caliph Ali , in 664 CE, when Mohalib, an Arab general, occupied the city. The expedition, however, seems to have been directed towards exploration of the country as no attempt was apparently made to retain the conquest. After his conquest of Sindh, Muhammad ibn Qasim in 712 CE captured Multan from Raja Dahir following a two-month siege. Following ibn Qasim's conquest,
11336-414: Was forced to cut his campaign short, having to deal with his brother, Mahmud Shah Durrani once again. Shah Zaman would not return to Punjab, and he would be deposed by Mahmud Shah. In 1813, after demanding the return of the fort at Attock, the Durrani prime minister Wazir Fateh Khan besieged Attock. A Punjabi relief force arrived and for three months the two armies faced each other, neither side moving. As
11445-553: Was formerly part of Gondwana , a supercontinent formed during the late Neoproterozoic and early Paleozoic . Gondwana began to break up during the Mesozoic , with Insular India separating from Antarctica 130-120 million years ago and Madagascar around 90 million years ago, during the Cretaceous . Insular India subsequently drifted northeastwards, colliding with the Eurasian Plate nearly 55 million years ago, during
11554-698: Was founded by the sage Kashyapa. These texts also assert that Multan was the capital of the Trigarta Kingdom ruled by the Katoch dynasty during the Kurukshetra War that is central to the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata . The city was visited by Greek admiral Skylax , who passed through the area in 515 BCE. The city was also mentioned by the Greek historian Herodotus in 400 BC. Multan
11663-491: Was surrendered, and Fateh Daud was permitted to retain control over the city with the condition that he adhere to Sunnism . In 1007, Mahmud led another expedition to Multan against his former minister and Hindu convert, Niwasa Khan, who had renounced Islam and attempted to establish control of the region in collusion with Abul Fateh Daud of Multan. In 1010, Mahmud led his third and punitive expedition against Daud to depose and imprison him, and suppressed Ismailism in favour of
11772-814: Was then annexed to the Ghurid Sultanate , and became an administrative province of the Mamluk Dynasty — the first dynasty based in Delhi. Multan's Ismaili community rose up in an unsuccessful rebellion against the Ghaurids later in 1175. Following the death of the first Mumluk Sultan, Qutb al-Din Aibak in 1210, Multan came under the rule of Nasiruddin Qabacha , who in 1222, successfully repulsed an attempted invasion by Sultan Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu of
11881-521: Was then lost to the Hindu Shahi. During the 10th century, Multan's rulers resided at a camp outside of the city named Jandrawār , and would enter Multan once a week on the back of an elephant for Friday prayers. Multan became capital of Emirate of Multan in 855. Al Masudi of Baghdad who visited Indus valley in 915 A.D mentioned in his book "Meadows of Gold" that it is one of the strongest frontier places of Muslims and in its neighbourhood there are
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