Dewan Mokham Chand

Diwan Mokham Chand (died 16[1] or 29[2] October 1814) was one of the chief commanders of the Sikh Empire. He conquered Attock from the Durrani Afghans in 1813 and subdued the Rajputs in the Hills of Himachal and in Jammu at Jasrota, Chamba, and Basroli. He also commanded one of the early Sikh expeditions to conquer Kashmir that ended in failure due to bad weather blocking the passes to the valley. Mokham Chand was born in a Hindu Khatri family origin.

Not to be confused with Misr Diwan Chand.

Diwan

Mokham Chand
Born1750
Died16 or 19 October 1814
Phillaur, Sikh Empire
RankMilitary officer
ChildrenDiwan Moti Ram

Early life

Mokham Chand was born in a Hindu Khatri family of a Kochhar background,[3][4][5] to Vaisakhi Mal[note 1], a tradesman of the village Kunjah near Gujrat.[6][5]

Before taking up work under Ranjit Singh, he had worked under Dal Singh Gill of Akalgarh as a munshi (accountant) until 1804 when Dal Singh would die.[5] After Dal Singh Gill's passing, his widow, Sehju, did not get along with Mokham Chand and therefore the latter sought employment elsewhere.[5]

His next stint was with Sahib Singh Bhangi of Gujrat between 1804–1806, where he was appointed to the position of diwan.[5] He eventually fell out of favour and was even imprisoned awaiting execution but the wife of Sahib Singh, Chand Kaur, spared his life by assisting his escape.[5]

He would find work under Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1806 after his escape from the Bhangis.[5]

Military career
A portrait of Diwan Mokham Chand on a terrace, circa 1840

Mokham Chand was one of the most distinguished general of Ranjit Singh.[7] He helped with many conquests between the years 1806–1814.[5]

Ranjit Singh had seen him in action at Akalgarh three years earlier and again in the fight against the Bhangi Sardar of Gujrat. Mokham Chand had fallen out with the Bhangi and came to Ranjit Singh upon his request. Ranjit welcomed him with handsome gifts of an elephant and horses and granted him the Dallewalia possessions as a Jagir. He was made commander of a cavalry unit with the power to recruit 1500 foot soldiers as well.[6]

In the beginning of 1808 various places in the Upper Punjab were taken from their independent Sikh proprietors, and brought under the direct management of the new kingdom of Lahore, and Mokham Chand was at the same time employed in effecting a settlement of the territories which had been seized on the left bank of the Sutlej. But Ranjit Singh’s systematic aggression had begun to excite fear in the minds of the Sikhs of Sirhind[8]

In September 1808, he was responsible for receiving the British East India Company envoy Charles Metcalf at Kasur alongside Fateh Singh Ahluwalia, for the former's visit to Lahore.[5] Remarks about the martial prowess of the British and Sikhs were exchanged between the two.[5]

Historians report an interesting conversation between Charles Metcalf and Mohkam Chand: the latter commented that the British had not seen Sikh bravery on the battlefield, to which Metcalf readily responded that the Sikh had not yet seen British courage.

— Robina Yasmin, Muslims Under Sikh Rule in the Nineteenth Century: Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Religious Tolerance, page 93

In the year 1812, he was awarded with the titles of diwan and fateh nasib.[5]

He was the commander in chief of armies in Battle of Attock which defeated Durrani Empire Wazir Fateh Khan and Dost Mohammad Khan. With the permission of the Maharaja, the Sikh forces attacked the Afghans on 12 July, 1813 at Hazro, about 8 kilometers from Attock. This battle is also known as the battle of Chhuchh. Terrible fighting took place between the adversaries. In the meantime, Afghans received fresh reinforcements under Dost Muhammad Khan.[9] The Diwan left his elephant, mounted a horse and personally leading his reserves fell upon the disorganized Afghans. Hand to hand fighting took place and there were heavy losses on both sides. Diwan Amar Nath mentions that 2,000 Afghans were killed. Dost Muhammad was seriously wounded. Many Afghans drowned in the Indus and a large number were taken prisoner. The Sikhs plundered the provisions of the Afghans. Besides Diwan Mohkam Chand, Jodh Singh Kalsia and Fateh Singh Ahluwalia, Sardar Dal Singh, Diwan Ram Dayal also took part in fighting against Afghans at Hazro. Fateh Khan fled away to Peshawar. Thus the victory for the Sikhs was complete. The credit for this major triumph goes to the dynamic generalship of Diwan Mohkam Chand. Hukam Singh Chimni was appointed Qiladar of the fort of Attock. [10][11]

Death and successors

He died at Phillaur on 29 October 1814, on a Saturday. His son Diwan Moti Ram and grandsons Diwan Kirpa Ram and Diwan Ram Dayal succeeded him as Governors of Attock. One of his direct descendants is the Padma Bhushan awardee Mohan Singh Kohli, an Indian Navy Captain and mountaineer who led the 1965 Indian Expedition to scale Mount Everest.[12]

He was one of the architects of the Sikh empire who rose by dint of merit to the post of Diwan and virtually the commander-in-chief of the Sikh forces. N. K. Sinha observes. "As a general, he was uniformly successful and from 1806 to 1814 the annexation of Ranjit Singh was due not only to his irresistible cunning but also to Mohkam Chand's military talents." Ranjit Singh always held him in high esteem. He had a sound knowledge of military tactics and strategy. He did not suffer a defeat; he was an ever victorious General.

See also

Notes
  1. Alternatively spelt as 'Baisakhi Mal'.

References
  1. Chhabra, G. S. (1972). Advanced History of the Punjab: Ranjit Singh & post Ranjit Singh period. Advanced History of the Punjab. Vol. 2 (2nd ed.). New Academic Publishing Company. p. 200.
  2. Singh, Bhagat (1990). Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his times. New Delhi: Sehgal Publ. Service. p. 69. ISBN 978-81-85477-01-5.
  3. Mohamed Sheikh (17 March 2017). Emperor of the Five Rivers: The Life and Times of Maharajah Ranjit Singh. Bloomsbury. p. 75. ISBN 9781786730954.
  4. Ansar Hussain Khan (1999). Rediscovery of India, The: A New Subcontinent. Orient Blackswan. p. 153. ISBN 978-81-250-1595-6.
  5. Yasmin, Robina (2022). Muslims Under Sikh Rule in the Nineteenth Century: Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Religious Tolerance. Library of Islamic South Asia. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 92–93. ISBN 9780755640348.
  6. Khushwant Singh. A history of the Sikhs. Volume 1 page 217.
  7. The Punjab Chiefs WL Conran and HD Crank published by Sangameel Publications Pakistan page 156. Quote: "The most distinguished of the generals, by whose skill and courage Ranjit Singh rose from a subordinate chiefship to the Empire of the Punjab, was Diwan Mokham Chand. The sagacity with which the Maharaja selected his officers was reason of his uniform success ..."
  8. History of the Sikhs from the Origin of the Nation to the Battles of the Sutlej by Joseph Davey Cunningham, H.L.O. Garrett Page 136
  9. Hari Ram Gupta, History of the Sikhs, Vol. V, pp. 110-11 452 Murray, History of the Sikhs, Vol. II, p. 13; Cunningham History of the Sikhs, p. 138. Agrees with this date; Hari Ram Gupta, History of the Sikhs, Vol. V, p. 101, mention Ranjit Singh got the news of this battle on 12 July 1813, from a letter sent from Pind Dadan Khan by Sukh Dayal, an agent of Rama Nand Sahu, stating that the battle was fought on 9 July 1813. According to N. K. Sinha, Ranjit Singh, p. 50. This battle took place on 26 June 1813. 453 Murray, History of the Punjab, Vol. II, p. 13.
  10. Singh, J. (2006). Artillery: The Battle-winning Arm. Lancer Publishers & Distributors. p. 42. ISBN 9788176021807. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  11. Griffin, L. (2004). Ranjit Singh and the Sikh Barrier Between Our Growing Empire and Central Asia. Asian Educational Services. p. 192. ISBN 9788120619180. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  12. Kohli, M. S. (2003). Miracles of Ardaas: Incredible Adventures and Survivals. M.L. Gidwani, Indus Publishing Company. p. 25. ISBN 81-7387-152-3. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
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