The Nightmare of Tartar Khan

1533 Painting of the Likeness of Muhammad Bin Tughlaq (source: Agha Mehdi Husain)

 History has so many lessons and anecdotes hidden in its womb, and sometimes it becomes rather difficult to even search them. It is like trying to discover the innermost layers in an onion, where you fail to realize where the original bud lies underneath the layers that you keep peeling away. This is unfortunately the case of the history of the larger Punjab Hill states region, where historical research seems to be stuck in a rut and there is a lack of effort to revisit history and see the nuances once again. Be that as it may, it is rather interesting at times when you stumble across instances that make you wonder how it slipped your eye all this while. 

As is still claimed, the history of the Pathania rulers of Nurpur tends to become clearer only in the middle ages, as more 'reliable' sources start referring to the region and its rulers. One such source was the history of the Muslim conquests written by the famous scribe Mohammed Khan Ferishta, who thrived in the times of the Tughlaqs. There is a rather interesting reference to one ruler of the Dhameri state of the time called Kailash Pal, who flickers like a firefly in the rather complex history of the Tughlaq era. 

Ferishta refers to the general Tartar Khan in the times of the eccentric ruler of Muhammad Bin Tughlaq (MBT thereafter) who went by the name of Tartar Khan. We know how MBT took up one disastrous project after another. What is also less well known is the fact that thanks to his eccentricities there was a significant amount of turbulence in his domain. Especially given his disastrous China invasion as mentioned by Ferishta and then had the Gakkhars invade Punjab where the general Tartar Khan gets killed. To quote Ferishta:

In the year 1342 AD Mullik Heidur, a chief of the Gukkurs, invaded Punjab, and slew Tartar Khan, the viceroy of Lahore, in action. To reduce this enemy, Khwaja Jehan was sent into that quarter. The King, at this time, took it into his head, that all the calamities of his reign proceeded from his not having been confirmed on his throne by the Abassy Caliph.

 

Raja Kailash Pal is renowned for a rather interesting feat. He is believed to have defeated Tartar Khan in a battle and even wounded him on the face. In the local traditions and in the Vanshavali of the Pathania rulers, which also was repeated by Mian Raghunath Singh, we see the following folk song couplet being mentioned:

 

Jo mukh dekhan arsi sise dil-kananda

Mathe Phat Tatar Khan Kailase anda 

 

Loosely translated, it means - When he looks at his face in the heart-rending mirror, Tatar Khan sees on his forehead the scar of the wound inflicted by Kailas Pal in battle.

 

Hutchison and Vogel referred to the couplet and claim that this may have happened much earlier in a minor skirmish. Placing this incident in a date window has not been attempted to the best of the search of this writer. So when would it have happened? And is there any inkling of its possibility?

To speculate on this, one must look back at an interesting event in the times of MBT. As mentioned earlier, we do know that there was a disastrous campaign to invade China, or Tibet as has been identified by historians, attempted by MBT. Of course, there is debate on whether Qarajal, the place originally referred to was Tibet or Kumaun. To quote Ferishta verbatim as translated by Briggs:

Mahomed Toghluk conceived the idea of subduing that empire ; but, in order to accomplish his design, it was found necessary first to conquer the country of Hemachul (essentially the Himalayan region including Nepal), which lies between the borders of China and India. Accordingly, in the year 1337 AD, he ordered 100,000 horse, under the command of his sister's son, Khoosrow Mullik, to subdue this mountainous region, and to establish garrisons as far as the frontiers of China. When this should be effected, he proposed to advance in person with his
whole army to invade that empire. The nobles and counsellors of state in vain assured him, that the troops of India never yet could, and never would advance a step within the limits of China, and that the whole scheme was visionary. The King insisted on making the experiment, and the army was accordingly put in motion. 

 

What followed thereafter is literally a reminder in some ways of what happened to the British following the disastrous Afghanistan wars in the 19th century:

 

Having entered the mountains, small forts were built on road, to secure a communication ; and proceeding in this manner, the troops reached the Chinese boundary, where a numerous army appeared to oppose them. The numbers of the Indians were by this time greatly diminished, and being much inferior to the enemy, they were struck with dismay ; which was only increased, when they considered their distance from home, the rugged country they had passed, the approach of the rainy season, and the scarcity of provisions, which now began to be severely felt. With these feelings, they commenced their retreat towards the foot of the range of hills, where the mountaineers, rushing down upon them, plundered their baggage, and the Chinese army also followed them closely. In this distressing situation the Indian army remained for seven days, suffering the extreme of famine. At length, the rain began to fall in torrents ; the cavalry were up to the bellies of their horses in water. The waters obliged the Chinese to remove their camp to a greater distance, and gave to Khoosrow Mullik some hopes of effecting his retreat ; but he found the low country completely inundated, and the mountains covered with impervious woods. The misfortunes of the army seemed to be at a crisis ; no passage remained to them for retreat, but that by which they entered the hills, which was occupied by the mountaineers ; so that in the short space of fifteen days the Indian army fell a prey to famine, and became the victims of the King's ambition.

Now there are references to mountaineer raiders here. Ibn Battuta also referred to infidels in the mountains around Punjab who would raid and harass the plain dwelling Muslims in Punjab in his own memoirs. This was especially the case since 1334 and till 1341 when he stayed in India and even served the court of MBT. Does this refer to the raids by the Kumaun people? We are not sure. Agha Mehdi Husain throws a curveball of sorts by referring to a campaign to Nagarkot or Kangra being led by the Tughlaqi forces. Battuta referred to a statue being reinstated in Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh, and indicates that the Buddhists of Tibet find it a site of reverence alongside Hindus. 

Now the thing is that there is perhaps where the Kangra theory becomes stronger when overlapped with the Qarajal campaigns stories we read. What can definitely be said is that there was some level of conflict with the Punjab hill states region - of course, whether Kangra was the final destination remains questionable, because Ferishta mentions building a series of small cantonments along the mountain route. What can however be said is that the chances of a fight between Tartar Khan and Kailash Pal are highly probable, and the window for the same could well be around 1337, as the mountain states took advantage of the ruinous state of the Tughlaq forces from the disastrous campaign. 

Kailash Pal is also referred to as the builder of the Ranki Khul, which essentially served as an irrigation canal bringing water from the Ravi river to Pathankot. Of course, much searching did not lead to any results - either it was reduced to a drain over the years or is running dry, and being no expert in reading maps, I cannot find it for now.