Sawan Mal
Encyclopedia
Sawan Mal was the Diwan
(governor) of Multan
. He was originally from Gujranwala
, the region where Maharaja Ranjit Singh
's Misl
, the Sukerchakia
s held sway.He was son of Hushnak rai who worked under Dal Singh of Akalgarh and had two brothers,Diwan Nanak Chand and Diwan Gurumukh Rai. Along with Hari Singh Nalwa
, he was one of the top commanders in Ranjit Singh's army. As a general under Ranjit Singh, he wrested the 'subah' (province) of Multan from the Durrani
Afghans
in 1823, after which he was made governor of the region, instituting improvements in agricultural production through irrigation schemes. In 1844 he signed an agreement on behalf of the Maharaja with Sardar Mir Bahram Khan, the Chief of the Mazari
tribe, thereby ending the long war between the Sikhs and the Mazaris. He was succeeded to the governorship of Multan by his son, Diwan Mul Raj.
was instrumental in leading the revolt against the British to prevent the annexation of the Sikh Empire into East India Company
s territory.Descendents of Diwan Sawan Mal settled in Akalgarh Distt Gujranwala and were known as Diwans of Akalgarh. Diwan Sawan Mal's grandson, Harmohan Singh Rai Bahadur had betrayed the Lahore
Durbar and joined hands with the regents of the British Crown and earned a Knighthood and the title of Rai Bahadur in the process. He was a general and the Jagirdar of Mithankot
during the British Raj
. They later migrated to India
after the Partition
. Diwan Mulraj's Grandson Diwan Sri Ram was the Governor of Gujranwala, Akalgarh, later migrated to India, Punjab after the partition. One of the Diwan Sri Rams Grandson Dr. Arun Chopra is residing in Hamburg, Germany
called "Diwan Sawan Mal", which has been named after the Diwan.
Diwan
Dewan, Diwan or Divan may refer to:*The Arabic/Persian word Dewan or Divan , with a range of meanings:**"book"*** The Diwan or Girgam, a record of the Kanem Empire...
(governor) of Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
. He was originally from Gujranwala
Gujranwala
Gujranwala is a industrial city in the north-east of the Punjab province. It is the sixth largest city in Pakistan with a population of approximately 2,661,360 as on 24 June 2011...
, the region where Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Early life:...
's Misl
Misl
Misl generally refers to the twelve sovereign states in the Sikh Confederacy. The states formed a commonwealth that was described by Antoine Polier as an "aristocratic republic"...
, the Sukerchakia
Sukerchakia
The Sukerchakia Misl was one of 11 Sikh Misls in Punjab during the 18th century concentrated in Gujranwala and Hafizabad district in Western Punjab and ruled from...
s held sway.He was son of Hushnak rai who worked under Dal Singh of Akalgarh and had two brothers,Diwan Nanak Chand and Diwan Gurumukh Rai. Along with Hari Singh Nalwa
Hari Singh Nalwa
Hari Singh Nalwa was Commander-in-chief of the Khalsa, the army of the Sikh Empire. He is known for his role in the conquests of Kasur, Sialkot, Multan, Kashmir, Attock, and Peshawar. He led the Sikh Army in freeing Shah Shuja from Kashmir and secured the Koh-i-Nor diamond for Maharaja Ranjit Singh...
, he was one of the top commanders in Ranjit Singh's army. As a general under Ranjit Singh, he wrested the 'subah' (province) of Multan from the Durrani
Durrani
Durrani or Abdali is the name of a chief Pashtun tribal confederation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Originally known by their ancient name Abdali later as Durrani they have been called Durrani since the beginning of the Durrani Empire in 1747. The number of Durranis are estimated to be roughly 16%...
Afghans
Demographics of Afghanistan
The population of Afghanistan is around 29,835,392 as of the year 2011, which is unclear if the refugees living outside the country are included or not. The nation is composed of a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual society, reflecting its location astride historic trade and invasion routes between...
in 1823, after which he was made governor of the region, instituting improvements in agricultural production through irrigation schemes. In 1844 he signed an agreement on behalf of the Maharaja with Sardar Mir Bahram Khan, the Chief of the Mazari
Mazari
Mazari may refer to:*Mazari tribe, a prominent Baloch tribe settled in Rajanpur and Sindh, Pakistan*Abdul Ali Mazari, Afghan Hazara leader of Hizb-e-Wahdat*A local of Mazar-e-Sharif city in northern Afghanistan...
tribe, thereby ending the long war between the Sikhs and the Mazaris. He was succeeded to the governorship of Multan by his son, Diwan Mul Raj.
Descendants
Diwan Sawan Mal instituted vast improvement in agriculture, while his son, Dewan MulrajDewan Mulraj
Dewan Mulraj was a 19th century ruler of Multan-History:-Conquest of Multan:In the 19th century, the Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh conquered Multan. The ruler of Multan, Muzaffar Khan Saddozai was defeated and killed...
was instrumental in leading the revolt against the British to prevent the annexation of the Sikh Empire into East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
s territory.Descendents of Diwan Sawan Mal settled in Akalgarh Distt Gujranwala and were known as Diwans of Akalgarh. Diwan Sawan Mal's grandson, Harmohan Singh Rai Bahadur had betrayed the Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
Durbar and joined hands with the regents of the British Crown and earned a Knighthood and the title of Rai Bahadur in the process. He was a general and the Jagirdar of Mithankot
Mithankot
Mithankot , is located in southern Punjab, Pakistan.- Geography :Mithankot is located on the right bank of the Indus River, only a short distance downstream from its junction with Panjnad River. The latter is formed by successive confluence of the five rivers of Punjab, namely Jhelum, Chenab,...
during the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. They later migrated to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
after the Partition
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
. Diwan Mulraj's Grandson Diwan Sri Ram was the Governor of Gujranwala, Akalgarh, later migrated to India, Punjab after the partition. One of the Diwan Sri Rams Grandson Dr. Arun Chopra is residing in Hamburg, Germany
Trivia
There is a city in Punjab (Pakistan)Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
called "Diwan Sawan Mal", which has been named after the Diwan.