Second son of Ghulam Mohiy ud-Din and younger brother of Faqir Aziz ud-Din, foreign minister to Maharaja Ranjit Singh, was Qiladar or garrison commander of the Gobindgarh Fort at Amritsar, where the bulk of the Sikh crown jewels was kept in deposit.

Capable and scholarly, Imam ud-Din was entrusted with various duties by the Maharaja. He virtually acted as the chief treasurer of the kingdom, authorizing payments on behalf of the Darbar and carrying out commercial transactions through cash and hundis for the purchase of grain. As the Fort commander, he looked after the magazine, arsenal and studs. He was also responsible for the maintenance of the fortifications of Amritsar city. He also performed protocol duties on behalf of the State when foreign dignitaries arrived for visits.

Faqir Imam ud-Din also held command of 500 horse and took part in military campaigns. At times he was assigned to diplomatic duty. In August 1808, He was deputed to go to Patiala to receive Charles T. Metcalfe, the British envoy, who was on his way to Lahore to call on the Maharaja. At Patiala, Faqir Imam ud-Din also had the chance of meeting the Sutlej Sikh chiefs.

In April 1827, he accompanied Diwan Moti Ram to Shimla to wait on Lord Amherst with a mission sent by Maharaja Ranj!t Singh. In March 1828, on behalf of the Maharaja, he called upon Lord Combermere, the British commander-in-chief at Ludhiana.

Contemporary chronicles describe Faqir Imam ud-Din as a devout Muslim and a learned man of his time. A person of proven integrity and political wisdom, he was one of the most devoted and loyal servants of the Sikh Darbar.

Faqir Imam ud-Din died at Lahore on 5 December 1847. His only son, Taj ud-Din, succeeded him as Qiladar of the Gobindgarh Fort.

Source: Encyclopaedia of Sikhism, Harbans Singh