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INTRODUCTORY NOTE The writer of the Memorandum, John Griffiths, was for some time Resident at Basra factory in Iraq and then the chief of the Surat Factory in India. It was during his time at Surat that he wrote this letter to Alexander Adamson at Bombay giving him information respecting the characters of the inhabitants on the banks of the Indus, including those of Multan, and of the dominion of the Sikhs in the Panjab and of the Durranisin south-eastern Afghanistan. The East India Company was then concerned more with commerce than politics. It is, therefore, that the letter deals more with geographical and commercial information and refers to the characters of the people only as far as they concerned a businessman. Mr. Griffiths acted as governor of Bombay for about four months from September 3 to December 27, 1795. Alexander Adamson, to whom the letter is addressed, is mentioned in the Index to the Press Lists of Public Department Records, 1748-1800, as Assistant to Treasurer, Bombay, and Transfer Master, Bombay. Dr Ganda Singh |
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1 - Characters Of The Inhabitants On The
Banks Of The Indus This is the object of the following Notes. Unfortunately, the only light we are enabled to throw upon the Business, is derived principally from the verbal relation of Natives, who, from the habit of observing but! superficially, things that do not interest them, are sometimes faithful, but seldom accurate I in their representations; In one point of view, however, we may venture to give implicit credit to the following circumstances, namely, so far as they relate to Commercial Produce. Sind, or Sindh
averse to discipline; They were also formerly were
known on the Coast of Mekraan, or rather Laar; to the former,
their Country is contiguous, for their thievish, inhospitable,
and treacherous disposition to the Voyagers who touched upon,
that Coast. The Country is described at that time to have been
for the most part Jungul, or Forest on both Sides the River from
Bhakur to Suvestaan, another Port about half way between Bhakur
and the Forks of the Indus, which obliged Aurungzebe's Generals
to relinquish the pursuit; There exists but little reason to suppose
that the Country is much improved since that period.
At this place, the Kabul Merchants are permitted to pass their Horses, and from hence they cross the Desert to Bukanur,9 about 70 Coss distance: At this place also, the Gagra, (queri, Kaggar) a River of considerable width a depth, empties itself into the, Indus. Strikaarpoor10 is a very considerable Mart for Horses: The Country altho' in rather a wild State, is represented to be extremely populous and full of Villages. The Dadoopootra11 acknowledge themselves tributary to Salem Shabo From the Character of these People, the communication between Multan and the Sea must prove exceedingly precarious, and sometimes totally impracticable, and perhaps this is the best reason that can be offered, why the Merchants in general from the South East of Persia, Cabul, &c., to refer to fatiguing and circuitous land Journey by Jaudpoor &c., in their way to the West of India, and relinquish the advantage of a noble River, navigable for Vessels of 20 and 50 Tons, nearly as high up as it's confluence with the Sutlooje.12 We have reason to conlude this Country the least explored by the English, of any in India. Multan Proceeding up the Indus from Bhavilpoor, we pass through the same difficult Country on both sides the River, and the Bone of Continual Contention between the Officers of Sulem Shah, the Dadoopootra, and the Seick,13 to Sidpoor,14 in the possession of the latter, about 40 Coss below the City of Multan. The City of Multan with the principal part of the Peninsula of Outch, was taken from the Seick about 15 years ago by Timmur Shah the Durrani, to whose Son and Successor Salam Shah, it is still subject. It is estimated about 500 Coss from Dehly, and 250 from Lahore; It is situated about 3 Coss from the Chunnah or Chunnaab15 ; The Fort, garrisoned by Salem Shah's Patans, is said to be washed' by that River when flooded. The City is fatling fast to Ruins, inhabited by Mahommedans and Hindoos, and Seeck, which last it would appear are daily gaining ground in this part of-India. The Manufactures are Piece Goods, white Cloths, and Chintz of all sorts. The adjacent Country produces various kinds of Grain, also Cotton and 1ndigo, and fruits, &c. It receives by Importation, Pearl, Kincobs,16 Gold Thread, Elephants Teeth, Broad Cloths, Nutmegs, Cloves, Mace, Copper, Vermilion &c, and Drugs. II. Dominions Of The Seecks This extraordinary modern People is in possession of nearly the whole of the fertile Country of the Punjaab, with the Territory South Eastward of the Sutlooje12 as far as Karnaal the Scene of Nadir Shah's decisive Victory over the Armies of Mahommed Shah of Dehly, being in extent, from Attok to Karnaal, about 420 Miles, and from Rotass Gur (belonging to Salem Shah) to the Scene of their Contests with the Dadoo- pootra on the Indus, (excepting the Territory of Oucth) about 300 Miles. Their Capital is the celebrated City of Lahore on the Raavee; Their principal Chiefs if they can be said to acknowledge any, are four, namely; Lena Sing, Goojer Sing, Diwan Sing, and Maha Sing.
Maha Sing. It may not perhaps be deemed amiss, to offer in this place, what circumstances we have been able to collect, relating to this eccentric Class of Mankind. They are said to have received their Tenets from a Hindoo of the Kutru17 caste, of the name of Nanuk, a Fanatic in the reign of the Emperor Aurungzebe.18 This Man having long led the Life of an Ascetic,19 pretended to have received a divine revelation to the following effect; "Baba Nanuk eici horon jeici Nunne doo" that is nearly expressing, "Nanuk, have the same Dependence on the "Creator, as the tender blade of Grass, "which receives its nourishment from the "dew of heaven". This he looked upon as an order to divest himself of obedience to all human Authority, and was consequently an object of long persecution to that Emperor, who had him confined in a strong Cage.20 This had the ordinary effect of persecution, tho increasing the number of his followers. The Seick, in the performance of the religious Ceremonies, always invoke the name of their Founder Baba Nanuk, whom they also call their Guru, and frequently reiterate the Word Bhalden.21 The Tenets of Nanuk have been collected into a Book, which they call their Ghiruntejee,22 and guard as a sacred Deposit, or rather Oracle, at a place called Amber Ser,23 two and twenty Coss in the Dehly side of Lahore; Here they assemble in great numbers (150, or 200,000 Men) at two fixed periods of the year, about October and April, to consult upon their Warlike Operations; The decisions of the Oracle, whether for War or Peace, they invariably adhere to. Their Book, they declare, contains a prediction that "The Europeans will one day be in possession of Dehly".24 This probably the Oracle, or rather the Interpreter of the Oracle, has suggested to keep suspicion awake.
The Seiks receive Proselytes of almost every Cast, a point in which
they: differ most materially from the Hindoos. To initiate Mahommedans
into their mysteries, the prepare a Dish of Hog's legs, which the
Converts are obliged to partake of previous to admission. They have
forbid absolutely the use of the Hookah, but they are as liberal
in the use of Bang, and Ophiam, as their Neighbours. They are not
prohibited the use of Animal food of any kind, excepting Beef, which
they are rigidly scrupulous in abstaining from. They never shave
either Head or Beard; They sometimes wear yellow, but the prevailing
Colour of their Cloths is deep blue; They make their Turbans capaciously
large, over which they frequently wear a piece of pliable Iron Chain
or Network.
Their places of greatest consideration, after the Capital Lahore, are said to be as follows; Amberser, their place of Religious visitation as mentioned above; Kalanoor, Batala, among the Hills South East of Lahore; Sersamaana;27 Jwalajee;28 a place of pilgrimage of the Hindoos, 150 Coss ,from Dehly among the Hills, where there is a subterranean fire, and from which Aurungzebe thought to have procured Sulphur; Shahdowla Gujraat, 40 Coss from Lahore, famous for a Manufacture of excellent Sword blades and Matchlock pieces; Jalendurr; Puttealah; Pehooah; Kwlehittur29 &c and Karnaal, 40 Coss from Dehly, They have a considerable Military Station at Attok, but it is said, unfortified. The principal Manufactures of Lahore, are Kilmaans, a kind of coarse, or blanket Shawls, made of the Wool of the Tails of certain Sheep, -White Cloths fine and coarse, Piece Goods -The Punjaab produces, Grain of all sorts known in India, Cotton, Indigo, Jaggree and a variety of Fruits. They receive in importion from Gujraat Pearl, Kincobs, 16 Gold thread, Cutnic, Elephants Teeth, Broad Cloths, Nutmegs, Cloves, Mace, Cardamums. Amber, Dry dates, Iron, Lead, Copper Vermilion, Coconuts, &ca and Drugs.
III. Kandahar or the Dominion of the Durranies The left Bank of the Indus, coming from the Sea Coast, as high up as the parallel of Kashmeer, is almost entirely in the hands of Salem Shah Durrani. and the Chiefs tributary to him, and Eastward of the Attok he skirts the Seick Nation to some distance beyond the Territory of Jamboo30 so A reference to Major Rennels incomparable Map will afford a pretty clear idea of the importance of this Frontier, to whatever Power may be in possession of it. This formidable Kingdom was founded about forty eight years ago by Ahmed Khawn, Abdalli, one of Nader Shah's principal Officers. Mirza Mehadi relates in his History of Nader Shah, that in the confusion which followed the Murder of that Prince (Hiz. -1160) the Afghan and Oozbek Troops assembled together from the different Quarters of the Camp, under Ahmed Khawn, who from the warmth of his Attachment to the House of his deceased Master, determined to avenge his Death but being repulsed by the Assharians and consequently frustrated in his design. he drew off the Afghans, and retreated to the Fortress of Kandahar, where embracing the opportunity offered by the troubles which afterwards desolated Persia, he assumed the Chuttur, or Ensign of Royalty, under the name of Ahmed Shah, well known from the dreadful overthrow he gave the united powers of the Mahratta Empire about 28 years ago, on the Plains of Paniput.31 He was succeeded about 3 years after that Battle by his Son Timmur Shah32 who assumed the Title of Durra-Durrani,33 or Pearl of the Durranies; the latter is the name by which he distinguished a Corps of Household Troops, which consisted originally of Abyssinian Slaves, raised by contribution among his Subjects, and probably constituted on the same principles with the Mamluki of Egypt. From an Ornament which they wore in their Ears, they received the Appellation of Durrani.34 They at first amounted to no more than two or three thousand, but latterly they were augmented to twelve and even twenty thousand Men, the Flower of the Shah's Armies, and particularly intrusted with the Guard of the Royal Person. Timmer Shah died about the middle of 1792. A younger Brother was preparing to dispute the Sovereign Authority with Salem Shah, the present Monarch, but by the timely mediation of some of the Moghul Chieftains, the matter was prudently compromised, without having recourse to the Sword; Salem Shah was placed upon his Father's Throne, and his Brother was satisfied with the Government of Kabul, where he resides. Salem Shah is in possession of Guezni, Kabul, Peishour, Kandahaar,
and some Territories on the Persian Side, being a considerable part
of the Dominions of the celebrated and victorious Mahmud Subuktegnim.35
Salem Shah Durrani resides alternately at Kandahar & Kabul, at the former in the Heats, and the latter in the cold Season, when the Mountains are covered with Snow. His Military Establishment consists chiefly of Horse, to the number, it is said, of about 150,000; His Foot he does not hold in much esteem, only employing them to garrison his Fortresses; And very happily, we do not hear that his Equipment of Artillery is by any means respectable. His Cavalry are all excellently mounted, incomparably superior to any that can be brought to oppose them from Hindoostan. The impression of Terror left on the minds of the Mahrattas, by the fatal Carnage at Paniput, is so indelible, that it is pretty generally believed they will hardly, if ever, be again prevailed upon to sustain the charge of the Abdallis; among many instances of the prevalence of this sentiment of dread, it is related, a Mahratta is not ashamed, if his horse should happen to start when drinking water to exclaim, "dost thou see the Shadow of an Abdalli"? In fact, (it is far from an unreasonable conjecture,) this is the real cause, to which we are to attribute the unremitting attention paid by Scindia, of late years, to the improvement of his Artillery and Infantry, for the Alarm, that the Shah is advancing, is as regular at Dehly as the Revolutions of the Seasons. and it would appear from recent Accounts, that the period is not very distant, when that will certainly come to pass. A Son of Shah Alum, the present Shadow of the Moghul Emperors, has disappeared for some years past; it is now confidently reported, that he has found an Asylum with the Durrani. There is scarce a single dissenting opinion among the Natives, but whenever Salem Shah actually puts his Armies in motion towards Dehly, that unfortunate City will once more be abandoned to it's fate, and not improbably the greatest portion of the North of India. It perhaps interests us materially to reflect, that if this Prince knew how to reap the advantages, which he might derive from his resources, from the warlike and intrepid Characters of his Subjects, from the opening of a safe Port in the Indus, for the Importation of Arms and Military Stores, we may have solid reasons for apprehending another inundation of Tartars; Happy for our Settlements in Bengal, that they have the Ganges to oppose to them! The Province of Kabul is esteemed peculiarly productive; it's breed of Horses is perhaps equal to any in the World, for the purpose of Cavalry; As an instance of the celerity and expedition, with which they can travel, it is said, that after the Capture of Dehly, Ahmed Shah marched a Body of his Horse, from Bultun Gur37 (15 Coss from Dehly) to Muthra, a distance of about 50 Coss, in one Night; in consequence of which rapid March, the wretched City was surprised, and left to the Mercy of a barbarous Soldiery. The Inhabitants of Salem Shah's Dominions are principally Mahomedans, with some Hindoos, who have adopted the Institutions of Baba Manuk, and are called Kratri.38 The Manufactures are, shawls. Kelmaans or Blanket Shawls. Woollen Cloths and Blankets. The Soil produces Grain and various sorts of Fruit, excellent in their kind, particularly Melons and Pomegranates. Their Horses are exported in considerable Numbers, by Joudpoor, Jesselmur, and Bickanear, as mentioned above, to different parts of India. They receive in return, from Gujraat, &c., Pearl. Indigo, Nutmegs, Cloves, Saffron., Pepper, Bettlenut, Copper, Lead. Drugs, &c. &c. N. B. The Coss are calculated at nearly one and a half English Miles each.
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