history of jammu and kashmir rifles

months, and to keep a British force at that distance, without any possibility of support, was not a
feasible proposition for them. 18 Kashmir was in fact palmed off to Gulab Singh as he was the man
“eminently qualified by character and surrounding territorial possession of a ruler there”. 19 By the
formation of the Jammu and Kashmir State they had also created a friendly buffer state between
themselves, China and Nepal on the one hand, and Afghanistan on the other. But this is how they felt
at that time. Subsequently when they were firmly established in India and the holding of Kashmir no
longer appeared as difficult, they cursed themselves for what they had done. 20
Occupation of Kashmir 21
Lal Singh, who had been confirmed as the Wazir, (with the title of a Raja bestowed on him), of what
remained of the Sikh Kingdom after the war, continued to play foul with his avowed enemy Maharaja
Gulab Singh and secretly sent instructions to Sheikh Imamud-din, the Governor of Kashmir, to resist
the Dogra take-over of the province. Consequently the Sheikh commenced mobilizing his forces for a
show-down with Gulab Singh. A large number of Afghans volunteered to join his forces in the fond
hope of ultimately gaining Kashmir for themselves.
Unsuspectingly Maharaja Gulab Singh sent Wazir Lakhpat Rai to take over Kashmir with just 200
men. The force was soon strengthened by another 400 men but by then Imamud-din had mobilized
12,000-18,000 troops with about 24 field guns. The Sheikh's malafide intentions became apparent
when after handing over the Hari Parbat fort to Wazir Lakhpat he refused to vacate the Shergarhi fort.
He created a dispute by laying fictitious claims to a large sum of money which he alleged that Gulab
Singh owed to him. Consequently Gulab Singh began to build up his forces and by August 1846 about
7000 Dogras had been inducted into Kashmir. Wazir Ratnu was sent up to take over as the overall
commander of the Dogra forces. These forces were stationed in and around the Hari Parbat fort. The
Hari Parbat fort no doubt held a commanding position but had only four guns and was too ill-planned
and badly constructed by the Afghans during their rule, to afford protection to the troops within to any
great measure. It had been probably for this reason that Imamud-din had handed over the fort without
fuss. Comparing the two forces Captain Broome, the British representative stationed in Kashmir to
supervise the handing/taking-over, noted that the Sheikh's Army consisted mainly of ill disciplined
ruffians who engaged themselves in plundering the population while the Maharaja's troops were “most
quiet and orderly”. All the same the Governor had the advantage of overwhelming numbers, which he
planned to exploit in his attempt to become an independent ruler of Kashmir.
While the negotiations through Captain Broome were going on, Sheikh Imamud-din made sure that
he gave no indication of his intention of fighting it out with the Dogras, in order to make them
thoroughly complacent. Even while he concentrated his forces at Shergarhi for the final attack, he
gave an impression that he was collecting his troops to move them out to Lahore. Then, when all was
set, he suddenly pounced on the unsuspecting Dogras on 30 August and surrounded them from all
sides. Colonel Mathura Dass rallied his troops and breaking through the enemy ring reached the
safety of Hari Parbat after killing about 50 of the enemy. Other Dogra officers also made similar rallies
in a bid to break through the enemy cordon and join up with Wazir Ratnu's force inside the fort. In the
process while some 4000 men were able to concentrate inside the fort, Wazir Lakhpat Rai the hero of
many a battle fought by the Dogras in the earlier days, was killed along with one hundred of his brave
soldiers. Of the other officers Rae Dehle (name not clear) Nathu Shah, Commandant Husmat Ali and
Mirza Fateh Ali Khan were taken prisoners. Some 500 men (mostly Rohilas) of the Jammu Army
deserted to the enemy and 2500 or so got badly dispersed. All these men unable to join the force in
the Hari Parbat Fort made their way to Jammu and reported to the Army Headquarters there in tatters
and minus their weapons.
Sheikh Imamud-din now laid siege to the fort and demanded the surrender of the garrison. The
Dogras naturally refused to oblige, but as days passed by, their anxiety grew and Wazir Ratnu, not
sure of what steps were being taken by the authorities for his relief, addressed a letter to his Maharaja
asking for reinforcements before the advent of winter. Maharaja Gulab Singh on the other hand was in
a very difficult position. The Hazaras were still in arms against the Dogras and some 7000 troops
under Diwan Hari Chand were engaged in suppressing these tribals. Rebellion had also broken out in
Rajaori area where Faquir-Ullah with his 2000 strong rebel Army had overcome the 100 strong Dogra
garrison and expelled the Governor, to become the ruler himself. This had forced the Maharaja to
despatch a sizeable force under Diwan Bakim Rai to quell the rebellion there. There was also a limit to
the new levies that could be raised. Besides the financial restraints, Jammu's manpower resources
had reached the end of their tether. Continuous wars had greatly checked the growth of population
and depleted the numbers of the young and the able. As a matter of fact the 3000 strong levies that
he now sought to raise attracted only the old and the physically weak which was all that was left at
Jammu.
To meet the situation, therefore, the Maharaja was compelled to seek British help. Consequently on
22 September Jawala Sahai the Prime Minister of the new state was despatched to Colonel
Lawrence, the agent to the Governor General, with the request for help. It is interesting to note that
while assuring the Maharaja of British help Colonel Lawrence in his letter to him wondered how the
'Lokman of India', as he chose to call Gulab Singh, had himself been outwitted by Sheikh Imamud-
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