HOSH MAHOMED QAMBRANI
Life history of Hosh mahomed qambrani
(1801-1843)
Mir Fateh Ali Khan Talpur conquered Sind from the last of the Kalhora dynasty in (1782), and thereafter came to be established the rule of the Talpur Mirs over that part of India. Most of the princes of that dynasty were pleasure-seeking and easy going people, and the cultivation of the art of war was neglected, which was to ultimately result in their downfall. A ruling house, infested with warring tribes within itself, and endangered by powerful and hostile neighbours from without, should have paid the greatest attention to maintaining a wellequipped and well-disciplined army to protect its sovereignty and its frontiers. To add to the problems confronted by many rulers of the Talpur Mir dynasty, the rivalries among the princes of the royal family imposed an added strain on the difficulties under which they were already labouring. The result was that within about fifty years of the establishment of their rule over Sind, the Mirs were a house badly divided, forgetting that in order to perpetuate and strengthen their rule it was most essential to maintain unity within their fold.
With the advent of the East India Company on the subcontinent, its agents were soliciting Indian princes to allow them to set up factories and trading houses within their territories. In pursuance of this policy, Sir Middleton and Walter Payton visited Sind in (1711) on behalf of the Company. During the course of their stay in Sind, they visited the port of Debal, said to have been near modern Karachi and, having studied trade conditions in that part of India, they communicated their findings to President Wilde at Surat, in which they recommended Sind as a profitable spot for establishing their trading interests. On Ilth April (1729), President Wilde wrote, "Synde soliciteth us to settle a factory there, which we mean to attempt". It is not known whether it was due to the delay on the part of the Company or whether the Compan could not come to terms with the rulers of Sind, but the fact remains that the first English factory came to be established in Sind in (1758,) during the days of the Kalhoras.
Forty-one years later, the Company sent Nathan Crow to establish trade relations with Sind on a better footing, and as a result of his astute negotiations, the Mirs of Sind granted him a Parvana on 26th August, (1799,) which laid down that the Company be given "a spot of ground into a country home to the English factory and four bighas of ground for a guard outside the fort of Currachee given to the resident with exemptions from land and tree tax. ... and it is commanded that they may be delivered to him whenever he may prefer, there being no inhabitant nor claim of possession". The factory that was set up by the Company in 1799 was closed under the orders of the Mirs in (1800), exactly one year after its permission was granted. This was construed as an affront by the political and commercial agent of the Company, and he wrote to his superiors in Bombay "To take Kurrachee or to stop transactions with the port for a season".
On 9th May, (1809, N. H). Smith of the Bombay Civil Service was sent to Karachi to negotiate a new treaty with the Mirs, and this mission proved to be successful. For thirty years, the Company continued to flourish in its commercial ventures in Sind and the port of Karachi gained in importance. But now the British had thrown off the velvet glove that concealed the iron first, and they were bent on annexing the whole of India as one huge colony for economic and political exploitation. In pursuance of this objective, British troops attempted to land at Karachi under Sir Valiant. The Fort of Manora, which guarded the sea-frontiers of Karachi city, was defended by the representatives of the Mirs, a man called Wussul Ben Butcha. This is not a Sindhi name, and the inference is irressistible that he must have been in the service of the Mirs, and that his real name must have been Wasal Bin Baqa. Wussul opened fire on the English ship Wellesley, which was the spearhead of the attack, but the superior weapons of the English soon silenced the guns at Manora. The sea-battle that took place was neither fierce nor of long duration, and not before long the English had landed their forces. The guardian of the Fort, Wussul Ben Butcha, after some vain opposition hoisted the white flag, seeking terms for a negotiated peace. The British flag went up on the Manora fort, and Karachi was now in the hands of the English.
"The Fort of Manora at the time of the attack had not a single ball in it that would fit any one of the guns; the whole supply of gun-powder amounted to six Kurrachee seers (six pounds)". Whilst this was the state of the defences of Manora Fort, the invading forces were formidable, and from the commencement of the battle it was obvious that the dice was loaded in favour of the foreigners. The English had at their command H.M.S. Wellesley with 74 guns; ships of war, Constance, Berenice, and Eupharates, and a large number of country boats, ready to convey ashore stores, ammunition and horses. While the only port of Sind was slipping out of their hands, the Mirs sat at Hyderabad in blissful ignorance of their reverses at Karachi.
All kings and dynasties of India had hitherto traditionally believed that the only threat to their territories would be either from the North or from the North-West. They believed that the vast expanse of the sea was their natural defence, and no enemy could be so foolish as to attempt invasion by the sea route. This belief had lulled them into a false sense of security and, therefore, the Mirs had neglected their naval defences. This explains the poor nature of defences that the Mirs had set up at Manora. “What of Manora's fortifications and guns? One of them had no carriage, another which had been found during the landing of the first division that morning had jumped from its carriage which it had destroyed in its violent struggle for freedom, while the only remaining one had evidently resisted every attempt to make it serviceable and had positively declined to go off”.
Two days after the fall of Manora, a treaty was signed between the British and the Mirs of Hyderabad, which said, "The full possession of the fort and town of Karachi shall be this day given up by the aforesaid Governor to the British forces... In consequence of the fulfilment of those terms, the British officers before mentioned, agree.....that the persons and property of all inhabitants of the fort and town of Karachi shall be held sacred, and that they shall be at liberty to carry in their business as heretofore....." Karachi, a part of Sind, had already fallen into the hands of the British, and this was to be a stepping-stone to their subsequent conquest of the whole of Sind. The importance of Karachi port had been steadily growing since the eighteenth century, and in 1838 Commander Carless of the Indian Navy, in his Report on the Trade of Karachi wrote, “The whole of trade of Karachi was estimated at Rs. (21,46,625).
The most important trades were. ... and slaves imported from the Persian Gulf and sold for Rs. (80) to (100)".Descendants of these slaves sold at the port of Karachi sometimes achieved eminence, and one such descendant of a slave was Hosh Mahomed Qambrani. His father was working for Mir Fateh Ali Khan Talpur, and, invariably, slaves working in the family were treated with consideration and were almost a part of the family itself: Such servants were classified as "Qambrani", named after Qambar, who was a freed slave of Hazrat Ali. Even the children born to them continued to willingly serve the same family, and this went on for generations.
Hosh Mahomed Qambrani, popularly known as Hoshu Shidhi, has become a legendary figure, because of his unmatched bravery in fighting the British, and earning for himself the distinction of being one of the outstanding freedom fighters at the battle of Dabba. But the details of his life are not fully recorded, only a few sketchy references to him being found in books on the history of Sind. Like his father, Hosh Mahomed was a Khanazad 'in the family born') of the house of Mir Fateh Ali Khan. Even the year of his birth is a matter of conjecture, but as he was a constant companion of Mir Sobdar Khan, a son of Mir Fateh Ali Khan, and of almost the same age, it may be presumed that Hosh Mahomed was born around (1801). Of the same age as Sobdar Khan, and being a Khanazad member of the household, there grew up a strong attachment between the two, which developed into true friendship and loyalty in later life, until Hosh Mahomad fell fighting the British on the battlefield of Dabba.
The birthday of Sobdar Khan coincided with the day on which his father died, and the orphaned child was educated and brought up in the palace of the brothers of his father, who had become the rulers of Sind on the death of Mir Fateh Ali Khan. Probably, since his childhood, Sobdar Khan felt he should have sat on the throne where sat his uncles, and his young mind began to nurse soaring ambitions. In (1826), at the age of twentyfive, he claimed from his uncles his share of the family property, and demanded that he be granted the status and substance of a real ruling prince. His uncles demurred, and Sobdar Khan raised the banner of revolt. "Hosh Mahomed had remained attached to the Prince and was one of his chief supporters".
It is not known whether Hosh Mahomed encouraged Sobdar Khan to revolt against his uncles or not, but since the feud between the two parties had taken an ugly turn, Hosh Mahomed continued to remain loyal to his friend and master, Sobdar Khan. Mir Karam Ali Khan, one of the uncles of Sobdar Khan, was a farsighted statesman, and seeing that the family quarrel would weaken the ruling dynasty, he used his good offices, and succeeded in bringing about a reconciliation between his nephew and his brothers. The settlement, though otherwise generous to Sobdar Khan, denied him any share in the administrative machinery, nor did his uncles allow him to share power with themselves. As a result, Sobdar Khan, while paying lip loyalty to the family reconciliation, continued to manoeuvre and plot for opportunities, so that he may take the place of his uncles one day.
The opportunity came when the British launched a severe offensive against Sind. The foreigners, ever on the lookout for native princes, who would support their cause in return for future promises, succeeded in winning over Sobdar Khan to their cause. It was at this time that Hoshu Shidhi proved what an ardent patriot he was. He constantly begged Sobdar Khan not to play into the hands of the enemies of the motherland, and to forget his personal quarrels in the face of external aggression, giving all help to his uncles to defeat the British. Sobdar Khan was, however, made of different stuff. A chronic victim of epilepsy from birth, he developed into a young man, who had not the courage of his convictions. He sought always an easy way to ascend to the pinnacle of power, and if any suffering or sacrifice was to be entailed in the process, he was not prepared to pay the price to achieve his objective. Surrounded by weak kneed-courtiers and flatterers, as most of the Mirs were, he succumbed to the tempting and rosy pictures painted by them, and that was to prove his undoing.
The British had been anxious for the past few decades to obtain a solid footing in Sind, and to achieve this objective Sir Charles Napier in January (1843) threatened the Mirs of Sind with dire consequences, if they did not sign the treaty proposed and prepared by the English. He planned his military strategy while the negotiations for the treaty were going on, and on 1th January, (1843), he captured the Fort of Imamgarh, which belonged to the Mir dynasty of Khairpur. By this time, prompted by prudence rather than patriotism, the Mirs had signed all treaties giving the concessions demanded, and hoping to continue as the titular rulers of Sind. The Mirs of Sind were at daggers drawn, each against the other. Mir Nasir Khan, who was the ruler of Hyderabad at this time, was being openly opposed by his cousin, Sobdar Khan, who was secretly on the side of the British. “Mir Sobdar had already benefited greatly by maintaining a steady attitude of friendship and cooperation with the British. He, therefore, pinned his faith on the ultimate triumph, when he might expect further reward; and he persuaded young Hussain Ali to follow his line of policy".
Mir Sobdar Khan was constantly in secret correspondence with Sir Charles Napier, assuring him that he would not throw his lot in with the Mirs of Sind and oppose the British. The English were only too willing to encourage traitors, as they would be a thorn in the side of the Mirs on their home front. Thus, when preparations were being made by the Mirs to give battle to the English at Miani, Sobdar Khan discreetly kept himself and his men away from joining them, with the result that on 17th February, (1843), when the Battle of Miani was fought, Sobdar Khan had kept himself within the fortifications of the fort of Hyderabad. As soon as he came to learn that the English had won the battle and the armies of the Mirs were in flight, he sent his trusted adviser, Munshi Awatrai, a Hindu Amil of Sind, with fruits and sweatmeats and some expensive gifts to Sir Charles.
It must be recorded here that Awatrai had considerable influence over the vacillating and weak Sobdar Khan, and he had been persuading his master to remain aloof from all entanglements, so that when the English were finally victorious, which according to him was certain, Sobdar Khan may find himself on the winning side. In order to further entrench himself in the good graces of the English General, Sobdar Khan sent Awatrai and Musa Armani to him in order to obtain the General's approval to grant Sobdar Khan some time for a personal interview.1 The only purpose of Sobdar Khan was to get closer to the English and to reap the fruits of his treachery. His emissaries elaborately and eloquently pleaded the cause of their master before Sir Charles, saying that he had taken no part in hostilities. The General asked them to convey to Sobdar Khan to do his best to obtain the unconditional surrender of the Mirs of Hyderabad, whom he would treat with all the consideration that their royal status entitled them to.
Throughout the period of his treacherous dealings, Hosh Mahomed was begging his master to take courage in his hands and to fight the common enemy. But such abstract ideas as patriotism and loyalty vanish into thin air, if a greedy and weakminded man has accepted his personal interest as the only touchstone for acceptance or rejection of a particular advice. So that while the advice of Hoshu Shidhi was spurned, that of Awatrai was readily accepted. Ehsan Ali Shah, a contemporary poet has, fortunately for posterity, recorded in his epicpoem on the Battle of Miani the advice tendered by Hoshu Shidhi to Sobdar Khan .
Thus entreated Hosh Mahomed, "Oh, Mir Saheb Namdar, Your judgement competent keep, and weakness shirk Let your son Mir Fateh Ali Khan lead Our people, our soldiers, along with me;
Let Mir Mahomed in charge of home defences be, And you join your kin, the Mirs, and strike for victory. Heed not the words of Kauro, the traitor, Keep Awatrai at arm's length, a wretch unreliable Congratulation sent by your wife's father On the victory at Miani of our common enemy! How unworthy they are of a true and valiant patriot. These news are calamity, not joyous matter. Men like those, what honour have they left? The cowards behind remain, The brave face bullets and death embrace, Such are men like your father-in-law. His son and Kauro, your favourite minister, Must you listen to Kauro and his advice And close your ears to our well-meaning entreaties? Tribal chiefship from the English for you, From the English would Kauro beg.. Unpatriotic ! To kill your own to get a crown. To your cousin Mir Nasir Khan your support give, His victory is your victory, and that of Sind. To live with heads erect after one's brothers fall On the field of battle, is a shame indeed. Persuade not Sher Mahomed to leave the battlefield. Join one, join all; join princes, join peoples, Use your swords like heroes, valiant, brave. Whither doth honour lie, o Mir? In being loyal to one's cousins, brothers, family.
These words have to be weighed in the scales of historic perspective. This advice was given by a servant to a prince, when everything was going against the home country and the enemy was slowly but steadily gaining ground, and it was only a matter of days when the British flag would fly over the entire length and breadth of Sind. But Hoshu Shidhi was a brave man, a patriot, who was prepared to lay down his life. He would not yield an inch of ground of his native land to the foreign invading forces. As Hoshu Shidhi unburdened his agonised heart before his master, Sobdar Khan lost his temper, threatened him with harsh words and with promises of punishment at not a distant date, and ordered him to get out of the royal presence.
One by one the British were arresting or liquidating the Mirs and the tribal chiefs of Sind. Four days after the battle of Miani, to be exact on the 21st of February, (1843), the British soldiers triumphantly entered the Fort of Hyderabad, where Sobdar Khan had kept himself confined, in order to avoid being drawn to fight for the Mirs against the British. The English collected the ancestral treasures of the Mirs, which had been kept for generations in the Fort. Five days later Mir Mahmood Khan and Mir Sobdar Khan were made to sit forcibly in a palankin, and they were led out of the Fort to pass their days in captivity.
Hoshu Shidhi was indignant at the insults heaped on his master, and in proportion increased his hatred for the British. He had watched at first the twilight and then the darkness that was settling over his country, as a result of internal dissension, mutual jealousy, and all round treachery. But he was not a man to be daunted by reverses. He believed that defeats come and go, but no single defeat is final. He took up his sword, collected his brave and faithful band of soldiers, and left Hyderabad to join hands with Mir Sher Muhammad, in the hope that in the battle that would take place thereafter, the British would be liquidated, and Sind freed from the unholy presence of foreign rulers.
Sher Muhammad, already determined to fight the English, and now further strengthened by a valiant fighter like Hoshu Shidhi and his band of brave soldiers, advanced towards Hyderabad on the 15th of March, (1843). Sir Charles had sent out patrols to determine the exact strength and the deployment of the Mir's forces. On the 23rd, Sir Charles moved his formidable army across the Phuleli Canal. After some skirmishes, a pitched battle was fought between the patriotic forces and the invaders, where the superior cavalry of the latter was more than a match for the matchlocks of the former.
"Once more the bayonet prevailed; and as the surviving Baluchis fell back, the attackers pressed on and down into a second far wider and deeper entrenched canal, in and behind which the defenders were massed in double strength. here the fury of the combat reached a yet higher pitch..... those (the English soldiers) whose advances brought them opposite the ranks left by the Baluchis for the passage of their own guns soon forced their way over them, penetrating the defenders' last line". Hosh Mahomed, a brilliant strategist in the art of hand-to-hand fighting, advised Mir Sher Muhamma Khan to retire his forces for the day, so that they may have some rest and renew the fight the following day with redoubled vigour and enthusiasm. Mir Sher Muhammad Khan accepted this advice.
Ali, a rustic contemporary poet, has recorded in verse some details of this battle.
Ever victorious Ali Murad, son of Sher Muhammad, Bravely fought, and ordered, "Attack! Attack !"
He panic caused in English ranks,
And their blood freely flowed into Phuleli.
Then advanced Hosh Mohamed Qambrani
Charging fiercely, valiantly,
And with his men defences of the enemy
Smashed and smashed.
In this battle Hoshu Shidhi fought like a man possessed. He was drunk with the gossamer wine of patriotism, and he shouted at the top of his voice to his men to rally their forces, to charge, to put the enemy to rout. It is said that on this battlefield, he raised the battle cry, which has made him a legendary figure in the pages of our history as a brave freedom fighter against the foreigners.
My head you may surely take;
But my Sind I will not forsake.
Many legends continue to be told to this day of his bravery in the face of heavy odds. The same poet, Ali, has recorded :
Hoshu his life sacrificed
With love he laid it down
With a hundred brave companions
He fought like a giant
And like a hero died.
On him no blame,
All is from God.
Victory in His hands lies,
To whomsoever He may grant.
Our heroes not an inch they budged.
Our heroes, them we praise.
Even some English historians have paid fullsome tribute to the bravery and heroism of Hoshu Shidhi in his last struggle for the freedom of our country. “Hosh Mahomed Kambrani, together with a devoted band of fellow servants of Mir Sobdar Khan, yielded not an inch of ground, but fighting to the last man died where they stood."
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