British Policy of Co-option of Tumandars ....

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BRITISH POLICY OF CO-OPTION OF

TUMANDÓRS (TRIBAL CHIEFS) IN PUNJAB
A CASE STUDY OF DERÓ GHÓZÔ KHÓN DISTRICT

MUHAMMAD FIAZ ANWAR

Assistant Professor,
Department of Pakistan Studies,
The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
e-mail: Muhammad Fiaz Anwar [fiazqaisrani@gmail.com]

After the establishment of British rule in Punjab, the colonial

administration introduced different administrative measures. Through these
administrative steps a tiny class of tribal chiefs were given huge power
to create a system of indirect rule. In this way the colonial administration
developed socio-economic hierarchical structure. This structure became the
power base of the tribal elite and provided the foundation ground for the
establishment of political structure of the district in colonial period and
continued even in the post-colonial period. With this theme, in this paper,
the role of tumandÉrs during the colonial period in DerÉ GhÉzÊ KhÉn
District has been described.

British got the control of DerÉ GhÉzÊ KhÉn District in 1849 after
defeating the Sikh army. At the time of British conquest, the district was
part of DerajÉt of Sikh administration of the Punjab. The region of
DerajÉt consisted of the plains with length of 325 miles extending from
Shaikh BudÊn range in north to South of JÉmpËr, between the River
Indus on the eastern side and the SulaimÉn range on the western side.
This tract was given the name on the names of three Deras – DerÉ
IsmÉ‘Êl KhÉn, DerÉ Fateh KhÉn, and DerÉ GhÉzÊ KhÉn*, which were at
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*When ShershÉh SËrÊ captured Multan, IsmÉ‘Êl KhÉn, Fateh KhÉn and GhÉzÊ
KhÉn Baloch under whom these Baloch tribes had migrated, settled down around
Multan. They waited upon the SËrÊ BadshÉh, met him in KhushÉb, expressed their
obedience, joined service of ShershÉh and were confirmed in the possession of their
respective DerajÉts, Baloch camping sites. Later led by Mir Chakar Rind, the Balochs
supported HumÉyËn because of SËrÊ’s support for Afghans and won Mughul patronage.
See ‘AbbÉs KhÉn Sarvani, Urdu Tr. Mazhar Ali Khan, Tarikh-i Shershahi, Karachi,
Salman Academy, 1963, p. 108. The Baloch migration into Sindh and lower Punjab
needs further study – Ed.