On 8 March 1581, Akbar reached Machhiwara while Mirza Hakim retreated towards Kabul. Akbar soon arrived on the banks of the Indus, following which he sent an advance force led by Man Singh to Kabul. Although, Akbar’s army was hesitant at first in crossing the swelling Indus, Man Singh, ever the leader, crossed it first and then urged the Mughal troops to follow. Hearing the news, Mirza Hakim fled to Gurband as he was chased beyond the Indus by Prince Man.
In July 1581, Kachhwahas under Prince Man Singh along with the Mughal forces stormed Gurband and conquered it. Afghanistan was finally under the Imperial kingdom. Akbar himself reached Kabul on 10 August 1581. Noting Man Singh’s achievements, he appointed the Rajput ‘Hakim’ (Lord) of Kabul.
Mirza Hakim was pardoned. His sister Bakht-un-Nissa Begum was appointed Governor of Kabul. After Akbar returned to Fatehpur Sikri, Bakht-un-Nissa remained as the nominal head of state, while Hakim acted as the governor.
Before leaving Kabul, Akbar made administrative arrangements to secure the Afghan region safely with the Mughal Empire. The Tabakat-i-Akbari of Nizamuddin Ahmad records that in 1582 Akbar sent Mirza Hakim, who was a staunch follower of the missionary-minded Naqshbandi Sufi order, against the people of Katwar. Hakim and his men fought their way from Laghman to Alishang, conquering sixty-six valleys. After taking the Tajau and Nijrau valleys in the Panjshir region, they established a fort at the confluence of the Alishang and Alingar rivers. Meanwhile, the administration of Punjab tracts was handed over to the joint charge of Said Khan, Raja Bhagwant Das and Man Singh, since there was still the fear of further incursions by Mirza Hakim into Punjab, and the Indus province was solely under the charge of Prince Man.
By the end of 1582, Said Khan was transferred to Sambal. In 1583 Raja Bhagwant Das was appointed the Subedar of Punjab, while Man Singh continued to administer the Indus province. Akbar even ordered a fort to be constructed on the eastern bank of the Nilab (or Indus). It became known as the Atak Banaras/Attock Fort.
As Alexander Dow notes in his historical account of India, ‘The king having refined his conquest of Cabul to Hakim on the 14th of Siffer, returned towards Agra. He on his way ordered a fort to be built upon the Nilab, which he called Attock, which means in the Indian language Forbidden; for by the superstition of the Hindoos, it was held unlawful to cross that river. The king having arrived at Lahore upon the 19th of Ramzan, gave the government of that province to Raja Baguandass [Raja Bhagwant Das], and in a few days set out for Agra.’
Man Singh continued to govern the Indus region until mid-1585. During this time, he received Mirza Shah Rukh, formerly the ruler of Badakshan, who arrived seeking the protection of the Mughal emperor, since Badakshan had been attacked and conquered by Abdullah Khan Uzbek.
Man Singh received him with suitable pomp, offering Mirza Shah Rukh five thousand and five hundred rupees in cash, eight horses, five elephants and numerous bolts of cloth. Immediately after, he sent news to Akbar, and also reported that arrangements had been made for Mirza Shah Rukh’s crossing of the Nilab and onward travel to the Mughal Court.
Man Singh’s actions won the emperor’s favour, and a farman to this effect was issued, listing the rewards made to the Amber prince.
In 1985, while at the Attock Fort, Man Singh learnt of Mirza Hakim’s illness. The emperor, who was at Fatehpur Sikri was informed, as was Faridun, the Mirza’s maternal uncle, who was in Peshawar.
On receiving this news Akbar marched towards Punjab to oversee matters. With that in mind, he instructed Man Singh to immediately proceed to Kabul with his troops, comfort the family of Mirza Hakim, and bring that region into the fold of the Mughal Empire. De Laet’s The Empire of the Great Mogul, notes how ‘…Mamet Hackim, ruler of Kabul died of disease and Raja Man Singh, a Rajput by race and commander of five thousand horses was despatched to turn that kingdom into a province.’
Mirza Hakim family were escorted from Jalalabad (in presentday Afghanistan) respectfully (where they had fled after his death) by Man Singh to the emperor who was at Rawalpindi. Meanwhile, with his son handling the Kabul situation for the emperor, Raja Bhagwant Das opted to further strengthen Amber’s geographically vulnerable position vis-a-vis the Mughals by marrying his daughter, Princess Man Bai (also Mani Bai or Manbhavati) She would be Prince Salim’s first, and senior-most, wife. After giving birth to their first son, Khusrau, she was honoured with the title Shah Begum. Khusrau would grow up to be Akbar’s favourite grandson.
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Although Mirza Hakim had sworn his fealty to the Mughal Empire, the Afghans chiefs were aggrieved and not as forgiving. After Hakim’s death, the Afghan tribes, including the Yusufzai, Mandar and Raushaniya rose against Akbar in rebellion with the aim of creating a more fundamentalist state. Passage through the mountains and mountain passes became practically impossible, as these tribes were committing highway robberies and their and intense depredations made the Khyber impassable. Akbar sent an army under Zain Khan, Hakim Abu’l Fateh and Raja Birbal to deal with the situation. On 16 February, 1586, the Yusufzai tribe, which was creating turbulence and indulging in robbery around Peshawar, Swat and Bajaur region, attacked the Imperial forces. Eight thousand of Akbar’s forces were killed. Among them was Raja Birbal. Birbal’s death was a personal blow for Akbar, who long-mourned the loss of his friend, advisor and critic.
Raja Todar Mal was sent next to suppress the rebellious tribes. However, his success was only temporary, as the nuisance of the Afghan tribes continued to create an ever-present danger across the Khyber Pass. It was hard to cross this pass as the Raushaniya, a formidable tribe of Afghans, had blocked it. Man Singh and his Amber troops were tasked with dealing with the issue. Man Singh’s forces included his brother Madho Singh and Rao Gopaldas of Nindar. On 17 February 1586, Prince Man with brother Madho Singh made daring attacks on the Roushaniyas at Khyber and drove them out of the region. Rao Gopal played a valorous and decisive role. To have an operating base against the Yusufzai, Man Singh built a strong fort between the Buner Pass and Ohind (Wahind). After crossing the pass, Man Singh comprehensively defeated five of the major Afghan tribes, including Yusufzai and Mandar. It was, as Jadunath Sarkar says, quoting Abu Fazl, ‘“a glorious victory” for the Kachhawas.’
Man Singh was given governorship of Kabul and appointed subedar, with Zain Khan Koka his deputy, Nizam-ul-Mulk the Dewan, and Khwaja Shams-ud-din the Bakshi. With his work done, Raja Todar Mal left the Afghan country. When Prince Man Singh took over Kabul, he ensured that peace and tranquillity prevail. In words of historian R.N. Prasad—‘Kabulis were overawed and they submitted to the Kachhawaha forces. Kabul lay at the feet of Kuar Man Singh.’
This excerpt from ‘The Emperor’s General’ by Rima Hooja has been published with permission from Speaking Tiger Books.