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Diwan Sawan Mal (died 29 September 1844) was a military officer and Governor (Diwan) of Lahore and Multan during the Sikh Empire.
Diwan Sawan Mal | |
|---|---|
 Diwan Sawan Mal seated holding a lotus. Watercolour by a Company artist, Punjab, ca.1865 | |
| Born | |
| Died | 29 September 1844 |
| Cause of death | Seriously wounded by an under-trial prisoner |
| Known for | Sikh statesman |
| Title | Governor of Multan province (subah) of the Sikh Empire |
| Term | 1821–1844 |
| Successor | Diwan Mulraj Chopra |
| Parent | Hoshnak Rai Chopra (father) |
Biography
editEarly life
editSawan Mal was born into a Hindu Khatri family of the Chopra gotra originally from Gujranwala,[1][2] the region where Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Misl, the Sukerchakias held sway. He was a 'Munshi' (clerk) to shahzada Ali Muhammad khan Sadozai, nephew of Ahmed shah Abdali in multan.[citation needed]
Career
editAlong with Hari Singh Nalwa, he was a top commander in Maharaja Ranjit Singh's army. As a general under Ranjit Singh, he assisted in wresting the 'subah' (province) of Multan from the Durrani Afghans in 1823, after which he was made Diwan of the region. He instituted improvements in agricultural production through irrigation schemes.
In 1834, he signed an agreement on behalf of the Maharaja with Sardar Karam Khan, a Mazari warrior respected in his tribe as well as in the Sikh Army. Karam Khan was the younger brother of Mir Bahram Khan, chief of the Baloch Mazari tribe, thereby ending the long war between the Sikhs and the Mazaris of Rojhan. He was succeeded to the governorship of Multan by his son, Diwan Mulraj Chopra, who was the last ethnic Punjabi to administer Multan.[3]
Death
editHe died on 29 September 1844 due to wounds inflicted upon him by an under-trial prisoner.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b The encyclopaedia of Sikhism. Vol. 4. Harbans Singh. Patiala: Punjabi University. 1992–1998. p. 82. ISBN 0-8364-2883-8. OCLC 29703420.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ Yasmin, Robina (2022). Muslims Under Sikh Rule in the Nineteenth Century: Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Religious Tolerance. Library of Islamic South Asia. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 92. ISBN 9780755640348.
- ^ "Heroes and Villains of Sikh Rule".