People familiar with Kashmir and Srinagar with particular must have seen it one time or the other though most of the time one misses it. Situated right on the Maulana Azad Road is the Smamadhi and accompanying it a small Temple which says Wazir Lakhpat Rai Trust from what I re-collect. It is the Samadhi of Wazir Lakhpat Rai Padiar, a Wazir and a Warrior who took part in many Battles and Intrigues in the first half of the 19th Century in the Western Himalayas. He is not to be confused with his namesake Lakhpat Rai, the Wazir under the Durranis in the 18th Century. 

Well it starts with the Raja of Kishtwar called, very interestingly, Raja Mohammed Teg Singh also known as Saifullah Khan. Though the Rajas of Kishtwar had converted to Islam they kept a mix of Muslim Hindu names and followed many Hindu costums and this Raja was no different. He was a vassal of the Afhna Governor of Kashmir who fell out with the Rulers in Kabul. A force was sent to Kashmir from Kabul but the Governor stood up to it and was assisted in the same by forces from Kishtwar. And by this time Raja Mohammed Tegh Singh had got into a service a new Minister called Wazir Lakhpat Rai Padari, who as the name suggests was from Padar. 

This done Raja Tegh Mohammed Singh set his sights on Bhaderwah which was under the suzerainty of Chamba, though it had its own Raja, and for the same he asked the Afghan Governor of Kashmir for assistance and soon his forces arrived in Kishtwar led by General Khuda Dost. Wazir Lakhpat led the Kishtwari forces and they advanced on Bhaderwah. A force was dispatched from Chamba under Wazir Nathu but they were defeated at Basnota and Gallugarh and the town of Bhaderwah was burnt. The Raja of Kishtwar was all praises for Wazir Lakhpat and a Jgir was bestowed upon him in Bonjwah, where his descendants still live. Later the Raja under the influence of his Hindu Purohit decided to revoke his alliance with Kashmir and decided to ally with Chamba and as a consequence an Army of from Kashmir landed in Kishtwar defeated the local forces and took away what it could and returned to Kashmir. But the Raja was still left in Power.

After that the Afghans in Kashmir were focused on the Sikhs and because of its location Kishtwar was pretty independent and not bothered by the intrigues going on in the Punjab Plains between the British, Sikhs and the Afghans. As it so happened the on the run Afghan King Shah Shuja landed in the custody of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (thats a separate story which includes the Koh I Noor). After enjoying his “hospitality” for sometime in 1815 Shah Shuja escaped from his custody and after swimming the Ravi and passing through Sialkot and Jammu landed up in Kishtwar. The reason he came to Kishtwar was obvious, as he assumed that the King being a Muslim would receive him well. And he was correct. Not only was he welcomed but also allowed to raise an Army to invade Kashmir. Shah Shuja went ahead with the invasion through the Marbal Pass but his Army was defeated and he had to return to Kishtwar defeated and his Army in tatters.

In the meanwhile the news of Shah Shuja being in Kishtwar reached Maharaja Ranjit Singh and at once a demand was raised upon Raja Mohammed Tegh Singh to hand over Shah Shuja. But Raja Mohammed Tegh Singh refused and this would have very grave consequences for him. Shah Shuja in the meanwhile escaped to Warwan Valley and from there on to Suru Valley. From there he went to Zanskar and then Lahaul and the Kulu Valley to finally land up in Ludhiana where he went to the British. Of course this greatly annoyed the Sher- E - Punjab and he deputed Gulab Singh of Jammu to take care of Kishtwar. And so Gulab Singh went about with a plan which would finally throw Kishtwar into his lap without any Military campaign.

Gulab Singh got in touch with Raja Mohammed Tegh Singh and told him that some of his own men were conspiring against him, their leader being none other than his faithful Wazir Lakhpat. He forged letters that were said to have been sent by the Wazir to Ranjit Singh inviting him to invade and take Kishtwar. The Kishtwar Raja was convinced and he planned to have the Wazir murdered in open Court. The eventful day two of his men fell over the Wazir who was grievously injured but survived. The Wazir also came to know that the plan was sanctioned by the Raja so on the purpose of getting back to health he asked the Kings leave to go back to his native Village. The King agreed but instead of going to his native Village he landed up with Gulab Singh and took up service with him and also pointed out how Kishtwar could be taken. 

So Gulab Singh messaged the Kishtwar Raja to come and make a personal appearance in the Court of Ranjit Singh to mend fences with him. The reluctant Raja agreed but as soon as he reached Doda he was arrested and put into prison. Gulab Singh and Wazir Lakhpat Rai now took possession of Kishtwar without any resistance. And the person put in charge of Kishtwar was a gentleman Zorawar Singh. Of course assisted by the very able Wazir Lakhpat Rai. 

Wazir Lakhpat Rai was also a part of Zorarwar’s Expeditions into Ladakh. During the the first Expedition he was instructed to take Zanskar while the main body of Zorarwar’s troops were engaged in Purik and further towards Leh. Wazir Lakhpat Rai marched to Zanksar and having subjugated it decided to return back via the Umasi La Pass which connected Zanskar directly with Padar and the Wazir being a Padari knew of it. Just the small thing that Padar at that time was under the Rule of Chamba. So whence the Wazir marched in there was some resistance which was taken care of by the Wazir’s troops. Also a small Group of Dogra soldiers were stationed in Padar as well which was again not taken kindly by Chamba. Wazir Lakhpat had an old History with Chamba and Wazir Ratanu, the Chamba Officer in charge of the Region was well too aware of it.

In the subsequent year there was again news of an uprising in Ladakh and in particular in Zanskar and the Dogra Garrison there was put to the sword. The news of the same drifted across the Great Himalayan Range and reached Padar and Wazir Ratanu. Emboldened, he decided to get rid of the Dogra soldiers stationed there and attacked them. A few were killed and many were taken as prisoners to Chamba. Of course this had extremely grave consequences as Zorawar Singh returned and had his vengeance. The whole Town of Chattargarh was burnt down and renamed Gulbagarh. To absolve himself of the blame the Raja of Chamba handed over Wazir Ratanu to Raja Gulab Singh. 

In the aftermath of the death of Zorawar Singh there was again an uprising in Ladakh and Baltistan and the Dogra Garrison was under siege in Leh. Raja Gulab Singh who was engaged on the Afghan Frontier at that despatched Troops to quell the uprisings as well as to carry punitive actions against the Tibetans who had now occupied Ladakh. One body of Troops under Wazir Lakhpat Rai was assigned to go to Baltistan to take the situation in control over there. And thence he marched to Baltistan to do the needful and he relieved the Garrison in Skardu and got things under control. After that he teamed up with the other force which was assigned to Leh and they started fighting the Tibetans and driving them back. One of the Commanders of the Force sent to Leh was none other than the Wazir’s old friend, Wazi Ratanu of Chamba who had been handed over to Jammu. The Tibetans held up the the fortifications in Drangtse which were flooded by the Dogras. And finally they gave in and fled back beyond Chushul when finally Peace was made and the Treaty of Chushul which demarcated the boundary between Ladakh and Tibet which even stands today. 

Even after that the Wazir wasnt quite done yet. In 1846 in the aftermath of the signing of Treaty of Amritsar, Kashmir was passed onto Raja Gulab Singh who paid the War indemnity on behalf of the Sikhs. It is pertinent to note that Jammu and neighbouring Regions, Ladakh and Baltistan were firmly in the possession of Raja Gulab Singh at that time due to actions carried by men like Wazir Lakhpat Rai who had seen action on all the fronts. A small Dogra Force led by none other than Wazir Lakhpat Rai, who was now the designated Governor of Kashmir, went to Kashmir in order to take possession of the territory from the Sikh Governor Shiekh Imam Ud Din. Its said that he was under instructions from General Lal Singh not to hand over possession without a fight and that's what he did. Unknowingly Wazir Lakhpat Rai turned up with his small Force asking for possession which was denied and a confrontation started. And it was in this confrontation that Wazir Lakhpat Rai lost his life. He was destined to be the first Governor of Kashmir but fate had other plans for him. Of course a Memorial was built for him on the M A Road in Srinagar probably close to the place he fell. The man though little known in contemporary History still left his mark in the different Regions of what came to be the Riyasat E Jammu Kashmir.

Old Soldiers Never Die, They Just Fade Away as they Say.

His descendants still continue to live in a place called Sarol Bagh near Bhaderwah and I am attaching some pics of the Heritage buildings over there some of them being built during the Wazir’s time. Photos by Shri D K Dogra.