Page 21 - Muzaffargarh Gazzetteer

southern portions of the present day Muzaffargarh from the rulers of Dera
Ghazi Khan.
THE SECOND GOVERNMENT – THE RULE BY THE DERA GHAZI KHAN
RULERS
It has already been stated that the Balochs occupied the left bank of the
Indus at the end of the fifteenth century, and that in 1484, Haji Khan
founded Dera Ghazi Khan. His son was Ghazi Khan, and alternate Haji
Khans and Ghazi Khans ruled until 1769. As far as this district is concerned,
they were good governors, encouraged agriculture and excavated canals. One
of them, said to be the first Ghazi Khan, founded the town of Kinjhar on the
Indus. Mehmood Khan Gujjar became wazir to the last Ghazi Khan and,
under the pretext of saving government from conspirators, called Ghulam
Shah Kalhora, Governor of Sindh, who took Dera Ghazi Khan, arrested the
last Ghazi Khan and carried him as a prisoner to Sindh, where he died.
Ghulam Shah left Mehmood Khan as the Governor of Dera Ghazi Khan. He
was maintained by the kings of Khurasan too, and received from them the
title of Jan Nisar Khan. Mehmood Khan ruled for 30 years, and was
succeeded by his nephew, Barkhurdar, who was superseded by governors
sent directly from Khurasan. Mehmood Khan enjoyed good reputation as the
governor. Besides other works, he built the fort of Mehmoodkot. The Shia
Muslims in the district date from the time of the Kalhora invasion caused by
Mehmood Khan. After the Gujjars, a number of governors were sent directly
from Khurasan. Anarchy prevailed on the left bank of the Indus, which
prepared the country for the invasion of Bahawal Khan II in 1791. Here may
be left the Dera Ghazi Khan part of Muzaffargarh at the same point where
Seetpur was left, and an account given of the part of the district that was
subject to Multan. The history of the Balochs will, however, be reverted to in
considering the fourth Government.
THE THIRD GOVERNMENT – THE RULE BY THE RULERS OF MULTAN
The Langahs, already referred to, were expelled in 1529 by the Afghans,
nominally acting on behalf of Babar, and in Akbar's reign Multan was
incorporated in the Delhi Empire as a province or sarkar. Of the sub-
divisions of the Multan, the only two mentioned in the Ain-i-Akbari are
Rangpur and Seetpur. Though it is known from general history that this
district must have been sometimes subject to Delhi and sometimes to
Khurasan, neither monarchy had much effect on its internal history, and the
local chiefs carried on their public improvements and their little wars without
interference from either headquarters. Occasionally, one of two rival
competitors tried to strengthen his cause by obtaining a deed-of-grant from
Delhi or Kabul. But a strong band of followers proved a better support than
any sanad or farman. A favourite saying of the local historians, in describing
the rise of some chief, who, if a settled government had existed, would have
been hanged, is
Udhar Dilhi di sultanat mein fatur;

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