Rasulpur

For the Early History of this Dynasty see Chattah Dynasty

The founder of the independent principality of Rasulnagar was Nur Mahomed who was born in 1704. Nur Mahomed was acknowledged by the Chattahs as there Chief. When Nur Mahomed increased his strength by capturing the areas of Nadala, Manohar, Bangli and Pandoria, his friendship was sought by Raja Ranjit Deo of Jamnu and by the Chiefs of Multan ; for the Chattah’s had now grown powerful, and Nur Mahomed was their acknowledged Chief. When Nur Mahomed grew old, Ahmad Khan, his younger son, a brave and skilful soldier, led the Chattahs to battle. The great enemies of the tribe were the Sukarchakia Chiefs(see Lahore) of Gujranwala, who were ever striving to extend their possessions. In the time of Sardar Charat Singh the Chattas held their own, and Ahmad Khan in 1765 captured the celebrated Bhangi gun which Charat Singh had placed in Gujranwala. Soon after this, Ahmad Khan arid his brother Pir Mahomed quarrelled, and fought for some time with varying success ; and among the killed were Bahram Khan and Kadar Bakhsh, sons of Ahmad Khan and Pateh Mahomed his nephew. At last, Pir Mahomed sought help from Gujar Singh and Sahib Singh Bhangi, who invited Ahmad Khan to a conference, captured him, and shut him up without water till he agreed to resign the great gun, which was carried to the fort of Gujrat. Ahmad Khan later retired to Ahmadnagar, a town which he built.

Mir Manu, the Viceroy of Ahmad Shah Durani, laid siege to the fort of Manohar for some months without success ; but when the Emperor himself invaded the’ Panjab, he seems to have treated the Chattah Chiefs with consideration and to have confirmed them in their possessions. Sardar Charat Singh, the Chattah enemy, died in 1774, closely followed by Nur Mahomed and his son Pir Mahomed.

The towns founded in the Gujranwala district by these Chattah Chiefs were neither few nor unimportant. Among those founded by Nur Mahomed were Gudi Gul Mahomed, and Rasulnagar (which became the capital of the Chattah principality) , later re-named Ramnagar by the Sukerchakias ; while Pir Mahomed built three different forts called after his own name. He also built the towns of Kot Mian Khan, Alipur(renamed by the Sukerchakia’s Akalgarh ); Kaiwala, Kot Salim, Kot Ali Mahomed and Fatehpur . Ghulam Mahomed, who succeeded to the chiefship, succeeded also to the hatred of the Sukarchakias. Both Sardar Mahan Singh, son of Charat Singh, and Ghulam Mahomed were able and brave men, and it was clear that peace could only result from the death of one or the other. For a long time the advantage lay with the Chattah, and Mahan Singh was defeated on several occasions. Once he besieged Jokian, held by Mian Khan, uncle of Ghulam Mahomed, who came down in haste to relieve it. After some hard fighting, peace was agreed upon; but in an unguarded moment Mahan Singh treacherously seized Mian Khan, carried him off prisoner, and blew him from a gun. At length, in 1790, Mahan Singh, having become very powerful, assembled his forces and besieged Manchar. The siege lasted for more than six months, and the Sikhs lost a large number of men. The young Ranjit Singh himself was in great danger; for Hashmat Khan, uncle of Ghulam Mahomed, charged his escort with a few sawars, and, climbing upon his elephant, was about to kill the child when he was struck down by the attendants. Ghulam Mahomed, seeing that he could no longer hold the fort, offered to surrender if he were allowed to leave for Mecca in safety. This Mahan Singh promised solemnly ; but he had hardly sworn his truth, than one of his men, by order or witla his connivance, shot the brave Chata Chief through the head. Mahan Singh then gave up Manchar to plunder, and seized the greater part of the Chattah territory.

Jan Mahomed, son of Ghulam Mahomed, escaped to Kabul, from whence he returned in 1797 with Shah Zaman, and by the aid of the Afghans recovered his possessions on the Chenab ; but when his protector had returned to Afghanistan, Raujit Singh attacked Rasulnagar, determined to destroy for ever the
Chattah power. The besieged made a gallant resistance ; but day by day their numbers and their strength diminished. Unlike the divine twin brothers, who fought so well for Rome by Lake Regillus, the Mahomedan saints abandoned their followers ; for the story is that the Chattah asked a famous fakir, who lived at Rasulnagar, to aid them. “How can I help you,” was his reply, “when I see the holy* Mahbub Subhani, dressed in green, _ fighting on the side of Ranjit Singh.” At length Jan Mahomed was killed by a cannon-shot and the fort surrendered.

The history of the family contains little worthy of notice after the fall of Rasulnagar. The sons of Jan Mahomed received a small jagir from Ranjit Singh, and were employed by him in the irregular cavalry. Several members of the family served under the English Government both in 1849 and 1867. The head of the Rasulnagar Chattah are the jagirdars of Ahmadnagar.