The Institutes of Akbar 301: Note on the Sayyids of Bárha (Sádát i Bárha).

The Áín i Akbari (Blochmann, Jarrett) 301

Language: English

Note on the Sayyids of Bárha (Sádát i Bárha).

301.1

In MSS. we find the spelling بارهه bárha, and باره bérah. The lexicographist Bahár i ’Ajam (Tek Chand) in his grammatical treatise, entitled Jawáhir ul Hurúf, says that the names of Indian towns ending in ه form adjectives in اوی, as تته, Tattah or تهتھه T’hat’ha, forms an adjective تتوى tatawí; but of باره no adjective is formed, and you say sádát i bárha, instead of sádát i bárhawí. The name Bárha has been differently explained. Whether the derivation from the Hindi numeral bárah, 12, be correct or not, there is no doubt that the etymology was believed to be correct in the times of Akbar and Jahángír; for both the Tabaqát and the Tuzuk derive the name from 12 villages in the Duáb (Muzaffarnagar District), which the Sayyids held. Like the Sayyids of Bilgrám, the Bárha family trace their origin to one Sayyid Abul Farah of Wásit; but their nasabnámah, or genealogical tree, was sneered at, and even Jahángír, in the above quoted passage from the Tuzuk, says that the personal courage of the Sayyids of Bárha—but nothing else—was the best proof that they were Sayyids. But they clung so firmly to this distinction, that some of them even placed the title of Sayyid before the titles which they received from the Mughul emperors, as Sayyid Khan Jahan (Sayyid Abul Muzaffar), and several others.

301.2

But if their claim to be Sayyids was not firmly established, their bravery and valour had become a by-word. Their place in battle was the van (haráwal); they claimed to be the leaders of the onset, and every emperor from the times of Akbar gladly availed himself of the prestige of their name. They delighted in looking upon themselves as Hindustanis (vide p. 336). Their military fame completely threw to the background the renown of the Sayyids of Amrohah, of Manikpur, the Khanzadahs of Mewat, and even families of royal blood as the Çafawis. The Sayyids of Barha are divided into four branches, whose names are—1. Tihanpuri; 2. Chathanúrí, or Chátraurí; 3. Kúndlíwál; 4. Jagnerí. The chief town of the first branch was Jansath; of the second, Sambalharah; of the third, Majharah; of the fourth Bidaulí on the Jamnah. Of these four lines Muhammadan Historians, perhaps accidentally, only mention two, viz., the Kúndlíwál to which Sayyid Mahmud (No. 75) belonged; and the Tihanpúrí, of which Sayyid Khan Jahan was a member.

301.3

The Histories of India do not appear to make mention of the Sayyids of Barha before the times of Akbar; but they must have held posts of some importance under the Súrs, because the arrival of Sayyid Mahmud in Akbar’s camp (p. 389) is recorded by all Historians as an event of importance. He and other Sayyids were, moreover, at once appointed to high mançabs. The family boasts also traditionally of services rendered to Humáyún; but this is at variance with Abulfazl’s statement that Sayyid Mahmud was the first that served under a Timuride. The political importance of the Sayyids declined from the reign of Muhammad Shah (1131 to 1161), who deposed the brothers Sayyid ‘Abdullah Khan and Sayyid Husain ’Ali Khán, in whom the family reached the greatest height of their power. What a difference between the rustic and loyal Sayyid Mahmúd under Akbar, and the above two brothers, who made four Timurides emperors, dethroned and killed two, and blinded and imprisoned three! The Sayyids of Barha are even now-a-days numerous and ‘form the characteristic element in the population of the Muzaffarnagar district’ (Leeds’ Report). Abulfazl mentions nine Sayyids in this List of grandees, viz.— 1. Sayyid Mahmúd (No. 75). 2. Sayyid Ahmad, his brother, (No. 91). 3. Sayyid Qasim (No. 105). 4. Sayyid Hashim (No. 148). 5. Sayyid Raju (No. 165). 6. Sayyid Jamaluddin (No. 217), son of 2. 7. Sayyid Jhajhú (No. 221). 8. Sayyid Bayazid (No. 295). 9. Sayyid Lád (No. 409).

301.4

The Akbarnámah mentions several other Sayyids without indicating to what family they belong. Thus S. Jamáluddín, a grandson of S. Mahmúd (vide under 91); S. Sálim; S. Fath Khán, (Bad. II., 180); &c. The following trees are compiled from the Tuzuk, Pádisháhnámah, and Maásir. (a.) Sayyid Mahmúd of Bárha, Kúndlíwál. —Sayyid Ahmad, his brother. 1. S. Qásim. (No. 105.) 1. S. Ádam, Tuz. 80. 2. S. Sulaimán, Pád. I, b. 320. S. Sultán, Çalábat Khán, alias Ukhtí Khán. 2. S. Háshim. (No. 143.) S. Báyazíd. (No. 296, ?) 3. S. ’Alí Asghar, Saif Khán. d. 1025. S. Núrulláh, Pád. II, 735. 1. S. Muzaffar, Himmat Khán, Pád. II, 735. 2. S. Qutb. Pád. II, 746. 3. S. Najábat. Pád. II, 749. 4. Sayyid Jahángír, (No. 91). (Pád. I, 439) S. Jamáluddín, (vide under 91) S. Ja’far, ’Izzat Khán. (b.) Sayyid Dilír Khán (’Abdul Wahháb), d. 1042. 1. S. Hasan, Pád. I, b., 323. 2. S. Khalílulláh, Pád. I, b., 323. (c.) Sayyid Hizabr Khán, d. 1047.——-Sayyid ’Álam, his brother. S. Zabardast, perished with Prince Shujá’, in Rakhang (Arracan). (d.) Sayyid Khán Jahán i Sháhjahání, Tihanpúrí——A brother. (alias S. Abul Muzaffar Khán), d. 1050. 1. S. Mansúr. 2. S. Sher Zamán, title, S. Muzaffar Khán. 3. S. Munawwar, Lashkar Khán. S. Wajíhuddín Khán. 1. S. ’Alí. Pád. II, 748. 2. S. Fírúz, Ikhtisás Khán, d. 1077. The Pádisháhnámah (II., b, 312, 319; II., p. 733, 734, 735, 741, 752) mentions also S. Mak’han, d. 9th year of Sháhjahán; S. Súkhan; S. ’Abdulláh; S. Muhammad, son of S. Afzal; S. Khádim; S. Sálár; S. Shiháb.

301.5

(e.) Sayyid Qásim, Shahámat Khán [Chatraurí]——a brother (was alive in the 24th year of Aurangzíb). 1. S. Nusrat Yár Khán (under Muhammad Sháh). (f.) Sayyid Husain Khán, d. 1120. 1. S. Abú Sa’íd Khán. 2. Ghairat Khán. 3. Hasan Khán. (g.) Sayyid ’Abdulláh Khán, [Tihanpúrí]. alias Sayyid Miyán (under Sháh ’Álam I.) 1. S. Hasan ’Alí Khán; title, Qutbulmulk S. ’Abdulláh Khán. 2. Amírul Múmálík S. Husain ’Alí Khán. (killed by Muhammad Sháh). 3. S. Saifuddín Husain ’Alí Khán. 4. S. Najmuddín ’Alí Khán. For the following notes, I am indebted to R. J. Leeds, Esq., C. S., Mirzapore, who kindly sent me two Urdú MSS. containing a short family history of the Sádát i Bárha, composed in 1864 and 1869 by one of the Sayyids themselves. As Mr. Leeds has submitted together with his Report ‘a detailed account in English of the history of the Sayyids,’ the following extracts from the Urdu MSS. will suffice. The date of the arrival in India of the above-mentioned Abul Farah from Wasit is doubtful. The two MSS. mention the time of Iltitmish (Altamsh), and trace the emigration to troubles arising from Hulágú’s invasion of Baghdad and the overthrow of the empire of the Khalifahs; while the sons of Abul Farah are said to have been in the service of Shihábuddín Ghorí—two palpable anachronisms.

301.6

Abul Farah is said to have arrived in India with his twelve sons, of whom four remained in India on his return to his country. These four brothers are the ancestors of the four branches of the Sayyids. Their names are— 1. Sayyid Dáúd, who settled in the mauza’ of Tíhanpúr. 2. Sayyid Abulfazl, who settled in the qasbah of Chhatbanúrí (چھتبنوری). 3. Sayyid Abulfazáil, who settled in the mauza’ of Kúndlí. 4. Sayyid Najmuddín Husain, who settled in the mauza’ of Jhújar. These four places are said to lie near Patiálah in the Panjáb, and have given rise to the names of the four branches. Instead of Chhatbanúrí, the name of the second branch, the MSS. have also Chhátraudí, چھتروڑی, or چھتراوڑی, and Jágnerí (جاگنیري) instead of جھوجھري Jhújarí, although no explanation is given of these alterations. From Patiálah, the four brothers went to the Dúáb between the Ganges and Jamnah, from where a branch was established at Bilgrám in Audh. The etymology of bárha is stated to be uncertain. Some derive it from báhir, outside, because the Sayyids encamped outside the imperial camp; some from bárah imám, the twelve Imams of the Shi’ahs, as the Sayyids were Shi’ahs; some derive it from twelve (bárah) villages which the family held, just as the district of Balandshahr, Tahsíl Anúpshahr, is said to contain a bárha of Pat’háns, i. e. 12 villages belonging to a Pathán family; and others make it to be a corruption of the Arabic abrár, pious.

301.7

The descendants of S. Dáúd settled at Dhásirí; and form the Tíhanpúrí branch, those of S. Abulfazl at Sambalharah, and form the Chhatbanúrí or Chhatraurí branch; those of S. Abulfazáil went to Majharah, and are the Kúndlíwáls; and those of S. Najmuddín occupied Bidaulí, and form the Jhújarí, or Jágnerí, branch.