Mohan Lal (Zutshi)
Encyclopedia
Mohan Lal (1812 – 1877) was a traveller, diplomat, and author. He played a central role in the First Anglo-Afghan War
of 1838–1842. His biography of Dost Mohammad Khan
, emir of Kabul
, is a primary source on the War.
He was born in a Kashmiri
Zutshi family of Delhi. His father was Rai Brahm Nath and mother came from the Kaul family of Gwalior. Mohan Lal was amongst the first Indians to receive a Western-Style education at Delhi College
. His travels took him to Central Asia, Iran
, Khorasan
, Northern India
, Egypt
and Europe
.
His wife Hyderi Begum was a Muslim and a scholar. During the Indian Mutiny in 1857, she maintained a day book recording vividly the happenings and events in Delhi. Her diary was later seized and confiscated by the British government.
Mohan Lal retired at the age of 32, disappointed that he had not been properly rewarded for his singular contributions to the British cause in the First Anglo-Afghan War. His only brother, Kidar Nath, who was a Deputy Collector at Ambala
died in 1855. Mohan Lal's later years were spent in obscurity and financial troubles. He is believed to have written an extensive diary, but it has disappeared.
Mohan Lal Zutshi was born into a Kashmiri Pandit family (Kashmiri Saraswat Brahmin). His father was from the Zutshi clan whereas his mother was from the Kaul clan. Mohan Lal Zutshi was a scholar in the classical languages of Persian and Sanskrit and this cam in handy when he travelled in and around the North-West of the Indian Subcontinent all the way to Afghanistan and Iran. He was a great admirer of the poetry of Rumi and the Shahnameh
, as he was fluent in classical Persian
.
Alexander Burnes
and Mohan Lal led an expedition to Central Asia in 1832-4 for procuring political and military intelligence, and became firm friends. Later, Lal was the Commercial Agent
for the British on the Indus and Political Assistant to Burnes in Kabul
during the first Afghan War. Unlike Burnes, he survived the massacres of 1841 and continued to keep Calcutta informed of events in the Afghan capital from the house of a merchant where he had taken refuge. His reports contained many strong and cogent criticisms of the behaviour of British Officers, and particularly Sir William Hay Macnaghten
and General William Elphinstone
. Had his advice and that of Burnes been followed, the disasters of the War could probably have been avoided.
Mohan Lal had learnt Persian in Delhi and travelled in the garb of a Muslim as Aga Hassan Kashmiri and as Mirza Quli Kashmiri in Iran and Afghanistan collecting information vital for his British master. During the first Anglo-Afghan war he was instrumental in setting up and expanding the British intelligence network in Afghanistan. He found out and handed over to the British authorities secret letters written by the rulers of Kandahar
to Mehrab Khan, the ruler of Baluchistan, exhorting him not to allow passage to the invading British army. He managed to obtain the services of very important functionaries like Mohammed Tahir, Haji Khan Kakari, Abdul Majeed Khan, Akhundzada Ghulam and Mullah Nasooh in Kandahar and Sardar Abdul Rashid Khan, a nephew of the Emir Sardar Dost Mohammad Khan in Ghazni
. He played a major role in securing the release of British prisoners held hostage in Bamiyan
. He tried to bring peace between the British and the Afghans during such inflammatory situations.
Mohan Lal made a telling observation to Burnes about British imperialism: "You all tell yourselves all sorts of fairy stories – you are here to sell us your wonderful British goods, you want to set us free, you want us to grow up, you want to educate us and make us worship three gods instead of forty thousand… but when you are old and tired and sleeping in a thousand years' time, you will start to realise that you came here and took possession of what was not yours for one reason. To surrender it, to give it up. That is the only reason." His birth name was Mohan.
First Anglo-Afghan War
The First Anglo-Afghan War was fought between British India and Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842. It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between the United Kingdom and Russia, and also marked one of the worst...
of 1838–1842. His biography of Dost Mohammad Khan
Dost Mohammad Khan
Dost Mohammad Khan was the Emir of Afghanistan between 1826 and 1863. He first ruled from 1826 to 1839 and then from 1843 to 1863. He was the 11th son of Sardar Pāyendah Khan who was killed by Zaman Shah Durrani in 1799...
, emir of Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, is a primary source on the War.
He was born in a Kashmiri
Kashmiri people
The Kashmiri people are a Dardic linguistic group living in Kashmir Valley in Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir and parts of the Pakistani territory of Azad Kashmir who speak the Kashmiri language...
Zutshi family of Delhi. His father was Rai Brahm Nath and mother came from the Kaul family of Gwalior. Mohan Lal was amongst the first Indians to receive a Western-Style education at Delhi College
Delhi College
Delhi College can refer to:* Zakir Husain College, Delhi, formerly known as The Delhi College, founded in 1792.* State University of New York at Delhi* Delhi College of Engineering* Delhi College of Arts and Commerce* Jagan Institute of Management Studies...
. His travels took him to Central Asia, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Khorasan
Greater Khorasan
Greater Khorasan or Ancient Khorasan is a historical region of Greater Iran mentioned in sources from Sassanid and Islamic eras which "frequently" had a denotation wider than current three provinces of Khorasan in Iran...
, Northern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
His wife Hyderi Begum was a Muslim and a scholar. During the Indian Mutiny in 1857, she maintained a day book recording vividly the happenings and events in Delhi. Her diary was later seized and confiscated by the British government.
Mohan Lal retired at the age of 32, disappointed that he had not been properly rewarded for his singular contributions to the British cause in the First Anglo-Afghan War. His only brother, Kidar Nath, who was a Deputy Collector at Ambala
Ambala
Ambala is a city and a municipal corporation in Ambala district in the state of Haryana, India, located on the border of the states of Haryana and Punjab in India. Politically; Ambala has two sub-areas: Ambala Cantt and Ambala City, approximately 3 kilometers apart from each other...
died in 1855. Mohan Lal's later years were spent in obscurity and financial troubles. He is believed to have written an extensive diary, but it has disappeared.
Mohan Lal Zutshi was born into a Kashmiri Pandit family (Kashmiri Saraswat Brahmin). His father was from the Zutshi clan whereas his mother was from the Kaul clan. Mohan Lal Zutshi was a scholar in the classical languages of Persian and Sanskrit and this cam in handy when he travelled in and around the North-West of the Indian Subcontinent all the way to Afghanistan and Iran. He was a great admirer of the poetry of Rumi and the Shahnameh
Shahnameh
The Shahnameh or Shah-nama is a long epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi between c.977 and 1010 AD and is the national epic of Iran and related societies...
, as he was fluent in classical Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
.
Anglo-Afghan war
In 1831 Lieutenant (later Captain) Sir Alexander Burnes of the East India Company's service was deputed by the British Government to gather information in the countries lying between India and the Caspian. He was directed to appear as a private individual with a small retinue maintaining a character of poverty. Mohan Lal was engaged by Burnes primarily to assist him in his Persian correspondence and also because Burnes believed that his youth and creed would free him from all danger of his entering into intrigues with the people among whom he was going to travel.Alexander Burnes
Alexander Burnes
Captain Sir Alexander Burnes was a Scottish traveller and explorer who took part in The Great Game. He was nicknamed Bokhara Burnes for his role in establishing contact with and exploring Bukhara, which made his name.-Early life:He was born in Montrose, Scotland, to the son of the local provost,...
and Mohan Lal led an expedition to Central Asia in 1832-4 for procuring political and military intelligence, and became firm friends. Later, Lal was the Commercial Agent
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
for the British on the Indus and Political Assistant to Burnes in Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
during the first Afghan War. Unlike Burnes, he survived the massacres of 1841 and continued to keep Calcutta informed of events in the Afghan capital from the house of a merchant where he had taken refuge. His reports contained many strong and cogent criticisms of the behaviour of British Officers, and particularly Sir William Hay Macnaghten
William Hay Macnaghten
Sir William Hay Macnaghten, 1st Baronet was a British civil servant in India, who played a major part in the First Anglo-Afghan War....
and General William Elphinstone
William Elphinstone
William Elphinstone was a Scottish statesman, Bishop of Aberdeen and founder of the University of Aberdeen.He was born in Glasgow, and educated at the University of Glasgow, taking the degree of M.A. in 1452. After practising for a short time as a lawyer in the church courts, he was ordained a...
. Had his advice and that of Burnes been followed, the disasters of the War could probably have been avoided.
Mohan Lal had learnt Persian in Delhi and travelled in the garb of a Muslim as Aga Hassan Kashmiri and as Mirza Quli Kashmiri in Iran and Afghanistan collecting information vital for his British master. During the first Anglo-Afghan war he was instrumental in setting up and expanding the British intelligence network in Afghanistan. He found out and handed over to the British authorities secret letters written by the rulers of Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
to Mehrab Khan, the ruler of Baluchistan, exhorting him not to allow passage to the invading British army. He managed to obtain the services of very important functionaries like Mohammed Tahir, Haji Khan Kakari, Abdul Majeed Khan, Akhundzada Ghulam and Mullah Nasooh in Kandahar and Sardar Abdul Rashid Khan, a nephew of the Emir Sardar Dost Mohammad Khan in Ghazni
Ghazni
For the Province of Ghazni see Ghazni ProvinceGhazni is a city in central-east Afghanistan with a population of about 141,000 people...
. He played a major role in securing the release of British prisoners held hostage in Bamiyan
Bamiyan
Bamyan , also spelt Bamiyan and Bamian, at an altitude of about 9,200 feet and with a population of about 61,863, is the largest town in the region of Hazarajat in central Afghanistan and the capital of Bamyan Province. It lies approximately 240 kilometres north-west of Kabul, the national capital...
. He tried to bring peace between the British and the Afghans during such inflammatory situations.
Opinions
Mohan Lal made a telling observation to Burnes about British imperialism: "You all tell yourselves all sorts of fairy stories – you are here to sell us your wonderful British goods, you want to set us free, you want us to grow up, you want to educate us and make us worship three gods instead of forty thousand… but when you are old and tired and sleeping in a thousand years' time, you will start to realise that you came here and took possession of what was not yours for one reason. To surrender it, to give it up. That is the only reason." His birth name was Mohan.
Books
- Mir Ghulam Mohammed Gubar : Afghanistan in the course of History [Persian] second Edition Qum Iran Published 1359 [1979-80] p-454,550
- Alex. Burnes : Travels into Bukhara. Vol.1
- Lal, Mohan. Journal of a tour through the Pun jab, Afghanistan, Turkistan, Khorasan and part of Persia in company with Lt Burnes, and Dr Gerard (Calcutta, 1834)
- Lal, Mohan. Travels in the Punjab and Afghanistan and Turistan to Balkh, Bikhara and Herat and a Visit to Great Britain, Germany (1846) (Reprinted Lahore: Al Biruni, 1979)
- Lal, Mohan. Life of the Amir Dost Mohammed Khan, of Kabul: with his political proceedings towards the English, Russian, and Persian governments, including victory and disasters of the British Army in Afghanistan. (London: Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans, 1846)
- Victoria Schonfeld, 2003, Afghan Frontier: Feuding and Fighting in Central Asia, Tauris Parke Paperbacks, ISBN 1860648959, 9781860648953.
Biography
- Gupta, Hari Ram. Life and Work of Mohan Lal Kashmiri. (Lahore: Minerva Book Shop, 1943).
Photograph
- Photograph from http://web.archive.org/web/20091028120229/http://geocities.com/mchirnside/afopen.htm
External links
- Face of Afghan spy revealed in forgotten photo; Gallery uncovers 150-, Sunday Herald, The, Apr 21, 2002, by Juliette Garside.
- First Anglo-Afghan War