Draft:Raja Jehan Khan

Jehan Khan, also known as Raja Jehan Khan or Choudri Jehan Khan, died between between 1 January to 31 August 1870. It is unknown when he was born.

Background
Jehan Khan was one of the great Choudhrial of Dhanni (Chakwal, Punjab) and he came from caste Mair Minhas. This rank was held by the family from the time of the Emperors (from B.C. or early A.D) where they had control of this part of the country. Also, Jehan Khan and his brothers were also owners of the village of Hatar alongside other villages. After Jehan’s death, his son, Aurangzeb Khan, succeeded him as Choudri and Inamdar.

British Indian Army Service
Jehan Khan joined the British Indian Army around the 1850s because of the intense conflicts happening in the Jhelum District (where his home area, Chakwal, is located).

Before the 1810s, the Jhelum District was controlled by independent tribes. The whole region was similar to a petty warfare where tribes and villages constantly fought against one another. The society existed in a broken and trust-less truce where time-to-time there were devastating murders and thievish forays. Some villages had watchers that rung an alarm when an enemy approached.

When the Sikhs arrived around the 1810s, this ended the tribal independence. However, the Sikhs were not pattern rulers and they introduced an imperfect and rude order. They controlled the society by cutting their borders, which reduced some violence. On March 23rd, 1849, the Jhelum District was constituted where the Tahsils (areas) became Pind Dadan Khan, Tallagang, Jabbi and Chakwal. From 1849 to 1857, the boundaries of the region continuously changed.

The Mutiny Conflict in Jhelum District
Around 1857, conflicts among the people in Jhelum District escalated because of three reasons: the restless tribes, the mountainous nature of the country and the fact that the independent kingdom of Kashmir was nearby.

The British service came in to resolve these conflicts and they were successful, except with two regiments called the 14th and 39th Native Infantry. These two regiments had strong artillery skills and it was difficult to restrain them. Jehan Khan joined the British service at the Sowar rank to fight against these regiments. Please view the table to see where Sowar falls in Army rank.

The 39th Native Regiment were defeated and they were ordered to march towards Shahpur for instructions without their equipment magazines. The actual destination of their march was not Shahpur but Dera Ismail Khan. The 39th were not told the actual destination in order to prevent them from resisting this order.

The 14th Native Regiment were more challenging to defeat. Some of the people in this regiment went to Rawalpindi in hopes to form a treasury party but in reality, this was done by the British Service to weaken the 14th Native Regiment. With these people out of the way, only 500 men in the 14th Native Regiment were left to defeat.

7th July Fight
During the early morning of 7th July, 1857 a fight broke out between the British service and the 500 men in the 14th Native Regiment. The firing between the two forces lasted until 1 P.M. The end result of this fight was the 14th Regiment fleeing to the neighboring village and the lives of many British fighters being lost. Overall, the British troops did not do well due to two reasons: the heat of the July sun and the troops' three 6-pounder guns were useless against the 14th Regiment's mud walls and fortified guard-room.

At 4 P.M. the British fighters went to the neighboring village to fight with the 14th Regiment. The street fighting became a disaster for the British because their guns were too close to the houses, they ran out of ammunition and their gunners and horses were mowed down by a fire. This fire was set by the 14th Regiment. Lieutenant Battye, Assistant Commissioner, was commanding 30 police horses but 2-3 of these houses got kidnapped by the 14th Regiment and they used these horses against the British fighters. Simultaneously, during this fire, Major Browne, Deputy Commissioner, removed the equipment magazines of the 14th Regiment and this deprived the 14th from further ball cartridge.

During the morning of 8th July, the 14th Regiment fled. A group of them escaped into Kashmir territory and they were surrendered there. Other people were either killed, drowned or caught by the police.

On September 20th, 1857 Major Browne, Deputy Commissioner, reported that:"'Jehan Khan, one of the Choudrial of Chakwal, offered his services and served as a sowar at the time of the Mutiny, he had a horse killed under him at the fight with the 14th Regiment W. S and was anxious to prove his loyalty.'"

Plot against Chakwal
At this point, only 40 men from the 500 remained in the 14th Native Regiment. In order to capture these 40 men and also prevent new people from joining the 14th Regiment, the Jhelum District was closely monitored and precautions were taken. These precautions included:


 * Ferries being closed
 * The letters in mails were checked
 * Vagrants were examined
 * The Hindustanis who seemed doubtful or unemployed were expelled

A plot by the Hindustanis was discovered where they planned to murder the Tahsildar at Chakwal and seize the area's treasures. This plot was dismantled and it was unsuccessful.

Later during 1857, Major Browne, Deputy Commissioner, said the following about Jehan Khan:                "'...I recommend you retaining him on as such he is a plucky fellow and had a horse killed under him at the Mutiny for which he ought to receive payment at all events.'"The word 'plucky' is a synonym for unafraid, determined, daring, brave, courageous and heroic.

Personal Life
Jehan Khan had 3 boys named Aurangzeb, Abbas and Alladad. Aurangzeb joined the Indian Civil Service and retired as Extra Assistant Commissioner. It is unknown if Jehan had more kids.