Empire, Saints and Landed Power: Political Transformation of Multan under British Rule (1849–1947)

Abstract

The annexation of Multan in 1849 was a significant change in the political, social and economic scenario of south Punjab. This paper investigates political landscape of Multan during British rule and explores relationship between colonial systems of administration, agrarian reorganization and indigenous authority structures. It claims that British administration in Multan was not one-hundred-percent coercive or transformative, but practiced a negotiated indirect rule that involved integration of pirs, sajjada nashins and landed elites into colonial system. Using district gazetteers, records of canal colonies and modern historiography, study points to formation of a loyal agrarian oligarchy through irrigation schemes, land settlements and electoral reform, as well as rise of political mobilization and a sense of nationalism. The analysis reveals, by contrast, that Multan was an important place where religious authority, land power and colonial bureaucracy converged to create a hybrid political structure that influenced colonial administration and the development of postcolonial political culture.

Key words: Pirs, Sajjada Nashins, Elites, Land, Settlement, Canal, Administration, Multan, Political