GHULAM MOHIY UDDIN, SHAIKH (d. 1845), who rose to be governor of Kashmir in Sikh times, was the son of Shaikh Ujala, a munshi or accountant in the service of Sardar Bhup Singh of Hoshiarpur. At a young age, Ghulam Mohiy udDin took up service under Diwan Moti Ram, the governor of Kashmir, later shifting to Lahore. He exhibited great diplomatic skill when in 1823, under Maharaja Ranjit Singh`s instructions, he persuaded Sardar Muhammad `Azim Khan of Kabul, who had marched upon Peshawar, to retire without firing a shot. In 1827, Kirpa Ram, Diwan Moti Ram`s son, took him to Kashmir upon his appointment as governor of the province.
After four years, however, Kirpa Ram was recalled, and Shaikh Ghulam Mohiy udDin returned with him to Lahore where, according to some sources, he was subjected to punishment for his cruel treatment of the people of Kashmir. But within a year he returned to Kashmir as a deputy to Prince Sher Singh who had been sent as the new governor of that territory.Again the Shaikh was reported to have followed a repressive policy which, coupled with the outbreak of famine, made the lot of the people extremely miserable. The Maharaja recalled Shaikh Ghulam Mohiy udDin, and inflicted a heavy fine upon him besides confiscating all of his property and the hidden wealth which he had amassed at Hoshiarpur.
The Shaikh remained out of favour with the Darbar for some time but eventually found a patron in Bhai Ram Singh who helped him to secure service with Prince Nau Nihal Singh. Nau Nihal Singh took him to Peshawar, and entrusted to him the management of his financial affairs. In 1839, he was appointed governor of the Jalandhar Doab and in April 1841, after Sher Singh`s accession to the throne, governor of Kashmir. In February 1845, Ghulam Mohiy udDin made overtures to the British government with a view to transferring his allegiance to them, but died soon afterwards and was buried in the Khanaqah of Shaikh Hamza Makkhum, Hari Parbat, Srinagar.
References :
1. Sun, Sohan Lal, `Umddt-ut-Twdnkh. Lahore, 1885-89
2. Griffin, Lepel, Ranjit Singh. Delhi, 1957
3. Khushwant Singh, Ranjit Singh, Maharaja of the Punjab. Bombay, 1962
Shaikh Ghulam Muhy-ud-Din (d. 1846) was a Sikh Empire-era administrator who served as Nazim (governor) of Jalandhar Doab and Kashmir during 1834–1841 and 1841–1846, respectively. He was succeeded by his son Shaikh Imam-ud-Din in both positions after his death.
Biography
Muhy-ud-Din was born in a poor Punjabi family in Hoshiarpur to Shaikh Ujala, who worked as a munshi for Sardar Bhup Singh of Guler State. He started his life as a shoe-maker. Later he took up service of Diwan Moti Ram and accompanied his son Kirpa Ram when the latter was appointed governor of Kashmir in 1827. Kirpa Ram entrusted to him the deputy-governorship. After four years Kirpa Ram was recalled and like him Muhy-ud-Din also faced imprisonment and fines due to the allegations of mismanagement.
After a year Muhy-ud-Din regained his position and was sent with Prince Sher Singh to Kashmir to rehabilitate the shawl industry, again serving as deputy-governor during 1832–1834. In 1834 he was appointed governor of Jalandhar Doab and remained so until 1841.
Muhy-ud-Din was appointed to Kashmir in 1841 after the previous governor, Mehan Singh, was killed in a mutiny. In 1843 a Sikh army numbering 7000 men was defeated at Kahori by Sher Ahmad, the Bomba chief. In the same year Muhy-ud-Din ended several discriminatory measures that had been imposed on the Kashmiri Muslims since the Sikh conquest in 1819, such as reopening the Jamia Masjid for prayers after 25 years and permitting the calling of Azan.
In February 1845 he offered the British to transfer his allegiance to them on the condition of keeping the possession of Kashmir. However, the British government was not interested in elevating any Muslim chief to power in this sensitive region. Muhy-ud-Din unexpectedly died on 24 March 1846, possibly due to the shock of hearing the news of Kashmir being sold to the Dogra dynasty of Jammu under the treaty of Amritsar. He is also suspected of having been poisoned. Muhy-ud-Din was buried in the khanqah of Makhdum Shaikh Hamza in Hari Parbat, Srinagar. He was succeeded by his son Shaikh Imam-ud-Din as the governor.
