Aarushi Thakur
Jammu witnessed the first ever theatrical venture of an International Class from the untold pages of the history of Jammu & Kashmir. Designed and directed by Padamshree Balwant Thakur, this ICCR Jammu presentation which ICCR showcased in association with Maharaja Gulab Singh Memorial Trust vibrated the large stage of General Zorawar Singh Auditorium through the mind-blowing stage action. With 70 (seventy) top actors of Jammu stage and a team of 15 (fifteen) creative off-stage experts, Balwant Thakur created this mesmerizing electrifying presentation which received standing ovation from the jam-packed audience which included who is who of Jammu including Dr. Karan Singh President ICCR and top Bollywood and TV actor Mohit Raina.
As soon as the curtains were drawn and the lights were thrown on the actors, there began a journey of trance where the audience was taken to the house where Gulab Singh was born then to the battlefield where he fought with valour and pride against anyone who stood against him. Never in the annals of history had witnessed such sense of enthusiasm amongst the youth of Jammu when they saw the theatrical performance. As a writer when I write this, I commit and choose to develop a reader’s perception but I am thereby at the same time a legislator deciding for the whole of mankind and in such a moment I cannot escape from the sense of complete and profound responsibility. In Jammu, where Gulab Singh has been seen as a tyrant and has been projected in a negative light, Natrang tried to throw light on the most important and uncertainly the most relevant quality of an emperor. The debate about Gulab Singh has been riddled in an unanswerable vicious circle and had been long forgotten. ICCR’s Regional Director Balwant Thakur took the daunting task by throwing light on Gulab singh’s unmatchable might, his astuteness, his far-sightedness, his intelligence and his diplomatic alertness. This was acknowledged in the form of a semi-musical theatrical performance – ‘Gulab Gaatha’. Noted lyricist and composer Brij Mohan render the lyrics and music.
The play tried to show a journey of a soldier who achieves great success at everything he initiates. His unquestionable obligatory obedience towards Lahore Durbar, his unconditional sacrifice and his conception of a kingdom has been regarded and given value in the play. Many people in the city might not know the accurate realities of the journey of Gulab singh and some might even believe in the interpretations presented to them. There have been lot of instances of illusory judgements on Gulab Singh. So, when the play was presented to the people of Jammu, they experienced enlightenment and took with them a story which had never been told and appreciated in our city.
If we suppose that whatever things we see are illusions, then we need to believe that none of the things the memory represents to have happened really did so. Kings and rulers are personified by the people in so many different ways that the real event or their efficiency is somehow nothing but a memory. One such memory or event in the history of Jammu and the history of rulers shows the remarkable sense of alerted judgement of the Raja of jammu. After the subjugated defeat of the Sikh kingdom in the First Anglu-Sikh war between 1845 and 1816, the Sikhs lost the paramountcy in the hands of the East India Company. This led to the signing of the treaty of Lahore in 1846 where the Sikhs were made to surrender the valuable region (the Jullundur Doab) between the Beas River and Sutlej River. The Lahore Durbar was also required to pay an indemnity of two crores. This sum of money was negotiated and brought down to 1.5 crore because Maharaja Gulab singh was able to persuade the British. However, the Lahore durbar could not readily raise this sum, it ceded Kashmir, Hazarah and all the forts, territories, rights and interests in the hill countries situated between the Rivers Beas and Indus to the East India Company, as equivalent for one Crore of rupees.
This is where Maharaja Gulab singh with his far-sightedness and unshakable assertiveness negotiated with the British by the means of a treaty called the Treaty of Amritsar, the Raja of Jammu, Gulab Singh, purchased Kashmir from the East India Company for a payment of 7,500,000 rupees (75 lakh) and was granted the title Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir. He decided to pay the amount all by himself without the help of the Lahore durbar. He is famously known for paying 75 lakh to the British as a war-indemnity and legally protecting the land of Kashmir from going into the hands of Britishers. He signed and negotiated the TREATY OF AMRITSAR with British on 16th of March, 1846. The treaty transferred the territories of Jammu, Kashmir, Gilgit and Hunza (excluding Lahul) to his independent possession. He is said to have played an eminent role in extending the boundaries of his kingdom. The Maharaja of Jammu at that time played a strategic policy and ensured that the prestige of Jammu and the reign of the Raja should prevail. In spite of facing various drawbacks and bitterness from the Lahore Darbar, Gulab Singh’s immovable stand restored the prestige of the people of Jammu. On one hand, where relations between different princely states was characterised by defeat and bowing their heads under the British, Jammu was strategically excluded from this humiliation.
Just like great game of chess involves well-planned strategy and an intrinsic knowledge of the moves of your opponent, the same way diplomatic relations in a state are a reflection of strategic planning. It is somehow a game that involves planning and intelligence. Many rulers in our country have been known for their bravery and their conquests which shine like a jewel in their arsenal but only few have been known for their strategic accomplishments. Maharaja Gulab Singh was one such ruler whose astuteness and curious compound of mysticism is commendable. Presumably, however, we believe that kings and rulers are known for their magnificent ability to fight and conquer but to believe only that is a platitude. There are very few rulers who not only exceed in their might but they also leave an impact on the people because of their magnificent policies.
Maharaja Gulab Singh was born in October 18, 1792 in a Hindu Jamwal Dogra Rajput family. His father, Kishore Singh Jamwal, was a distant kinsman of Jit Singh, the Raja of Jammu. Gulab Singh grew up in the care of his grandfather, Zorawar Singh, from whom he learned the arts of horse riding and warfare. In 1808, when the Sikh army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh invaded Jammu, the 16-year-old Gulab Singh fought for the people of Jammu. At such tender age he was ready to give up his life for the prestige and the name of his people. His forward looking behaviour and his constant optimism could be seen in his actions. He not only played the game with his might but he also handled the strategic relation of Jammu diplomatically.
The greatness of leaders is not just in their works but in the way they have been appreciated and personified in the eyes of the people. Napoleon was a military and political hero of France and Alexander has been applauded for his greatness for his conquest. Gulab Singh as an emperor held the same qualities of being a courageous warrior. He was a normal person with no lineage of royalty but he established himself as a King with the help of his bravery and continued to keep a hold on his empire because of his well-planned strategic and diplomatic intelligence.
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