SHIEKH GULAM MOHI-UD-DIN (1841-1846 A.D)

To earn the goodwill of Raja Gulab Singh, he extened every support and help to his General Zorawar Singh in the conquest of Ladakh and its adjacent areas.

Although Shiekh Gulam Mohi-ud-Din tried to heel up the wounds of Kashmiris which they had suffered from centuries, his efforts were jeopardized by the state of uncertainty that prevailed at Lahore Darbar. After the death of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, his successors failed to assert their authority with all force and vigour. They were weak enough to hold the empire to hold the empire togther and there were intrigues in the Lahore Darbar resulting in political assassination like that of Rani Chand Kaur in 1842, Maharaja Sher Singh in 1843, Raja Dhian Singh in 1843 and Lehna Singh in 1844, Sheikh Gulam Mohi-ud-Din on one hand tried to keep Raja Gulab Singh in good humour and extended every support to his General Zorawar Singh in accomplishment of his conquests in the frontier regions of Ladakh, Gilgit and other surrounding territories and on the other hand tried to maintain cordial relations with Lahore Darbar. He also had to deal with English East India Company who did not like the choice of a Muslim Governor for Kashmir as her territories were contigious with Afganistan and other Muslim dominated provinces of sub-continent. They also did not wish to see any of the Indian States to become powerful enough to challenge the British authority in India. They always maintained a close watch on the relations of the Indian Princes with each other so that they would not form an alliance to out the British from India. To weaken the Punjab State economically, militarily,politically and territorially they encouraged Raja Gulab Singh to carve an independent State out of the dominion held by Maharaja Ranjit Singh but at the same time maintained a check on his rising power when they exerted pressure on Maharaja Sher Singh to recall Zorawar Singh as it was apprehended that his aggressive designs would lead to international complications involving the Governments of Tibet, China, Nepal, Punjab and British India. But at the same time Raja Gulab Singh won more sympathies of the British Officers when, during Anglo Sikh War,he remained neutral and avoided confrontation of his army with the British inspite of the fact that his services were requisitioned by Rani Jindan when the Khalsa army crossed the Sutlej on 11 December, 1845. He was duly rewarded for his behaviour when a treaty was concluded between him and the English declaring him the Maharaja of the newly created State of Jammu and Kashmir. The treaty known as Treaty of Amritsar, was concluded on March 16, 1846 A.D.

This gave shock to Shiekh Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din, the governor of Kashmir and died within a week of conclusion of the treaty and is buried in the compound of Shrine of Shiekh Hamza Makdoom at Hari Parbat hillock. His son Shiekh Imam-ud-Din resisted for some time to hand over the political control of Kashmir to Maharaja Gulab Singh and even defeated Dogra army when they forcibly tried to take possession of the province. This act on the part of Imam-ud-Din caused panic in the Dogra camp and even the English gor concerned with his behaviour. They rendered all help to Maharaja Gulab Singh and even exerted all pressure on Shiekh Imam-ud-Din to vacate the province. It was finally on IST November, 1846 that Shiekh Imam-ud-Din surrendered himself to Sir John Lawrence at Thanna in Rajouri and Maharaja Gulab Singh entered Srinagar on 9^th November, 1846.