LAHORE: Fakir S Aijazuddin, a scion of the Fakir family, on Wednesday launched his book ‘The Resourceful Fakirs – three Muslim brothers at the Sikh court of Lahore’ -- documenting his family history and its role in the reign of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh.

In a 40-minute monologue, FS Aijazuddin briefly described how his three ancestors – Azizuddin, Imamuddin and Nuruddin – exerted influence on the Mahajara and were able to carve out, for the first time, identity of Punjab in 5,000-year history of India.

How Azizuddin – a gifted linguist, scribe and hakim – was able to play a vital role in the Sikh kingdom by securing the Treaty of Amritsar in 1809 in which the British recognised Ranjit Singh’s independent status as a raja and later the Tripartite Treaty of 1838, under which the Crown and the raja forged an alliance as equal partners.

Fakir Azizuddin served as the Maharaja’s indispensable spokesman and a trusted negotiator in all the dealings he had with the neighbours surrounding his expanding kingdom, including the increasingly powerful British. It was a tribute to Azizuddin’s skill that throughout the 30 years of their association, he enjoyed the unalloyed confidence of the canny Maharaja.

Fakir Imamuddin held the keys to Govindgarh Fort (near Amritsar) where the fabled Sikh treasury and armoury were located. The youngest -- Fakir Nuruddin -- occupied a position of prominence at the court and after Ranjit Singh’s death in 1839, acted as a member of the Regency Council.

Explaining the content of his book, he also threw light on how subsequent intrigues affected the kingdom and how Fakirs were still able to maintain their “independent and dignified” stance on different issues facing the kingdom after Maharaja’s death.

The book is published by an Indian publisher but is now available in Pakistan as well. His family elders were there to praise him for brining together what was available in bits and pieces and project the family history “in its true colours”.