Mian Kamal, the greatest storyteller of the 20th century, was a true son of soil but as an artist had a universal vision born of different and conflicting strands of historical experiences that made Punjab what it is; highly diverse and pluralistic.

Mian Kamal’s repertoire is huge and varied reflecting his unmatchable versatility, a hallmark of a profound mind engaged in discovering the length and breadth of human predicament. Just to have a measure of his imaginative sweep it suffices to point out that he can talk of Aristotle and Alexander, Darius and Iranian princesses, Raja Porus and Raja Ambhi, Raja Ram Chandra and Ashoka, Dara Shikoh and Aurangzeb, Ranjit Singh and Hari Singh Nalwa, Buddhist monks and Hindu ascetics, Muslim saints and scholars, tribal lords and peasants. He knows the disposition of a rustic as much as he knows the manners of a royal. He can discover a bold hero in a petite rustler and a sloughing coward in a formidable lord. Some of the powerful themes in his stories emanate from his concept of valour, friendship, generosity, fair play and sense of honour which his narrative raises to the level of supreme human values, never to be compromised. Here is a fragment from his story titled Fateh Khan Motian Wala.

Dhiyan Singh was Ranjit Singh’s prime minister. His son was Heera Singh after whose name Heera Mandi [in Lahore] has been named. I have seen his photo. He was so handsome. When he was a child, Ranjit Singh was so fond of him that he would have his bed in his bedroom. He would hand Heera Singh rupee five hundred every morning.

Dhiyan Singh also had two adopted sons; Sher Khan Pathan of Jandanwala from the region of Thul and Fateh Khan Tiwana of Mitha Tiwana. What these Sikhs valued most was friendship. It so happened that Maharaja Ranjit Singh gifted Heera Singh a dress. When donning this dress, he came out, Fateh Khan spontaneously uttered: “How beautifully sits the turban on your head! How lovely is your parti-colored headdress!” Dhiyan Singh looked at his son and said: “He likes it. Take it off and present it to him”. He hesitated as he too was a young man with passion for such things. He emphatically repeated: “Get up. Haven’t you heard? I told you to hand over this turban to your brother [Fateh Khan]?” He went in. After a while coming out, he tossed the turban and said: “When you have Sher Khan and Fateh Khan, it means I am as good as dead for you”. “By Guru, these two will be enough for me even if you die,” came the reply. Fateh Khan Motian Wala [Fateh Khan, the man with pearls] was called so because of his excessive generosity. Once Ranjit Singh distributed pearls among his courtiers. He also got his share. But he gave all the pearls in charity. Had he kept them for himself, the same wouldn’t scare him.

Ranjit Singh got married in the clan of Sandhanwalia Sikhs. The lady was called Jind Kaur. Sandhanwalia clan began gaining strength. Dhiyan Singh got jealous thinking that tie of marriage would empower them. After Ranjit Singh’s death, now it was Kharak Singh’s turn to take over. He had a son Nau Nihal Singh from his first marriage. He got his second spouse Chand Kaur, a niece of Jind Kaur, from Sandhanwalia clan. He was advanced in years while the bride was young. The Sikh ruler used to have a lota-bearer in his service who would always be with him. His job was to provide the pot full of water for his master’s toilet needs. In their Zenana they would have minors. With Chand Kaur in palace, Sandhanwalias started growing in strength. Dhiyan Singh and co harboured jealousy. One day Kharak Singh’s lota-bearer was passing through Anarkali bazar. Dhiyan Singh and Heera Singh, the father and the son, stopped him and said: “Hey, you lota-bearer, now you are an adult. Leave Maharaja’s house. You are no longer fit for the job.” He stayed silent. In the evening the boy narrated what the duo had said. “Be quiet. You will stay with me as if tied to my hair.” It was a great Sikh vow. In the morning the boy said to a shop keeper in the bazar when the father and the son were in the hearing range what the monarch had said to him: “You will stay with me tied to my hair even if someone get their mothers laid to prevent it”. The father and the son looked at each other and felt that the abuse was hurled at them.

It was morning. Kharak Singh followed by the lota-bearer came out of the fort. He sat down to pee. In the meantime, Kharak Singh’s young son Nau Nihal Singh emerged from the Fort and met the father and the son. They told him how they were insulted by the boy day before yesterday. “Cut him down,” he ordered. They swished their swords in the air and pounced on him. He was killed then and there. Kharak Singh ran back to the Fort, entered his room and bolted it from inside. The queen Chand Kaur requested him day and night to open the door but in vain. Next morning when lock was broken, they found him dead inside. He died as he had given the lota-bearer a pledge to keep him tied to his hair as long as he lived. — soofi01@hotmail.com

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2022