Three Swords of Subedar Meer Jaffir - II

Meer Jaffir’s ten years of service under Ferris came to an end in 1849 and on the 24th of May that year, he transferred to the 1st Regiment Punjab Infantry. Just a week before, i.e. on the 18th of May, the Governor-General of India had issued orders for the raising of a new corps in the Punjab of five regiments of cavalry and five regiments of infantry. Captain John Coke was appointed as commandant of 1st Regiment Punjab Infantry to be raised at Peshawar and would rival in fame the Corps of Guides. The orders were to enrol “Eusufzais, Hindustanis and Sikhs” in equal proportion but very few Hindustanis were enlisted and the regiment consisted of Afridis, Khattaks, Dogras, and Punjabi Muslims – with Meer Jaffir appointed in an acting rank of the first subedar major.

From 1849 until 1851, Subedar Meer Jaffir served in a number of small expeditions led by his commandant to pacify “lawless villages” on the Frontier. The most significant was a five days’ campaign in February 1850 to force the Kohat Pass. The Adam Khel Afridis of the Kohat Pass were up in arms because the British wanted assert their authority over the pass and impose duty on the Kohat salt mines. During this operation, Capt. Coke earned a medal and the gratitude of the C-in-C:

“I shall not easily forget you or your regiment on those five days. I never saw such hard work better or more spiritedly done, for it was hard work while it lasted.”

Henry Lawrence, the Chief Commissioner of the Punjab also thanked Coke for the honour he brought on the nascent Punjab Irregular Force. For this recognition and honour, Meer Jaffir’s contribution was significant. He had enrolled in the Corps of Jazailchee only ten years earlier and now as a senior Subedar was entrusted with the command of two companies. When Sir Charles Napier inspected the regiment he found that the men of the regiment were “[...] in beautiful order [...] ; but their arms and clothing were shameful. The regiment had old Sikh muskets of different calibres and luckily very few would go off, or they would have burst and wounded half the regiment.”

He had the regiment re-equipped with spare arms taken from other regiments.

Coke’s regiment covered the advance of the force when it entered the pass on the 10th of February. Two companies under Major Coke took the hills on the right while two companies under Lieutenant Keys took the hills on the left. Meer Jaffir’s two companies advanced through the nalluh in the valley.

“On nearing the village of Akbur (Akhor), Meer Jaffir’s two companies were ordered to clear the heights to the left of the village. Lieutenant Lumsdden of the Guides accompanied this party and they carried the hills, which were strongly held and sangared, in gallant style. Meer Jaffir was stated to have done extremely well in this attack. Akbur (Akhor) village was then destroyed, and Meer Jaffir’s four companies acted as rear guard to the force up to Zarghun Khel where the force encamped for the night. On the 13^th the regiment formed the rear guard, and covered the force a short way down the pass; after which it returned, moved over the Kohat Pass, and dropped down into Kohat. The gallantry of Meer Jaffir and Hubeeb Khan was most conspicuous throughout these operations. The Board of Administrators subsequently ordered each of them to be presented with a shawl, value Rupees 150, as recognition of their services.”

During the entire operation,

“[...] the Native regiments, especially the 1st Punjab Infantry bore the brunt of the work [...] and the natives had to fight on empty stomachs, few having had a regular meal for three successive days”.

In recognition of his service, Meer Jaffir was presented with a shawl (cloak) valued at Rs. 150.

In the first march to intercept and capture some raiders, his detachment was continuously on the march for 40 hours in which it covered 112 km

In 1852 Meer Jaffir served with Sir Colin Campbell’s Field Force in operations against the Utman Khels and in 1853 his battalion was again involved in relatively minor operations on the North West Frontier. It included two very fine marches led by Meer Jaffir. In the first march to intercept and capture some raiders, his detachment was continuously on the march for 40 hours in which it covered 112 km. Meer Jaffir was recommended for promotion to Subedar Major but could not be awarded the rank because it was restricted to “regiments of the line’”on the regular establishment of the Bengal Army.

Capt. Coke made every effort to obtain an admission to the Order of British India for this deserving Indian officer. His citation initiated in May 1852, testifies that:

“During the three years Subedar Meer Jaffir has been in my regiment his conduct has been all I could desire. In the Kohat Pass and the Meeranzia his services were those of a gallant soldier. He commands great respect from the soldier under him, and all the native officers. Is of good family and has been employed by me in the position of Native Adjutant. Is a good drill …. (illegible) and is true and faithful to the Government he serves. ….. With some experience of native soldiers, I have not seen a man I could so thoroughly and conscientiously recommend for advancement as Subedar Meer Jaffir.”

In a testimony recorded in 1852 supporting the citation, Lt Col Mackenson stated:

“ […] when I met him the other day at Peshawar I found that he was still in our service without having obtained a higher rank than when I knew him ten years ago. I felt greatly disappointed, this steady attachment to the service and the bright example of gallantry he has never failed to display whenever opportunity offered, merited I think a speedier advancement. […] I shall be very glad if my tributes to his merits as a soldier can in any way advantage his prospects in the service.”

Apart from the supporting testimonies from Lt. Col. Mackenson there was also one from Maj. Ferris who declared that Meer Jaffir:

[…] on every occasion behaved with the greatest gallantry and, had not the Jazalichee Corps been disbanded at Jhelum, it was my full intention for forwarding his name to the Government for some mark of distinction.”

So strong was his case that the Commissioner of the Punjab directly approached the Secretary to the Government of India in July 1853, recommending that Meer Jaffir be admitted to the Order of Merit for his accumulated gallant services. The Governor-General was sympathetic but was unable to provide a positive response because the Commissioner had not followed the prescribed procedure which included the recommendation of Meer Jaffir’s admission by a properly constituted committee. However, he suggested to the Commissioner that “the services of the Subedar at the Kohat Pass which are of comparatively recent date, might perhaps alone ensure the regard for him which is now solicited.”

It took six months for the formalities to be completed before this outstanding native officer was finally admitted to the 3rd Class of the Order vide letter No. 620 from Secretary to Government, Council Chamber, Fort William, dated 20 January 1854. It entitled him to a one-third increase in pay. When the award was finally announced, Meer Jaffir’s commanding officer expressed his feelings in the following words. “Wonder so if the good day will ever come when a soldier shall be judge of a soldier’s merits, and not secretaries and civilians. Truly was it said by Wallenstein that no gold was equal to the weight of a valiant soldier that great hopes followed great rewards and the greatest recompenses produced both the best troops and most skillful officers.”

There was no peace on the Frontier and the 1st Punjab Infantry continued operating among the turbulent border clans including the Kohat Pass Afridis, the Uthman Khels, the Wazirs and the Shiranis. Early in 1857 along with the 4th Punjab Infantry under Capt. Wilde, it conducted a punitive expedition against the Buzdars, a “Baloch robber tribe” which had been raiding in the district of Dera Ghazi Khan. The Buzdars put up a stout resistance, in the course of which Capt. Coke was severely wounded in the shoulder. Meer Jaffir who was ever to the fore was also injured. The Digest of Service of the 1st (Coke’s) Regiment, Punjab Infantry records:

“Subadar Meer Jaffeer who distinguished himself as usual and would not leave the Field though his right arm was smashed with a ball, was advanced from 3rd to 2nd grade Order of Merit.”

In May 1857, the 1st Punjab Infantry was at its depot in Bannu when it received orders to join the Punjab Movable Column at Jhelum for its march to Delhi. En route it was directed to march via Lahore and on the way apart from picking up a large ammunition column as well as an important treasury bound for Delhi, it also disarmed a Bengal infantry regiment. On 1 July and 40 days after leaving Bannu, it was just half a day’s march from Delhi when an attempt was made to subvert the battalion by native officers and sowars of two regiments. They made the mistake of approaching Subedar Meer Jaffir and a risaldar both of whom reported the incident and the subverters were identified, seized, tried and executed. For the unstinting loyalty demonstrated by this incident, Subedar Meer Jaffir was awarded the Order of British India, 1st Class which permitted the prefix of Sardar Bahadur to his name. His name was also subsequently included in the List of Persons Awarded for Acts of Loyalty contained in The Mutinies and the People, or Statements of Native Fidelity Exhibited during the Outbreak of 1857-58 which was published by Stanhope Press, Calcutta, in 1859.

From the day it arrived till the storming of Delhi, the regiment was involved in forays against rebel positions, fending off frequent attacks, and counter-attacking rebel sorties. On 14 July, the besieged made a strong sortie through the suburbs of Sabzi Mandi. 1st Punjab Infantry was part of the column that pushed the rebels back with great difficulty but made the error of pursuing them right till the city. As a result, they came under galling fire of grape and musketry from the walls alongside the Lahore Gate. Casualties were very heavy and in his subsequent report, John Coke states that “Meer Jaffer, Subedar and Sirdar Bahadur, distinguished himself as usual, badly wounded, right leg smashed.”

Sali Ram, the battalion’s drill havildar and a gallant solider was killed while carrying Meer Jaffir from the spot where he had been wounded while under heavy fire. This was Meer Jaffir’s third serious injury in combat and he was invalided from regular service. However, he was advanced to a 2nd Class Order of Merit vide Governor General’s Order (G.G.O.)1346/1857.

After the fall of Lucknow, units of military police were attached to every column that marched through Oudh, and occupied each district as it was wrested from the rebels. Meer Jaffir recovered sufficiently from his serious injury to serve on active duty with the 2nd Regiment Jazailchees of the Oudh Police. The regiment was commanded by Lt. Arthur Millett with Subedar Meer Jaffir as the Native Commandant. A flavour of the nature of operations conducted by the police unit was an engagement with a rebel force in May 1859 at Kurwania Sota near the River Raptee in Oudh. Millet was commanding a mixed force of 220 sabres drawn from the 5th Punjab Infantry, the 2nd Jazailchees, the 1st Punjab Cavalry and the Oudh Police Cavalry. It was drawn from a field column commanded by Maj J. L. Vaughan. Information was received of a force of rebels consisting of 50 cavalry and 400-500 sepoys camped in the Sonar Valley. The path leading to the rebel camp was through dense jungle and Millet’s force moved forward with a small advance guard and flanking parties. A piquet of the rebels spotted the British troops and fled to warn their compatriots. Millet records that:

“It being evident that the sowars whom we had just seen would give the alarm to the enemy, and it being most necessary that I should obtain early information as to the movements of the rebels, I ordered up half the cavalry from the rear, and sent them ahead under Native Commandant Meer Jaffir Khan, of the 2nd Jezailchees, with orders, however, to the latter not to commit himself in any unequal fight with the enemy. When we had arrived within two miles of the Kurwania Sota, one of our sowars brought back a report from Meer Jaffir Khan, urging the rapid advance of the infantry, and stating that the enemy had fallen in to the sound of the bugle, and appeared inclined to show fight.”

The British troops advanced in good order with parties thrown out to protect the flanks, and attacked the rebels who responded with a heavy volley of musketry. However, as the troops rushed forwarded the rebels commenced a rapid retreat, first in good order and then in flight with Millet’s cavalry in pursuit. In this one day of action Millet’s forces from Khulkulla marched 56 kms and those from the camp 75 km, all in an unusually hot May sun.

There is no further record available of Meer Jaffir’s service and as to when he ultimately retired, but according to G.G.O. 404/1866, he was advanced to an I.O.M. 1st Class as Commandant Meer Jaffir Khan, 2nd Regiment Jazailchees, Oudh Police. The I.O.M. 1st Class was the equivalent of the Victoria Cross. The British also awarded him a Taluqa (estate) in the district of Rai Bareli. The Gazetteer of the district published in 1905 records that:

“The third Pathan taluqa is that of Raghopur, and consists of a single village in the Hardoi pargana. This estate formerly belonged to the Atra-Chandapur taluqa, half of which was confiscated after the munity. It was given with two other villages to Mir Jafar Ali Khan, Sardar Bahadur, a distinguished officer who served in the Afghan war of 1842, the Sikh campaign, and the munity, rising to be commanded of the 2nd regiment of Oudh police. He was succeeded by his son, Mir Ahmad Jan, the Present taluqdar, who has sold his estate with the exception of the village of Raghopur”

Mir Ahmad Jan was the father of my paternal grandmother. From her my father inherited three swords of Meer Jaffir. One he presented to the 7th Frontier Force Battalion; the second a curved sabre is with my bother Hassan; and I am in proud possession of the third – a short sword very much like the one he presented to Coke’s battalion.