Dewan Nand Ram Tikoo – The Prime Minister of Afghanistan

In public domain there is a discussion on Dewan Nand Ram Tikoo the Prime  Minister of Afghanistan.  And I can’t help but remember my childhood.

I was raised by my grandparents,  as per the Kashmiri tradition. My grandfather told me about our ancestor, Kail Padshah; who was the Prime Minister of Kashmir and was killed by the Afghans.

I looked for this link on Google, Books etc; but reached a dead end.

I thought Kail Padshah must have been from the clan of his mother or his grandmothers; since one Kailash Dhar did show-up. But it didn’t connect the other missing dots.

I was alone at home, during the Covid lockdown ; and started having long phone conversations on Kashmir, with a knowledgeable man – Jenab Zarif Ahmed Zarif; who needs no introduction.  During one such interaction, I brought-up, the Kail Padshah.

Zareef Saab  after a month or so, got back to me; with the pages of the Barasti Shai; a book in Farsi.

The Kail Padshah, I was looking for was Pandit Hardas Tikoo S/O Pandit Vishnath Tikoo, who  was Sahibkar  of Kashmir. He was martyred in 1814,  at the age of 34,  by the Afghan Governor Rahmat-ul-Khan. His dead body,  was fished out of Veth aka River Jehlum.

My take is that a decomposed body, fished out of the river, must have been too gory, for the family to forget; this tragic event, was passed from generation to generation. And since Hardas’s tenure was brief and a promising career cut short; public memory had little recollection. Anyway, Kashmir history is full of political dust; Kail Padshah was lost in this dust.

His brother was Dewan Nand Ram Tikoo, the Prime Minister of Afghanistan; Birth: circa 1775 Death: circa 1850; during the reign of Zaman Shah. There is enough written about him in public domain. A  distinguished career.

Kashmir was ruled from Kabul twice, in the A.D. period; Kanishak’s and Zaman Shah’s  rule.

The Tikoo’s living in Habbakadal area,  opposite to Sumyar Temple, across the river, are from this clan; similarly Tikoo’s from Lahore and Lucknow are from this clan.

From 15th Century, it was the knowledge of Farsi, administrative acumen and ready to relocate; that made Kashmiri Pandits rise in bureaucracy, in the region’s kingdoms. This also got us the title of Pandit.

The above lines are written, while remembering my revered Grandfather, Bobaji.  -Reapan Tikoo