OPPOSITION OFFERED TO THE BRITISH

The advent of the British unlike that of the Duranies as well as the Sikh was welcomed in the settled area of Hazara The people after the repressive and harsh rule of the Sikhs considered their new rulers as their saviors. In the early days of the British hre little or no resistance was offered to them this good will of the people was reciprocated with equal catholicity of the British by exempting them from the general order of surrendering all arms and weapons which was enforced just six weeks after the annexation of the Punjab by the British in consequence of which some 100,200 weapons of all sizes and kinds were surrendered in the Punjab but none in Hazara.

During November 1852 due to some misunderstanding between Zamin Shah of Bela Kawai of Kaghan area and Major James Abbott an expedition consisting of six regiments six heavy guns and numerous tribal levies under the command of colonel Mackson was organized and sent but the misunderstanding was peacefully removed. As a matter of fact individual cases of resistances against the British were not uncommon among the people but collective as well as any kind of massive resistance was rare and Hazara settled areas remained peaceful.

During the days when different religion political movements in the Sub continent were starting the general behavior of the masses in this area could not remain unaffected by these movements. When the Khilafat movement was on the full swing as a mass movement the people of Hazara also joined ot enthusiastically. No effort was spared by the people in the movement and as a result Hazara especially Mansehra Tehsil became unruly. Diwan Chand oberal defines the situation in these words. “The Mansehra tehsil practically acknowledged no British rule. The villagers especially in Dhudial and Shinkiari had appointed their own officials, such as Tehsildar and Thanadars and even attempted to set up their own administration. Besides participation of the general masses in religious movements they also resisted the British Government in her every steps injurious to the people. Agitation against the notorious Rowlett Act and resistance to the emergency power ordinance 1932 are the instance of this kind of resistance.

Though the British government tools some drastic measures such as the imposition of Martial Law in the Mansehra tehsil but could not succeed fully to extirpate it. Anti Government resentment remained alive in the hearts of the people who were in need of capable and sincere leadership when the Muslim League started its struggle for the noble cause of Pakistan their enthusiasms burst out with full force.

HAZARA UNDER BRITISH RULE

The British came to sub continent in the garb of traders but because of their machination they assumed the role of its rulers. Up to 1843 to 1846 quite a few regions were captured by them but the imposition of the British Raj on the Punjab was yet to come. This opportunity was afforded to them with the outbreak of the first war between the Sikhs and the British which besides other consequences resulted in an agreement between the two. Due to this agreement a British Resident was deputed to Lahore while Kashmir and Hazara area sold to Raja Ghulab |Singh for 7500000 rupees in March 1846. But during the same month of the succeeding year on the request of the Raja management f Hazara was directly assumed by the Lahore Darbaar H Lawrence. The British Resident at Lahore deputed Captain James Abbott in this region entrusted with the task of demarcating the boundary between Kashmir and the Punjab. It was towards the end of May 1847 while engaged in this work near the border of Hazara that he James Abbott received order deputing him to Hazara with full power of control over the administration.

Of a sanguine enthusiastic temperament warm hearted and generous he had little difficulty in winning the hearts of the people who welcome him as their savior from the Sikh as well as from the Dogra oppression. He earned their gratitude with his many acts of generosity and kindliness. Due to his kind heartedness he came to be almost worshipped by the people.

He up to the latter half of 1848 worked very patiently for the British as well as for the people cause but soon after wards some disputes between him and Sardar Chattur Singh the Sikh Governor of Hazara took place. These differences became so ominous that Major James Abbott and his 16 British colleges were compelled to take refuge first in Gandgar and later in the Tanawal area. In these areas the British found hospitable friends who in their hard days were a source of satisfaction for them and the second Sikh war maintained them and thwarted all the efforts of the Sikhs and the Afghan who came in the area to dislodge the British. Major James Abbott with the help of the local people fought so bravely against his enemies during the March 1849 that on the conclusion of the war be was appointed the first Deputy Commissioner D.C of the District. As a matter of fact with arrival of Major James Abbott a new era dawned in the chequered history of this area.