Muhammadanism

The Rajput tribe named Langah,

1 long since converted to Muhammadanism, had

established an independent kingdom at Multan under their chief Rai Sehra (A.H.
847 =A.D. 1443), who took the title of Qutbu’d-din. He was succeeded in A.H.
874 by his son, Shah Husain, who reigned till A.H. 908 (A.D. 1502). It was during
his reign that the first settlement of Baloches in the Panjab was made by Malik
Sohrab Dodai, who came to Multan with his sons Ghazi Khan, Fath Khan, and
Ismail Khan, and a large number of Baloches. Shah Husain encouraged them and

gave them a jagir extending from Kot Karor to Dhankot, evidently on condition

of military service. Other Baloches, hearing of this, came flocking in, and
gradually obtained possession of the whole country between Sitpur and Dhanko
is to say, the present district of Muzafargarh between the Indus and the Chanab.
The chief authorities for these events are Firishta’s history of the Kings of Multan
and the Tabakat-i-Akbari.

1 Firishta calls the newcomers both Dodais and

Baloches, and says that they came from Kech and Makran. Soon after this two
brothers belonging to the Samma tribe, Jam Bayazid and Jam Ibrahim, who had
quarreled with Jam Nanda (or Nzamu’d-din) the Samma ruler of Sindh, came as
refugees to Shah Husain, and also obtained jagirs—viz., Uchh and Shor (i.e.,
Shorkot, now in the Jhang district). Jam Bayazid became a person of great
influence and commander of the Shah’s armies. After Shah Husain’s death and
the accession of Shah Mahmud he went into rebellion. A temporary
reconciliation took place, but there seems to have been a good deal of friction
between Malik Sohrab Dodal and Jam Bayazid.