FATEH KHAN

FATEH KHAN (d. 1818), son of Painda Khan, the Barakzai chief, who overthrew Shah Zaman, the king of Afghanistan (1793-1800), and placed his half-brother Shah Mahmud on the throne of Afghanistan, himself becoming prime minister. Shah Mahmud was dethroned in 1803 and was succeeded by Shah Shuja`. Fateh Khan expelled Shah Shuja` in 1809 and restored Shah Mahmud to sovereignty. Shah Shuja` fell into the hands of`Ata Muhammad Khan. the governor of Kashmir. As Kashmir was the richest province of the kingdom of Afghanistan, Fateh Khan turned his attention towards `Ata Muhammad Khan.

He concluded a treaty with Maharaja Ranjit Singh for a joint expedition to Kashmir which was undertaken in 1812. `Ata Muhammad was defeated and replaced by Fateh Khan`s real brother, Muhammad `Azim Khan, but Fateh Khan did not fulfil the terms of the treaty, and the Sikh general, Diwan Mohkam Chand, seized Shah Shuja` who was brought to Lahore. Ranjit Singh took Attock in June 1813. Fateh Khan and his brother, Dost Muhammad Khan, made an attempt to regain the fort, but were defeated by Diwan Mohkam Chand. Recovery of Attock remained the dream of Fateh Khan till his death in 1818.

References :

1. Suri, Sohan Lal, `Udmat-ut-Twarikh. Lahore, 1885-89
2. Griffin, Lepel, Ranjit Singh. Oxford, 1905
3. Bhagat Singh, Maharaja Ranjit Singh and His Times. Delhi, 1990