Fazilka History

In 1800, this tract was almost uninhabited. There was no village where Fazilka (the headquarters of the tehsil of the same name) now stands. The riverside country was occupied only by 12 villages of Bodlas, Wattus and Chishtis, who had come over from the other side of the River a few years before. It was left for a long time to the Nawabs of Bahawalpur and Mamdot, who established some small forts. Their common boundary was ill-defined, but was approximately the same as afterwards became the boundary between the parganas of Wattu and Bahak. In 1844, the parganas of Wattu, so called from the principal tribe inhabiting it, and, comprising strip of land running down from the Danda to the Satluj, was ceded by the Nawab of Bahawalpur in exchange for a similar tract given to him on the Sindu frontier, and was attached to Bhattiana. This strip was acquired partly to permit the extension of the customs line to the River, and partly that a political officer might be stationed there to watch the surrounding foreign States of Lahore, Faridkot, Mamdot and Bahawalpur. In 1858, the pargana of Bahak, on the Satluj, lately confiscated from the Nawab of Mamdot, was transferred from the Firozpur District to the Sirsa District. It had been settled by Brandreth in 1857-58 before its transfer. The Fazilka Tehsil was divided in the first Regular Settlement of the Sirsa District, into four parganas, viz (I) Malaut including 129 villages (consisting of the southern portion of the Tehsil, the chief village of which was Malaut, resumed from the Sikh Chief in 1837) (2) Mahajani including 45 villages (consisting of the tract immediately south-east of the Danda or old bank of the Satluj, resumed from the Sikh chiefs in 1837); (3) Wattuan including 80 villlages (lying north-west of the Danda, down to the Satluj, ceded by the Nawab of Bahawalpur in 1844); and (4) Bahak including 39 villages (also between the Danda and the Satluj above the pargana of Wattuan).

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Events at Fazilka --- Oliver, Assistant Superintendent of Bhattiana, was in charge of the Fazilka outpost, which he had held since 1848, and had acquired great influenced over the people. The troops stationed there were a small detachment of the 57^th Native Infantry and some irregular Cavalry. When a feeling of dissatisfaction appeared among the troops at Firozpur, the Fazilka detachment showed some inclination to breakout. The customs establishment collected at Fazilka from the outposts were bidding their opportunity, willing at any moment to join the disaffected troops, and loudly called for arrears of their pay. Oliver, though uncertain regarding the feelings of the population, called in the most uncertain regarding the feelings of the population, called in the most influential headmen, chiefly Bodlas and Wattus of the Satluj, and with their aid was able to disarm the guard of the 57^th Native Infantry. Though their influence, the neighbouring population was prevented from rising and the number of matchlock men they collected and entertained in the service of the British Government overawed the customs peons and other disaffected parties, and with their assistance Oliver was enabled to protect the Town of Fazilka, and to punish and destroy large villages which were in open rebellion a few days after the first outbreak. General Van cortlandt crossed the Satluj with some police and local levies from Gugera and marched towards Sirsa with Captain Robersion, the Superintendent, who joined him at Malout on 12^th June. Order was then restored in the remainder of the District. Oliver tactfully kept down the excited feelings of the people and restrained them from rising again although they were constantly incited to do so by emissaries from ‘Haryana’ and although the troops at his disposal were few and the loyalty of some of them at that time was very doubtful.

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