Adina Beg (? – 10.9.1758) alias Behram Jang, son of Channu, an Arain (a low caste Muslim), belonged to a poor family of village Sharakpur (near Lahore, Pakistan). He began his career as a soldier in the Mogul army. In a very short time, he became the chief of Sultanpur Lodhi. In 1739 Zakaria Khan, the Governor of Lahore, appointed him the Administrator of the Jullundur sub-division. For some time he maintained cordial relations with the Sikhs. In 1747, he joined hands with Mir Muin (son of Qamar-ud-Din, a minister of the Mogul emperor at Delhi) and fought against Ahmed Shah Durrani. Adina Beg was wounded in this battle. After this battle, Mir Muin was appointed governor of Lahore. Mir Muin appointed Kaura Mall as his minister and Adina Beg remained the chief of Jullundur. In December 1751, Durrani attacked again. In the battle against Durrani, Adina Beg planned a conspiracy and got Diwan Kaura Mall killed. Adina Beg, however, could not become minister. In March 1753, he attacked the Sikhs at Aanandpur Sahib and killed several of them. After Muin’s death (November 3, 1753), he began treating himself as the de facto king of Jullundur Doab area. In 1754, he founded a town in his own name, now known as Dina Nagar (district Gurdaspur). In May 1756, he was appointed as the Governor of Lahore and Multan. When Ahmed Shah Durrani attacked again, in 1756, to help Mughlani Begum, Adina Beg fled Punjab. Later, in April 1758, he joined hands with Marathas and the Sikhs, defeated the Durrani appointed Governor of Lahore and captured Punjab. The Marathas accepted him as the Governor of the Punjab. He promised to pay rupees 7.5 million a year to the Marathas. Adina’s last expedition was against the Sikhs, but before he could proceed with it, he died on September 9, 1758.
(Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)