Sardar Mohammad Azim Beg

Mir Mohammad Azim Beg was one of the leaders of the Hazara people during the reign of Abdur Rahman Khan. He received the title of Sardar from the government and was appointed to govern Hazarajat.^[1] In the spring of 1309 AH (1891–1892), he broke away from the government and joined the rebels.^[2] In 1893, he was captured and later executed in Kabul.^[3]

Mohammad Azim Beg, the son of Ali Zahed Khan, originally came from Shahristan (Sepay) in Uruzgan Province (present-day Daikundi Province). In 1887, he was among the first Hazara leaders to recognize the authority of the Kabul government. In return, he received the title of Sardar and was granted a regular salary while cooperating with the government through a policy of compromise.

Later, Mohammad Azim Beg opposed the policies of Abdur Rahman Khan in Hazarajat. This disagreement led him to eventually join the rebels with his forces when the opportunity arose. Organized and armed Hazara groups from Fouladi, Dai, Mir Adina, Chora–Sultan Ahmad, and Zawli were also under his leadership.^[4] Qazi Mohammad Askar, the chief of the Fouladi tribe, also cooperated with Mohammad Azim Beg.^[5]

Mohammad Azim Beg attempted to expand the uprising across all of Hazarajat. At his invitation, a general assembly of Hazara leaders known as the Jirga of Uqul was held. During this meeting, they made the important decision to declare war against the government of Abdur Rahman Khan. At the end of the gathering, all participants placed their signatures or seals behind the Quran as a symbolic pledge.

The uprising of the Hazara people had a political character. After the declaration of revolt against the Amir of Kabul, the rebellion intensified and gained new momentum. The uprising spread throughout Hazarajat, and even Hazara soldiers who served in the government army left the state forces and joined the rebels.

The revolt began in April 1892 in the occupied regions, and the rebels captured many government centers. The people of Maimana, and even the governor Mohammad Sharif Khan, along with residents of Kabul, Kuhistan, the Firozkohis and Jamshidis, rose in support of the rebels. In June 1892, the Amir of Kabul launched a general offensive, leading to a bloody war between the two sides, while the rebels continued their resistance.

In August 1893, the decisive battle took place in Ajristan. Mohammad Azim Beg initially achieved success in this battle. However, during the fighting, news arrived of the defeat of Mohammad Amir Beg Ilkhani of Yakawlang, which weakened the morale of the rebels. As a result, the forces of Mohammad Azim Beg eventually disintegrated. In the final hours of the battle, Mohammad Azim Beg himself was captured and later executed in Kabul.^[6][7]

• Mir Yazdan Bakhsh