Abbas Syed
The British colonial rulers in South Asia implemented a deliberate strategy to control both the bodies and minds of the people after the 1857 uprising. Their aim was not merely military domination but systematic social, economic, and spiritual control. The revolt exposed a critical truth to the British: the Muslim population wielded two main forms of power, political and spiritual. Political power rested with local rulers, landowners, soldiers, and scholars. Spiritual influence flowed through saints, religious scholars, and khanqahs that guided the people’s moral and social behavior.
Rather than eliminating these sources of authority, the British decided to co-opt them for their own benefit. This strategy led to the creation of two distinct classes that still shape South Asian society today. The first was the landlord class, which controlled land and therefore the economic lives of the people. The second was the gaddi-nashin or spiritual authority class, designed to influence thought, belief, and loyalty among the masses. Together, these two systems ensured that the British could govern effectively without widespread resistance or open confrontation.
Landlord System: Economic Control
After 1857, the British dismantled the preexisting Islamic land ownership system, which had conceptualized land as communal property. Through the Land Settlement Acts, land was redistributed, granting proprietary rights to loyal local elites such as sardars, nawabs, and chieftains. Farmers who once tilled their own land became laborers dependent on these landlords.
Landlords were tasked with collecting produce, remitting a fixed share to the colonial authorities, and maintaining control over the peasants. This system provided the British with revenue without administrative effort, secured political loyalty from the landed elite, and ensured that ordinary people remained economically dependent. Over time, this created widespread poverty and removed not only the land but also dignity and autonomy from the rural population.
Gaddi-nashin System: Spiritual and Intellectual Control
Parallel to economic domination, the British sought to control the spiritual and moral authority of society. Previously, khanqahs and shrines played a vital role in education, social reform, and guidance. The British perceived these institutions as potential sources of popular mobilization. To neutralize them, shrine lands were declared “waqf” but placed under government oversight.
The heirs of the shrines were issued certificates recognizing them as gaddi-nashin, with official stipends, land grants, and political influence. Their spiritual authority was preserved in form but redirected in purpose. Religious leadership became limited to rituals and moral guidance, leaving political and social activism to the state. The gaddi-nashin were rewarded for supporting the colonial administration, issuing religious rulings in favor of the authorities, and discouraging resistance.
As a result, the common people gradually shifted focus from collective action and social justice to ritual observances, and the transformative power of religion was significantly curtailed. The spiritual leaders became instruments of control, ensuring that loyalty to the British took precedence over civic or moral responsibility.
Interconnection of Landlords and Gaddi-nashin
The economic and spiritual control systems were mutually reinforcing. Landlords dominated material life, controlling food, employment, and land, while gaddi-nashin influenced belief, conscience, and social behavior. Both were loyal to the British, ensuring that rebellion was minimal and compliance widespread. By combining material and spiritual influence, the British created a society in which people accepted domination without overt coercion. This was the essence of “slavery without the sword,” a system that made subjects complicit in their own subjugation.
Long-Term Consequences
The legacy of these systems is still evident in Pakistan. Land remains concentrated in the hands of a few, and feudal structures continue to hinder economic mobility and political participation. Many gaddi-nashin families have transformed into political dynasties, retaining influence over thought and voting behavior. The separation of religion from governance, initiated under colonial rule, has weakened collective action and critical intellectual engagement in society. Spirituality often functions as a ritualized practice rather than a source of social reform or moral accountability.
This dual system of control also shaped societal psychology. Dependence on landlords and spiritual authorities normalized economic and intellectual passivity. Feelings of agency and freedom were systematically eroded. Ordinary people became accustomed to obeying authority without questioning it, a condition that persists in various forms today.
Enduring Impact on Society and Politics
Today, the feudal and spiritual elite continue to wield disproportionate influence in politics, often hindering meaningful reform. Landowners dominate rural elections, control resources, and shape public opinion, while religious authorities retain social legitimacy that often discourages political activism. The colonial strategy of controlling land and belief has left Pakistan with a fractured social structure, where development and empowerment of the masses remain constrained.
Even after the end of British rule, the mechanisms of economic and spiritual control did not vanish. They were simply absorbed into local systems of power. Feudal politics continues to dictate rural life, and religious authority is often intertwined with political influence. The population remains divided and disempowered, making collective resistance to entrenched power structures difficult.
Conclusion
The British succeeded in creating two classes to dominate the physical and spiritual realms of South Asian society. Landlords ensured economic dependence, while gaddi-nashin controlled belief and conscience. Together, they neutralized both material and intellectual resistance. This system of control has left a lasting legacy in Pakistan, perpetuating inequality, limiting civic engagement, and separating religion from social responsibility.
Understanding this historical context is essential for contemporary policymaking. Land reforms, education reforms, and rethinking the role of spiritual institutions in public life are critical to reversing the colonial legacy. Pakistan’s journey toward true independence and democratic governance will remain incomplete until the population is liberated both materially and intellectually from the inherited structures of control established by the British.
In essence, the British created landlords to control the people’s sustenance and gaddi-nashin to control their souls. They succeeded in both objectives, and the challenge for Pakistan today is to reclaim both economic and intellectual freedom for its citizens.
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