Early Childhood (1817-1833)

Devasheesh was born the son of a prosperous, deeply religious, land owner. The family land was located near Chakawal, in Northern Punjab, on the road from Delhi and Cabul. He helped with the family land: learned the ropes of administration and land exploitation. He felt, however, uneasy by the inequality among the children of Har.

Coming of Age in the Infantry (1833-1837)

In 1833, he coerced his father to let him join the King’s sowars but was frustrated by the dismissive attitude of the officers. He joined the sepoys and wasted the best of two years doing camp work. After being turned down again in 35, he committed to the infantry and befriended an officer who was often willing to help him. Devasheesh learned to say the right thing and be at the right place at all time. By 1837, he had climbed the ranks to be a Lieutenant and held the position of range trainer for the 3rd Rifle Company. An accidental rifle backfire caused a severe burns to the right side of is face.

Life among the Afridi Pashtuns(1842-1848)

In 1842, he volunteered to go in a deep mission near Peshawar to learn the fighting techniques of the Afridi fighters. These guerilla techniques proved devastating against the British during the First Anglo-Afghan war. He left Chakawal and wandered until he found an Afridi warlord, Quais Abdula Rashur, who agreed to let him stay under his protection for a short while. Devasheesh impressed with his marksmanship skills and soon was part of the fierce Afridi warriror circles. He was more or less obligated to marry into Rashur’s family. His wife, Afsana, turned out to be a soulmate. Soon enough, his son Atsak was born while he forged the bond of war brotherhood with his muslim adoptive family.

The Second-Anglo Sikh war

When the war broke out, Devasheesh returned to Punjab to fight for his King. He acquitted himself very well although he managed to lose an eye in the last days of conflict. When he returned, his wife and child had been slained by a rival warlord. His patron, Quais Rashur, brokered repayment to the tune of 25 goats. Disgusted, Devasheesh walked away from the tribal life and returned to Peshawar. There, he met with Lord Nathan Bell-Hudson and was recruited in the civil administration of the new province of Punjab. Since 1853, Devasheesh is a loyal employee of the civil administration: working to make Punjab a better place while being under the control of a foreign power.