Malangi (1890s – 1927) was a

dacoit Dacoity is a term used for "banditry" in the Indian subcontinent. The spelling is the anglicised version of the Hindi word ''daaku''; "dacoit" is a colloquial Indian English word with this meaning and it appears in the ''Glossary of Colloquia ...

or a

bandit Banditry is a type of organized crime committed by outlaws typically involving the threat or use of violence. A person who engages in banditry is known as a bandit and primarily commits crimes such as extortion, robbery, and murder, either as an ...

during the colonial occupation of

Punjab, British India Punjab was a province of British India. Most of the Punjab region was annexed by the East India Company in 2 April 1849, and declared a province of British Rule, it was one of the last areas of the Indian subcontinent to fall under British co ...

. He was known as 'Robinhood' in his native district of

Kasur Kasur (Urdu and pa, ; also Romanization of Urdu, romanized as Qasūr; from pluralized Arabic word ''Qasr'' meaning "palaces" or "forts") is a city to south of Lahore, in the Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. The city serves as th ...

. Punjab has a folklore tradition of appreciating the role of dacoits such as Malangi who defied the authorities of the period and sided with the common people. Other such well-known Punjabi 'Robin Hoods' were

Nizam Lohar Nizam Lohar ( pa, ; 1835 — 1877) was a dacoit who rebelled against the Colonial Government that led to bloodshed which sent shock waves throughout Britain. In Punjab, he and others defied repressive laws of the government, looted governm ...

Imam Din Gohavia ''Imam Din Gohavia'' (Punjabi: ) is a 1967 Pakistani, biographical film in the Punjabi language about the British Raj, directed by M. Saleem and produced by Chaudhry Mohammad Aslam. It stars Akmal Khan, Yousuf Khan and Talish. Cast * Akmal ...

and Jagga Jatt, who were considered folk heroes by people during the early part of the 20th century. Folk songs of bravery of these dacoits are sung even today. One song sung in Punjab that reflects the prominence of ''

Malangi ''Malangi'' (Punjabi: ) is a 1965 Pakistani biographical and musical film directed by Rashid Akhtar and produced by Chaudhry Mohammad Aslam. Film starring actor Akmal, Shirin, Yousuf Khan, and Talish. This was a 'Golden Jubilee' film of 1965 ...

'' goes like this: Din nu raj Firangi da Raati raj Malangi da (Whereas the British rule in the day It is Malangi who governs the night)

Early life and legacy

Malangi lived in a village known as Lakho in the district of

in present-day

Punjab, Pakistan Punjab (; , ) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in central-eastern region of the country, Punjab is the second-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the largest province by population. It shares land borders with the ...

. His father passed away when he was just six months old. The land which his father left for Malangi was captured by the feudal lords who dominated the area. Malangi's mother was helpless after the death of her husband, and she married a Sikh despite being a Muslim herself. When Malangi realized that his land had been appropriated by the landlords of his village, he fought to reclaim it. The landlords, who were British-appointed

Lambardar Numbardar or Lambardar ( hi, नम्बरदार, pnb, ਲੰਬੜਦਾਰ, لمبردار, ur, لمبردار or نمبردار, bn, লম্বরদার/নম্বরদার, Lombordar/Nombordar) is a title in the Indian subcon ...

(village leader) managed to isolate Malangi in the local community, and as he reacted in anger, he became a dacoit. Even in recent times, some common criminals and bandits are known to add 'Malangi' as a nickname to their real birth names to enhance their image in the community.Security increased to prevent retaliatory attacks
The News International (newspaper), Published 4 November 2013, Retrieved 14 June 2021

References

{{authority control 1890s births 1927 deaths People from Kasur District Punjabi folklore