Background
He was the eldest son of Hakīm Ghulām Mohy ud-Dīn and had two brothers, Nūr ud-Dīn and Imām ud-Dīn.
He was the eldest son of Hakīm Ghulām Mohy ud-Dīn and had two brothers, Nūr ud-Dīn and Imām ud-Dīn.
He was apprenticed as a physician, and was originally known by the title Hakīm (physician).
Both had senior military posts in the empire. Later in life he adopted the title Fakir (beggar), as a mark of humility, that title appearing in British correspondence after 1826. His first contact with Ranjit Singh was as a physician.
The Maharaja was impressed by his medical skill and proficiency in languages – Arabic, Persian and English – and granted him a jagir and a position at court.
His first major assignment was to assist the Maharaja in the negotiations with the British which led to the Treaty of Amritsar, 1809. Between 1810 and 1838 there followed a great number of diplomatic assignments and tasks as an interpreter.
The Maharaja had complete trust in him and rewarded him with honours and jagirs. In December 1839 he represented Maharaja Kharak Singh on a mission to the British Governor-General, Lord Auckland.
In 1842, on behalf of Maharaja Sher Singh, he welcomed the new Governor-General, Lord Ellenborough, at Firozpur.
He remained scrupulously aloof from the factional intrigues which had overtaken the Empire after Ranjit Singh's death.