As far as the treatment of this family by the British authorities is concerned, let us look at that.
Despite the fact that the Promised Messiah (as) has, after narrating the services that his family rendered to the British government and as a result of the testimonials which were issued by the English government in acknowledgment of these services, called his family the khud kashta pauda of the British the question remains how and in what way this family was the khud kashta pauda of the British? In what way the British government was beneficent to the family? It must be noted here that the Promised Messiah (as), in the context of the family, did not imply that they had received any particular favours from the British. The British had delivered this family from persecution under Sikh rule. That was the only act of beneficence by the British. The Sikhs had weakened this family by repeatedly attacking it and sometimes forcing it into exile. This family lived in exile for many years due to the Sikhs. Eventually, under the British government, when public peace and order prevailed, this family found it possible to return to Qadian and settle there once again. So that was the act of beneficence on account of which the Promised Messiah (as) described that family as ‘khud kashta pauda’ [of the British]. There is no truth in the mistaken view that they received any reward for the services which they rendered to the Government. At any rate, let me tell you what ‘reward’ they did get.
There is a well known book, entitled The Punjab Chiefs, compiled by Sir Lepel Griffin and Colonel Messey, revised by Mr. (later Sir) Henry Craik (1910), which is regarded as an authentic historical record. It contains the following mention of the family of the Promised Messiah (as) and how the British acted towards them:
‘At the time of annexation the jagirs of the family were resumed but a pension of Rs.700 was granted to Ghulam Murtada and his brothers and they retained their property rights in Qadian and the neighbouring villages.’
Although it is not mentioned in this excerpt, yet in fact this pension was gradually reduced and eventually terminated. So, that was ‘khud kashta pauda of the British’ and its relationship with the British.
During their battles with the Sikhs the British had to weaken the Sikhs to enable the families which had been forced into exile to come back and resettle. Apart from this act, there is no other favour which the British ever did to the ancestral family of the Promised Messiah (as). But one has to remember the obverse as well: the British confiscated this family’s property of 70 villages! The elders of this family got so caught up in litigation to regain possession of their lost property that they ended up losing most of what was left over.
The Promised Messiah (as) continuously drew his father’s attention to give up litigation and devote himself to God, instead of having any expectations from the Government. He cautioned his father that if he did not give up litigation he would eventually lose in that process whatever he still had of the property. But his father felt so much aggrieved at the loss of his property that he did not listen to the Promised Messiah’s (as) counsel. Consequently, he spent all his funds and remaining property in the process of litigation. But the British government did not restore even a single lost village to him!