Theories on Muhammad Iqbal's family background

There is controversey regarding Muhammad Iqbal's family background.

According to most historians Sahaj Ram Sapru was the grandfather of the poet Muhammad Iqbal. There is however a minority view which states that he was his great-grandfather though the later view is discredited by most historians. All sources agree that Sahaj Ram Sapru who was an official in Kashmir during the administration of the Afghan Governor Azim Khan.

Grandfather's conversion to escape death sentence

According to Dr R.K. Parimu, the author of “History of Muslim Rule in Kashmir" and Ram Nath Kak's book "Autumn Leaves", Sahaj Ram Sapru was found guilty of embezzeling state funds. Azim Khan, gave him the choice of death or conversion to Islam. Sahaj Ram Sapru chose the later, changed his name to Sheikh Rafiq and migrated to Sialkot (Panjab).

Grandfather as trusted treasurer who migrated

However according to Moulvi Hassan, another eminent historian, Azim Khan fearing the victory of the Sikhs fled to Kabul and entrusted the treasery and his family to Sahaj Ram Sapru who escorted both the treasury and the family back to back to Kabul and decided to settle in Sialkot.

Father as convert

According to Ramesh Kumar's theis, Sahaj Ram Sapru was his great-grandfather who migrated to Sialkot. Sahaj Ram's son was Birbal Sapru, whose son was Kanhai Lal. Kanhai Lal's son Ratan Lal fell in love with a Muslim girl and in order to marry her he had to convert to Islam. Iqbal was Ratan Lal Sapru's son. This theory would imply that Sheikh Noor Muhammad, Iqbal's Father, was actually Ratan Lal which is extremely unlikely since there is ample evidence that Sheikh Noor Muhammad was active in religious circles of Sialkot in his youth.