He belonged to the Bhatti Muslim Rajput tribe and was a "zamindar" or rural farmer. On becoming a young man, Dulla was angered to see the injustice of the Mughal rulers against local Punjabis, and he turned against them. He started guerilla warfare against the Mughal forces in the Punjab and was successful to some extent for 10 or 12 years. Later, however, he was defeated by the Mughal forces through the betrayal of some enemies and was imprisoned in Lahore Fort, Lahore. He was later hanged there in 1599.