Lahore has been the Capital city of Punjab for centuries. As one of the ancient cities of the Punjab region, it has since its creation changed hands from Hindu, Buddhist, Greek, Muslim, Sikh and British rule to becoming the cultural capital and the heart of modern-day Pakistan.
Origin of Lahore Name
Ptolemy, the 2nd-century Greek astronomer from Egypt mentions in his Geographia, a city called
Labokla being somewhere between the Indus River and Palibothra, (Patna). It was described as extending along the rivers Bidastes or Vitasta (Jhelum), Sandabal or Chandra Bhaga (Chenab), and Adris or Iravati (Ravi).
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| Greek Map - Pentopotamia |
The oldest authentic mention of Lahore appears in Hudud-i-Alam (The Regions of the World) written in 982. In this document, Lahore is mentioned as a city inhabited by infidels having "impressive temples, large markets and huge orchards." It refers to "two major markets around which dwellings exist," and it also mentions "the mud walls that enclose these two dwellings to make it one."
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| Old Painting - City of Lahore |
In the written history the oldest book in which we can find Lahore is “ Tareekh-ul-hind” by Abu-Rehan Al Bairooni, who traveled to India in the 11th century. In his book he remembers Lahore as an area not as a city whose capital was “Mandhor kor”.
The famous Sufi saint of Lahore Hazrat Data Gunj Buksh who died in Lahore in 1088 A.D has also mentioned the city Lahore in his book “ Kashf-ul-Maajuub”. Abul -Farj who was a poet in the Ghaznavi period has written the name as “Loha-wr”. An Iranian scholar “Tahir Marozi” of 11th century in his book “Nazhat ul Mushtaq Fe Akhteraq ul Affaq” has mentioned Lahore as “ Laha-wr”. Ameer khusro in his masnavi “Quran ul Sadeen” has written the name as “Lao-hore” in 13th century when he portrays the attack of the Mughals.
History of Lahore
The history has dealt the lovers of Lahore more than their share of broken hearts. The city was plundered and rebuilt multiple times by its invaders - Turks, Afghans, Mughals, Persians, Sikhs, British, and more recently the city was Islamized after the creation of Pakistan.
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| Sikh Army leaving Lahore on Military Expedition of Afghanistan |
Kshatriya Lahore
According to a legend Lahore was known in ancient times as Lavapuri ("City of Lava" in Sanskrit), was founded by Indo-Aryan Kshatriya Prince Lava or Loh, the son of Rama, the Hindu deity. To this day, Lahore Fort has a vacant temple dedicated to Lava (also pronounced Loh, hence Loh-awar or "The Fort of Loh").
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| Ancient Lava Temple - Lahor Fort |
Lohana Lahore
Lohanas are ancient natives of Lahore and claim descendence from "Lav". The Loharana king, Chahir Ray, was betrayed by his confidant Kualnger, who turned traitor for greed. After lsing Lahore, the Lohana community was split into three geographical regions:
- Punjabi Lohanas (those who stayed in Punjab and merged with Arora community) - Vohra, Chawla, Chhabra, Thukrals, Sachdev, Kharbanda, Lekhi, Ahuja, Aneja, Baweja, Dhamija, Kukreja, Juneja, etc.
- Sindhi Lohanas (those who migrated to Sind and later some migrated to Gujarat after partition of India) - Ahuja, Chhabria, Kukreja, Juneja, Madhwani, Adwani, Lalwani, etc.
- Kutchi and Gujarati Lohanas (those migrated to Kutch ) - Vohra, Chavda, Thakrar, Lakhani, Badiani, Ambani, etc.)
There is evidence supporting that the site of old Hindu city of Lahore could be in the vicinity of Ichhra - which is now a part of Lahore city. Some of the oldest and most sacred Hindu shrines are found within this locality, namely Bhairo ka Sthan and the Chandrat. The gate of the present city, known as the Lahori or Lohari Gate was so called as being the gateway looking in the direction of Lohawar or old Lahore just as the Kashmiri Gate looks towards Kashmir, and the Delhi Gate of modern Delhi to the ancient city of that name.
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| Lahori Gate at the City of Lahore |
Rajput Lahore
The Indo-scythians or "Saka" invaded Punjab in the 1st Century BC and established a number of new cities - Sialkot, Gujranwala, Gujarat, Bhatinda, and Sirhind. These included Gurjara tribes - Chahmana or Chauhans, Toramana or Tomars, Yuezhi or Yodheya, Janjua, and Bhatti Rajputs. Youdheya was a confederation of these tribes who ruled over Lahore.
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| Yaudheya Kingdom Coin from Lahore |
Later the Janjua Rajputs annexed Lahore from the Yaudheyas. According to 'Adáb al-Harb' (pp. 307–10) in about 990 CE, it is written, "the arrogant but ambitious Raja of Lahore Bharat, having put his father in confinement, marched on the country of Jayapála with the intention of conquering the districts of Nandana, Jailum (Jehlum) and Tákeshar" (in an attempt to take advantage of Jayapala's concentrated effort with defence against the armies of Ghazni). "Jayapala instructed Prince Anandapala to repel the opportunist Raja Bharat. Anandapala defeated Bharat and took him prisoner in the battle of Takeshar and marched on Lahore and captured the city and extended his father's kingdom yet further."
Raja Jayapala ruled from Sirhind to Taxila and anticipated invasion of Punjab by Turks in Afghanistan. He attacked Kabul and was defeated by Turkish ruler of Gazni. Later his son Raja Anandpala faught valiantly against Mehmud Gaznavi and finally abandoning Lahore to the Afghans as he escaped to the hills.
Afghan Lahore
In 1005 Mahmud of Ghazni invaded Bhatia (probably Bhera) and in 1006 he invaded Multan at which time Ananda Pala's army attacked him.The Mahmud Ghaznavi took Lahore after a long siege and battle in which the city was torched and its natives slaughtered. As the first Muslim ruler of Lahore, Ayaz rebuilt and repopulated the city. The present Lahore Fort stands in the same location. After the fall of the Ghaznavid Empire, Lahore was ruled by various Muslim dynasties known as the Delhi Sultanate, including the Khiljis, Tughlaqs, Sayyid, Lodhis and Suris. Sultan Qutb-ud-din Aybak was crowned here in 1206 AD.
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| Lahore Fort |
Mughal Lahore
In the early 16th century, Babur, a Timurid descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan from Fergana Valley (modern day Uzbekistan), swept across Afghanistan and founded the Mughal Empire covering modern day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and North India. Lahore reached the zenith of its glory during the Mughal rule from 1524 to 1752. Many of Lahore's most renowned sites date from this period, and include the Badshahi Mosque, Wazir Khan Mosque, the Lahore Fort, and the Shalimar Gardens.
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| Shalimar Gardens - Lahore |
Mughal Emperor Humayun, his son married Hamida Banu Begum in Lahore while fleeing to Persia. It was also the headquarters of Mughal rule during Akbar between 1584 and 1598. Thus along with Agra and Delhi, Lahore became an "alternate seat" of the Mughal imperial court. Akbar also held discussions with Portuguese missionaries in the city. Abul Fazl, his court historian, calls it "a great city in Bari Doab, in magnificance and populousness it has few equals".
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| City View - Mughal Architecture |
The Mughal period in Lahore was interrupted by Nader Shah's brief conquest in early 1739. Before leaving Delhi, later that same year, he gave it back to the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah, as with all other Mughal territories to the east of the Indus which he had overrun. Ahmed Shah Abdali took the city between 1747 and 1758, the founder of the Afghan Durrani Empire.
Sikh Lahore
During the late 18th century when the Mughal Empire was in decline, frequent invasions by the Afghans and Marathas led to a power vacuum in Punjab. The Sikh Misls defeated the Durrani Empire, with Bhangi Misl eventually capturing Lahore. The Muslim lands and properties were confiscated by the Sikhs.
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| Old City - Lahore |
The residents of Lahore were fed up by the repeated plundering of their city by the Afghans and Bhangi Misl, They invited Ranjit Singh of Sukarchakia Misl who entered Lahore after a series of battles with the Bhangi Misl and Afghans. The citizens of Lahore welcomed the Sikhs with garlands and drums. Thereafter, Lahore then served as the capital city of the Sikh Empire.
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| Lahore Fort - Sikh Era |
While much of Lahore's Mughal era fabric lay in ruins by the end of the 18th century. Maharaja Ranjit Singh rebuilt the city of Lahore resoring its forts, gates, temples, mosques, and gurdwaras. Rebuilding efforts under the Sikh Empire were influenced by Mughal practices. Ranjit Singh himself moved into the Mughal palace at the Lahore Fort and re-purposed it for his own use in governing the Sikh Empire.
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| Badshahi Mosque - Lahore |
Singh had mostly refurbished the city's defences by adding a second circuit of outer walls surrounding Akbar's original walls, with the two separated by a moat. Singh also partially restored Shah Jahan's decaying gardens at Shalimar. The Sikh court continued to endow religious architecture in the city, including a number of Sikh gurdwaras, Hindu temples, and mosques.
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| Sikh Architecture - Lahore |
British Lahore
After the conclusion of two Anglo-Sikh wars, the British East India Company first seized control of Lahore in 1846, and the remainder Punjab by 1849.
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| Ladies of Lahore |
The British built the Lahore Railway Station just outside the Walled City shortly after the Mutiny of 1857, and so built the station in the style of a medieval castle to ward of any potential future uprisings, with thick walls, turrets, and holes to direct gun and cannon fire for defence of the structure.
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| Lahore Gate |
Lahore's most prominent government institutions and commercial enterprises came to be concentrated in Civil Station in a half-mile wide area flanking The Mall, where unlike in Lahore's military zone, the British and locals were allowed to mix. The Mall continues to serve as the epicentre of Lahore's civil administration, as well as one of its most fashionable commercial areas.
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| Busy Lahore Street - British Perios |
Soon, Lahore again became the cultural center of Punjab excelling in arts, litterature, and cultural heritage.
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| Sikh Architecture - Lahore |
The British authorities built several important structures around the time of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887 in the distinct Indo-Saracenic style. The Lahore Museum and Mayo School of Industrial Arts were both established around this in this style. Other prominent examples of the Indo-Saracenic style in Lahore include Lahore's prestigious Aitchison College, the Punjab Chief Court (today the Lahore High Court), and University of the Punjab.
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| Khalsa College - Lahore |
Many of Lahore's most important buildings were designed by Sir Ganga Ram, who is sometimes called the "Father of modern Lahore. Rai Bahadur Sir Ganga Ram Agrawal CIE, MVO (April 1851 – 10 July 1927) was born in Mangtanwala, a village of Punjab Province in British India, in present-day Pakistan. He graduated from Thomason College of Civil Engineering (now IIT Roorkee) in 1873.
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| Sir Ganga ram |
The city was inhabited by an inhomogenious population of Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus, and British settlers. While the aristocracy was dominated by Sikhs and Muslim Rajputs familes who ocntinued their lifestyles from the annexed Sikh kingdom.
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| A Sikh Aristocrat - Lahore |
A vast majority of shops and businesses were owned by Punjabi Hindu natives of the city.
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| Hindu Shopkeeper - Lahore |
However, the mjority poulation of Lahore were predominantly Muslims.These citizens owned shops, butchers, barbers, and stret vendors.
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| Muslim Butcher - Lahore |
The local Muslim community also provided workforce to the city. They were dependent upon the local businesses and upper class families for their livelyhood.
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| Muslims of Lahore |
Pakistani Lahore
Upon the independence of Pakistan, Lahore burned in communal violence between Muslims and Hindu/Sikhs. Large scale riots broke out all over the city, causing many deaths as well as damage to historic monuments—including the properties and businesses owned by Hindus and Sikhs. Several Gurdwaras and temples were torched.
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| Scene of Rioting - Lahore |
Sikhs retaliated against Muslims in East Punjab and the series of violence contnued for days. Innocent Sikhs, Muslims, and Hindus were targeted and became victims of senseless violence.
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| Aftermath in Amritsar, Punjab |
Lahore Today
Over the years monuments rose, monuments fell and charges flew: Sikhs decried Muslim damage to their shrines, Muslims pointed to desecrations perpetrated by Sikhs. A generation of Hindu and Sikh Punjabis, forced in l947 to flee bloody religious violence, still mourns the loss of a city they can longer visit but can never forget, and to which they will always belong.
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| Street of Lahore |
After independence and its deep impact, Lahore as so many times before, once again gained its significance as an economic and cultural powerhouse of the region.
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| Modern Lahore |
Lahore is a survivor, and all of its bittersweet history is here for the tourist to see, in the tombs and mosques, palaces and fortresses, museums, gardens and parks that make this one of the most fascinating and pleasurable of the subcontinent's attractions. Pakistan - Lahore is its second-largest city - has restored and preserved historical buildings while developing a clean, modern town around them.
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| Food Street, Lahore |
I have heard that the lovers of Kipling, admirers of Shah Jehan's architecture or followers of Guru Arjan Dev may find they are all welcome in Lahore. Its my desire to visit this ancient city ... one day.
References:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Lahore
- http://www.travel-culture.com/pakistan/lahore-history.shtml
- http://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/14/travel/lahore-a-survivor-with-a-bittersweet-history.html?pagewanted=all
- http://tribune.com.pk/story/986063/59-most-powerful-images-in-pakistan-history/
- http://shirazhassan.blogspot.com/2010/11/more-pics-city-life-old-lahore.html
- https://lahorenama.wordpress.com/tag/old-lahore-picture/
- http://shirazhassan.blogspot.com/2010/11/more-pics-city-life-old-lahore.html
- http://shirazhassan.blogspot.com/2010/08/lahore-city-of-garden-city-of-kings.html
- http://defence.pk/threads/lahore-old-pictures.160223/
- http://www.hamariweb.com/articles/article.aspx?id=20246
- http://www.dawn.com/news/586615
- http://lahore.city-history.com/
- https://punjabwatch.wordpress.com/
- http://www.janjuas.org/1.html
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