172. Chaudhry Saee Muhammad Gondal: The Man Who Voted for Pakistan!
I never expected to meet such a man in my life; honestly, I had never even imagined such an encounter. But life is full of surprises, and that’s exactly what I experienced when I met a very old, amiable gentleman in Kaluwal (32°32’29.21″N, 73°14’48.31″E), a village near Malakwal in the district of Mandi Bahauddin. This…
171. Shah Allah Ditta Caves & a Baoli – Islamabad!
Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan, is a relatively new city, but the area itself has a history stretching back thousands of years. The earliest known civilization of this region was the Gandhara civilization, whose main city, Taxila, lies not far from Islamabad—today almost on the outskirts of this rapidly expanding city. Taxila is famous…
170. Monuments of the Gandhara Civilization at Taxila – 08 (Bhamala Stupa)
The world-famous Gandhara Civilization is represented by many monuments, stupas and monasteries around Taxila. Details about sites such as the Taxila Museum, Dharmarajika, Mohra Moradu, Pipplan, Jaulian, Jinnan Wali Dheri, Jandial Temple, and Giri Fort can be found in my earlier posts on this blog. Therefore, I shall not repeat the background of the Gandhara…
169. Timur Shah & Zaman Shah’s Invasions of Punjab (1774 – 1799)
Ahmad Shah Abdali, the founder of the modern Afghan state, died in 1772. During his reign of 25 years, he invaded Punjab and North India 10 times. He annexed Punjab up to Sirhind and conquered Kashmir. Sindh also acknowledged his suzerainty and paid tribute. However, his control over Punjab was precarious, and he could not…
168. Ahmad Shah Abdali’s Ten Invasions of Punjab / North India!
Ahmad Shah Abdali was a famous king of Afghanistan in the 18th century. He is considered the founder of modern Afghanistan and for Afghans, he is a national hero. Even in Pakistani mythology, he stands on a high pedestal. Though I am not sure why. After all, we the inhabitants of this region were at…
167. The Grand Trunk Road aka The Kings Road: Delhi To Kabul!
The Grand Trunk Road, running from Kabul in the rugged Hindu Kush mountains to Sonargaon in the verdant plains of Bengal, is definitely among the most famous highways in the world, if not the most famous. Let me add here that several termination points of this great thoroughfare are given in Bengal, including Teknaf. It…
166. Sarai Kharbuza, Islamabad.
Islamabad is the newest city in Pakistan, but the history of this region is very old. Once it was part of the great Gandhara civilization, and some ruins dating back to that period are still found in the Margalla Hills. Many more historic buildings from later periods also exist in different parts of the capital…
165. Sangni Fort, district Rawalpindi.
Sangni is a small fort located about 60 kilometers east of Islamabad and 10 km from Kallar Syedan in the district Rawalpindi, at 33°22’18.10″N, 73°27’0.38″E. Despite being several centuries old, it is in remarkably good condition. Who built it and when is not known; in fact, almost nothing is known about its history. Some writers…
164. Gurdwara Kanoha, district Rawalpindi!
Kanoha is 50 kilometers from Islamabad, near Kallar Syedan. It is a small village with a scattered population, possessing all the charm and beauty of the Potohar region. Besides that, the only significant feature of this place is an old and abandoned gurdwara. It is not a historic gurdwara in the sense that it is…
163. Serai Pakka, Khanpur, tehsil Gujar Khan!
Serais were normally constructed along the main highways. These fortified, fort-like buildings were large enough to accommodate entire caravans and provided various facilities for travellers. Their primary purpose was to offer a safe and secure place for caravans to rest at night. Serais were usually located at intervals of 25 to 30 kilometers. Unfortunately, only…