057. Rawat Fort
Rawat is a small town on the Grand Trunk Road, only a few kilometers from Rawalpindi, falling within the Islamabad Capital Territory. While traveling from Rawalpindi toward Lahore, you might catch a glimpse of the large gates of a fort, about a hundred meters off the road, behind a busy bazaar and a bus stop….
056. A Tale Of Three Old Havelis of Punjab (Haveli Bara Dari of Sardar Gurmukh Singh Ji)
As it often happens, we sometimes make unintended discoveries. Similarly, while roaming through rural Punjab in search of old battlefields, graves of forgotten warriors, abandoned gurdwaras and temples, and tombs of people lost in history, I made some interesting discoveries. Among them are three beautiful havelis, which I came across during different expeditions. I don’t…
055. Rajesh Khanna & His Ancestral Hometown Burewala
My first memory of Rajesh Khanna is his blockbuster song, Mere Sapnon Ki Rani Kab Aayegi Tu, singing in an open four-wheel drive for the beautiful Sharmila Tagore, with Sujit Kumar in the driving seat. The song is from the film Aradhana (1969), but was still very popular many years later in the late 1970s….
054. Muslim Population Of India: According To The Census of 2011
About two years ago, in one of my posts, I gave the details of the Muslim population of India, according to the censuses of 1941 and 2001. You may visit my post 036. Muslim Population Of India: According To The Censuses Of 1941 and 2001 for details. This is my second post on this subject, and…
053. British Conquest of India
The 15th century marked a turning point in the history of Europe and the world at large. During this century, the Renaissance was in full swing, and Europe began to surge ahead of the rest of the world in the fields of science, technology, and exploration. While Italy led in art and culture, Portugal and…
052. Raja Ghazanfar Ali Khan
In my previous post, “The Last Assembly“, I wrote about the members of the last Provincial Assembly of United Punjab. One of the most prominent among them was Raja Ghazanfar Ali Khan. Before winning the 1946 election to the Punjab Assembly, he had also been elected in 1937. He later served as a minister in the…
051. The Last Assembly (Punjab Provincial Assemly: 1946 – 1947)
A few weeks ago, I came across a website listing the names of all the members of the Punjab Assembly of 1946–1947. Students of history will readily understand the significance of this information, as this was only the second, and the last, elected assembly of the Province of Punjab in British India. It was this…
050. Gurdwara Nanak Sar – Jhang
There are dozens of Gurdwaras and religious institutes in India, Pakistan, Europe, and North Africa named Nanaksar. Nanaksar or Nanak Sar, as far as I understand, means “(sacred) Pond of Nanak” (the first Guru of the Sikhs). But in Pakistan, there is a village 12 km away from Jhang on the Toba Tek Singh Road,…
049. Tulamba: An Ancient City Of Pakistan
Tulamba is one of the oldest cities in Pakistan, located about 80 kilometers from Multan, in District Khanewal, at coordinates 30° 31′ 35.87″ N, 72° 14′ 23.81″ E. Though much smaller than Multan, it rivals it in antiquity. The history of Tulamba is ancient, dating back to at least the time of Alexander’s invasion of…
048. Makhdoom Pur Pahuran – Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi
During my exploratory excursions, I have had the opportunity to visit many Gurdwaras. These were all abandoned after the upheavals of 1947. After all these years of neglect, many are in poor condition and occupied by families. However, quite a few are still in remarkably good condition and could easily be repaired, if someone takes…