GREATEST BANE IS DESIRE TO REWRITE HISTORY WITH MODERN EYES;
LAHORE SUFFERS MOST AS DEARTH MUSLIM WRITERS INTROSPECTION.
NO AZAN ALLOWED IN LAHORE FOR DECADES, DESTRUCTION OF MOSQUES.

Times change. Certain civilizations clash at times, at other times get knit in cohesions. The story of Sikhs is like that. At times Sikhs clash with Muslims, and then get together in the garb of being Punjabi orientation. It is a consistent ups and downs. Our own family has been involved with Sikhs all the time. My great grandfather Mian Salah Mimar actually worked for Sikh Court in the early 19th century. Khalsa Darbar Records do include names like Darogha Imarat Qadir Baksh and Raheem Baksh Mimar. But my father M.A. Rahman Chughtai had a multitude of Sikh friends, which included people like Bhai Vir Singh, Puran Singh, Satsarthyi, Sumer Singh and others. It started earlier. 

Around 1920 M.A. Rahman Chughtai got typhoid fever and a stage came when all hope was being lost. It was suggested that he should go to Kashmeer for recovery. In Simla a Sikh Doctor used to come on horseback to treat him. Later on it was found that the Sikh Doctor was instructed by Bhai Vir Singh to treat Abdur Rahman Chughtai. In Simla a meeting of Sikh friends took place, which included Joginder Singh, Dr Thakur Singh, and Sunder Singh Majeetha in praise of the Art of M.A. Rahman Chughtai. There used to be a lot of visitors at home at the studio of M.A. Rahman Chughtai. Even after partition a lot of Sikhs used to frequent the place. The story writer Satyarti was one of them. Another was Khushwant Singh who came to visit Chughtai with his wife.  The artist Ishwar Singh was his very best friend. The Sikhs always considered M.A. Rahman Chughtai a Punjabi representative in a Bengal dominated art environment in India. 

So we carried no prejudice for others. But that does not mean we could erase the discomfort of the past happenings. All was not golden in the Sikh era in Lahore. The happenings are all part of our history. Mufti Ghulam Sarwar Lahori (Tarikh Punjab) says it is wide and clear that nearly 2000 Islamic monuments were destroyed here during the Sikh rule. Most of the mosques in Lahore were used as dumping grounds for various things. Stables for horses and cattle. Living place for others. For many decades no AZAN was allowed in Lahore and the British had to point it out to Sher Singh to allow same, as it was posing difficulty in integration of society. The antics of the Maharajah Ranjit Singh with Mai Moran is separate history. What happened to famous monuments like Mausoleum of Jahangir, Nur Jahan and Asif Khan is history. Looted marbles laid in the Golden Temple as a matter of record. Even graves of Nur Jahan as well as Jahangeer defiled in all ways. Written history as well as oral records the pathetic attitude to the body of Nur Jahan and the bones thrown outside for the wild dogs. In fact the notorious three Sikh Chieftains responsible for the destruction of the domes of the minarets of the Badashahi mosque, and in those times, it is recorded by foreign visitors like G. Forster that:

” The Siques….. they beseiged… they took the city of Lahore…committed violent outrages. The mosques that had been ever rebuilt or restored to use by the Mohammedans, were demolished with every mark of contempt and indignation; and the Afghans in chains, washed the foundations with the blood of hogs.” 

A map dated 1725 shows the cupolas of the Badashahi mosque intact. It was in the Sikh times that destruction took place.

The historian Ganda Singh knew all the details and was trying his best to present Sikhs in best light. The answer is not as simple as that. To try to hide the past is not the answer. It is best to face the past as past, and turn a new page in history. Worst things happen. If we rekindle the spirit of love and forgo the past, to carve a new future. Sikhs and Muslims are natural friends in many ways. Both are emotional people.  Love vindicates them. Both believe in their RAB, natural ideology. Part of Pakistan shares the language too. Yes, we can be real long term friends. We can share our love for each other. A lot of bad has happened between the two communities. Let  us not repeat them. Let us start anew. No need to hide the past. Carve a new future.

LIMITED EDITION MURRAQQA CHUGHTAI DEDICATED TO NIZAM HYDERABAD;
BUT WORKS PURCHASED BY PRINCESS DURRE SHAHWAR DAUGHTER-IN-LAW.

The legendary work Murraqqa e Chughtai had evoked hopes for the artist M.A. Rahman Chughtai, that the dedication to the Nizam of Hyderabad, would bring financial recompense for the artist. He sent his younger brother Abdullah Chaghatai to Hyderabad to present the same to the Nizam. The holidays were running out, and Abdullah obsessed with his naukri, accosted the Nizam in the Jamia Masjid and handed over same. Sir Akbar Hyderi, Prime Minister complained to the artist that if the presentation had been made in Court, the Nizam would have granted a great financial reward for same. The  bubble of possible hope bursted there and then.

Although in the end the limited edition of 210 copies all got sold, but much of the payment did not reach the artist. Frustration was at its height. So much work and energy not getting the rewards it deserved. The fifteen paintings which were to be given to the Maharani of Cooch Bihar perhaps held in limbo. The file lost due to negligence of a family member. Research on but gaps are there. Somehow in the end the famous Princess of Hyderabad, daughter in law of the Nizam, decided to buy them all. This is confirmed from the own writing of the artist. The result all the works were hung in the Nizams Palace in New Delhi. After conversion into the President’s House, it is unknown where the paintings went after that. In India, Australia, or elsewhere. No one would destroy them. Perhaps in the treasury house of the Government of India. Stray pieces have appeared here and there. Even in Karachi someone brought two of them. Waiting discovery sooner or later. But even the 210 copies of the book extremely rare. We do have a few copies but none traceable in what is now Pakistan. Probably more in Indian region or abroad in famous collections. Even Dr Allama Iqbal presented his copy to a young girl student. Tracing takes long time!

In the last year of Independent Hyderabad, a show got planned and inaugurated by the Vice Premier of Hyderabad State. All that on record. A write up by Hassan Yar Jang exists when he migrated to Karachi. An Arts exhibition held in Hyderabad Deccan in  1948, husband of Princess Durre Shawar did attend the show, and perhaps even bought some paintings. Prince Azam Jah of Berar is seen in photographs admiring the Chughtai paintings in Hyderabad. Art moves and knits past, present and future in different ways. Chughtai Art indeed forever!

A FUTILE ATTEMPT TO BELITTLE DR ALLAMA IQBAL;
FLOCK OF NEGATIVE PEOPLE WASTING THEIR TIME.

A long standing friend revealed his low IQ after a long time. He simply said ‘What was Iqbal?’ in a demeaning way. ‘Certainly not a philosopher, perhaps, yes merely a children poet’. It was a stunning revelation, and he went out blurting his father’s statement, that Iqbal used to write obnoxious verses on his favorite prostitutes of Lahore. Most Mullahs generate an alcoholic impression of Iqbal, and a relative came back from the USA with the knowledge that Iqbal was a murderer too. The Hindu lobby was projecting on their blogs that he was even a murderer of a prostitute of Hira Mandi Lahore. A so called ‘hamdard’ of Iqbal was projecting that when Iqbal said salam to a citizen of Lahore, the man to spite him, uncovered himself by throwing down his dhoti. A famous Pakistani lesbian termed both Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal as homosexuals and then retracted her statement after she lit anxiety in many quarters, and she could not handle the fall out, for in certain quarters abroad, it was a positive thing. Add more and more juicy things. Belittle the message of Dr Allama Iqbal, the founder of the idea of Pakistan. The Iqballian thinking dangerous for the enemies of Pakistan.

The Chughtai Artist house was a meeting place of the best and worst of Pakistan. The writers, the poets, the artists, the bureaucrats, you could see most of the bigger names at home all the time. Hafeez Jullundri would come with his British wife , laughing loud with the artist Chughtai. ‘Abhi to main jawan hoon’, surely. Faiz could emit cigar smoke from his mouth like a chimney gone awry. One could even see Hanif Ramay on his bicycle, coming to get some designs made for his magazine. Qudratullah Shahab spun his magic. Sufi Ghulam Tabbassum much loved. The list is endless and no time to list all of them. Dr Nazeer Ahmad and Dr Muhammed Din Taseer were particularly close. Colonel Majeed Malik could take the nomenclature of being Chughtai’s best friend. Pitras Bokhari also lived nearby, and was a close associate. Of course Agha Babar had his own episodes to trace. Ikram Sahib, federal secretary could talk of the book he wrote on Pakistan and took advantage of Chughtai all the time. Justice S. A Rahman was there too. When the Chief Justice got slapped by the daughter of a famous politician, at a function at Alhamra, it was not an ordinary affair, and S.A Rahman proved that he was a gentle lamb. You name it, we saw them at home. These were the people who promoted URDU as the language of Pakistan, and all of them were fanatics about the modern language of Islam.

A longer time back, after work was done, there was a habit in the house. The three Chughtai brothers, Abdur Rahman, Abdullah and Abdur Raheem would move with Dr M D Taseer and they would all go to the house of Dr Muhammed Iqbal and till late at night, chat their hearts out. The laughter of them would reverberate long distance away. Dr Iqbal would not mutter English, or Urdu, or Persian, but share jokes and pleasures in plain Punjabi. It went on for nearly twenty years. Even at the Round Table Conference in London in 1932, Abdur Rahman Chughtai was there with Dr Iqbal. That is why tears would come to the eyes of Chughtai when he would recount Iqbal. And again and again he could say ‘hazar sal nargis apni bay noori pay roti hai bari mushkal say hota hai chaman may deeda war paida.’

IQBAL WAS NOT A GREEK ARM CHAIR THINKER. He reached the people direct in Badshahi mosque, Sheranawala gate School or Islamia College or elsewhere. He addressed people and people wept at the plight of Muslims all over the world. Iqbal has channeled the NATIONHOOD of people, indeed he had reconstructed Islam as a religion in his sayings to people itself. People wept with him. And the environment of Lahore was anti-Mullah in all way. The Quranic revolution was going on here in the Chinay-wali masjid Lahore. It ended in Lahore hosting Ghulam Ahmad Pervaiz, the Adviser on Islamic Affairs to the Quaid-e-Azam himself.

To paint such a philosopher in lower light is the mind of wicked foxes and senile crows all over the world. Dr Iqbal was a man par excellence A true Mard-e-momin. His message was simple Islam had got Persianized with time and the Persian version was in vogue here. Iqbal stressed a back to original Islam position, back to the Arab foundation, back to the Quran itself. The people who had distorted Islam through the centuries fumed at the gall of the man trying to bring in renaissance, to undo centuries of Mullah’s mischievous conceptions.

The hypocrisy of promoting Iqbal in Pakistan is evident too. Lip service alone, not a reconsideration of ijjtehad in Islam. Except for permanent values given by Allah, everything else can be changed by common consent. Democracy very relevant here. Pakistan was the first step in telling the world the beauty of the Islamic system to live peacefully in co-existence with the world, without sacrificing an iota of self respect and equality of the nation as a whole. In the end we have to prevail, if not for ourselves, for our salat to Allah Al-Mighty.

DEVELOPMENT OUR CULTURES THROUGH INTERACTIONS;
GAINS, LOSSES NATURALLY AND THROUGH OBLITERATIONS.

I was born in Pakistan, in a house of Culture, and lived my life in the city of Lahore, a center of Culture. Pakistan had already inherited an admixture of East and West. Our leaders were of both types, Eastern as well as Western. But both were turned to progressive Islamic ideals. Our house was like that too. I was sent to an English Medium School and yes they taught us a lot of things, but they also tried to inculcate in us values which were foreign to us. We started the day with a biblical prayer of “Our father thou Art in Heaven”, while most of the Urdu medium schools started their day with a poem by Dr Allamaqbal “Lap pay aati hay dawa meri”. Our courses talked off tales suitable for the Western people, like claiming our iconic Tipu Sultan was a villain, by British standards. The silliest thing possible we were also meant to commemorate Guy Fawkes day, nothing to do with our own environment. Burning wood in memory of the saving of British Parliament centuries ago. I say this for the British left us with a lobby of people determined to save the day for them.

So natural interaction would result in winning of our own cultural legacy. So it had to be obliterated. One day sitting in the LDA office, senior LDA official was telling me, that if we destroy all old buildings (even Mughal ones) and nobody cared, but when we touched a British period work, a great hullabaloo was created and we were always forced to stop. Similarly the great effort by our intellectuals to promote the Urdu language was attacked and barriers in full creation. A controversy between Urdu and Bengali language was created in same way.The National Anthem was always attacked, and is under attack even today. The Bhutto Administration was after replacing same with Sohni Dharti, to undermine our Islamic content. The great Punjabi debate goes all the time. Arabic unites us as Muslims. Culture unites us too. 

Dr Allama Iqbal has been under attack all the time. By literal morons and agents of foreign lobbies. So has been the Quaid e Azam. A person who affirmed that he was a Muslim is attacked all the time at parochialism. So it was natural that the National Artist of Pakistan M.A. Rahman Chughtai would  be attacked all the time. The attack was against the aesthetics of Pakistan.  It was not clear right in the beginning but the 1952 exhibition show in Karachi was a threat to others. On record ten thousand people attended the same for 13 days, but the Governor General Ghulam Muhammed without looking at the works talked of stopping at looking in the past and moving in the future. Told to me by Information Department S. Amjad Ali Sahib. In a newspaper write up, Jalaluddin Ahmad highlighted the same feelings, along with the positive feelings that he could not undermine. He simply said:

“Naturally enough, not all of them were equally appreciative. Divergent and vastly different views were expressed, ranging from rapturous enthusiasm to downright criticism of the art form, subject matter  and technique. But they were all impressed by the tremendous impact of Chughtais rich and powerful imagination, his superb draughtsmanship, and his exquisite colour-work.”

He repeats on a conservative estimate 10,000 men and women, including young students of art as well as veteran artists and art critics spent one evening or more at the Y.W.C.A. So who were those unhappy of these more than ten thousand people.

Some lobbies really unhappy with art developments in Pakistan.  All of a sudden forcible campaigns to put Pakistan on the bandwagon of the West.  Artists like Lester F. Pross came to the University of the Punjab. M.R. Sponenburg came to Mayo School of Arts now National College of Arts. It was forbidden to talk of the presence of any Pakistani Art. And suddenly new artists coming from all over the world. Some from India. Some from Paris. Some from England. Now exhibitions were being held in Murree far away from cultural capitals. The inspirations had changed. Pablo Picasso was the main hero of these Pakistani uprising stars, but there were others. With time it became Jasper Johns, and still even monkeys were the inspiration. Can you imagine on actual stage art is being made by artists with their MALE GENITALS. There is consciousness for the West with these inspirations, but what about us?  Art is not Art for Art sake, but politically motivated to give Islamic values the fun and go thing. I have seen a work being seen through the small gauze of an old burqa woman of a pornographic display. An old lady enjoying sexual episodes. Humiliation of the concepts of Islam. It is okay to criticize wrongs of any society but to put a question mark on values is against the principles of humanity itself.

If I get on the roof of my house and I look around. I see not proportional architecture, but minars and shapeless gumbands. A civilization that created the greatest feats of art and architecture is reduced to shopping for second hand joggers and clothes from rehri walas. The Art of calligraphy is in ruins. Copyists copying the past with no abilities. The West left us in a lurch but never left us. Our Culture is an object of shame and by repeating the past, we think we can save ourselves. Each generation of Muslims took culture forward, a blend of past and present as a beacon for the future. The World culture is good to emulate for its world values. Let us stop differentiating between East and West. Rudyard Kipling was a racist. The Quran was for all, not for a segment of the society. Cultural progress can be achieved without sacrifice. Let us talk of positive values and negative values. From wherever we get positive vibes. Welcome to same! To close we quote Dr Allama Iqbal once again:

“WHAT IS ART WITHOUT THE STRIKING POWER OF THE MOSES STAFF!”

A FEW GLIMPSES OF INAUGURATION OF NEW WING,
OF CHUGHTAI MUSEUM. COMPLETING FIFTY YEARS.

A new era began with the inauguration of the new wing of Chughtai Museum. Not completely ready, and a lot of things waiting to be there. A new era of frames, and new writings. Be with us, as we do more. Thanks!

DECADES OF CONSPIRACY AND THE FLOWER OF PAKISTAN;
YES STILL BLOOMING, GETTING READY TO BE GREAT AGAIN.

It is proverbial that Dr Allama Iqbal conceived Pakistani State, and Quaid e Azam gave it its form. No one needs to tell this again and again. And yet from day one there was a segment allergic to same. Why were they not happy with  the Idea of Pakistan?  Possibly many were purchased by foreign lobbies to undo Pakistan. There were others whose financial resources were damaged for the same. Some gained finances others lost finances. But there were still others who feigned to be intellectuals but were really morons, not able to understand the far reaching idea of same. The lectures of Dr Iqbal about the “Reconstruction of Religious thought in Islam” escaped their low IQs, and they termed it as  blunder. Preposterous thinking if there was any thought in it. The Idea was not Pakistan, but the Idea was requiring a geographical entity to experiment with the Islamic system, to enable egalitarismism to its fullest extent, and equal opportunities to all. If not Pakistani area, it could be any area of the world to imbibe the Idea of Pakistan.

Allah declares the Quranic message for all mankind, and also declares that no other system will last for long. Time period of Allah is different from time period of ours. Even the easy declaration of everything made in six days is misleading, for Allah’s days span periods of revolution and evolution. An undetermined period of time. The Idea of Pakistan was the first step towards implementing Islam  Not Islam as a religion but as a Deen being the challenge to religion itself. It is not about the personal relation between Allah and the Individual, it is the implementation of the Laws of Allah into practical life to achieve the utmost goals of humankind.

Prime Minister Indira Gandhi threw the Two nation theory into the sea and it emerged again on its own, without help from anyone. The sophisticated intellectuals of Indian politicians were gradually replaced by fanatics, with some claiming things which were totally absurd, by building temples on unproven sites. A network of these spies are working in Pakistan claiming absurd things. They can ee Hindu houses, temples and wealth in Pakistan as well as Lahore, not realizing that after the War of Independence in  1857, the Muslims were thrown in the corner, with poverty abounding in their lives. Only few emerging Muslims were loyal servants of the British. The Brown Sahibs surely. A reign of misreporting about the Muslims engendered by the fanatics in India is rampant. Creating tall stories of the past, totally unbelievable. One will find sex stories as well as incestuous stories about the Muslim rulers all the time. Without any documentation evil stories are generated about the Mughal Princesses including Jahan Ara, Roshan Ara, Zebunisa, as well as others.  Fertile minds of the Indians love to produce obnoxious tales of decadence. In a system riddled with castes, the Muslims brought in the region egalitarianism. From  a few thousands, they became millions, not due to the sword, but through a totally different concept of cultural integration. There was no need to fear the invaders in any way.

Co-existence is the lesson of Islam. No one can force a way of life into life of another. It is the acceptance that matters. Allah tells us never to impose another way of life. The motto is to LIVE AND LET OTHERS LIVE. A purely healthy outlook of life. The religious priests of Islam do the most damage to Islamic thinking by stressing not on the Ideals of Islam but blatant small worthless rituals. So come back to the reality of the Ideals of Islam. PAKISTAN FOREVER! Unity, faith and discipline. Let us make Pakistan great again. Let us return to our actual way of life.

A UNIQUE GALLERY OF PAINTINGS ON WALLS OF LAHORE FORT AS TILE MOSAICS
NOTHING IN HISTORICAL NOTES BUT START TO PERIOD OF EMPEROR JAHANGEER
SHAH JAHAN’S COURTIER MULLA TUGHRA ATTRIBUTES TO USTAD AHMAD MIMAR

In 2015 we put up a blog on the Tile Mosaics of Lahore Fort, and like all others puzzled by some of its features. As there is no historical account, in recent years scholars did comment on same. But nobody got up on the rampants to study them in detail. Obviously it goes to the credit of Agha Khan programme for such restorations, that details have started coming up. Of course we have the original book of the Archaeological Survey of India in 1920 and the illustrations and writings done on same by scholar J. Ph Vogel, who indeed did a tremendous job at that time. There were some illustrations done of same in 1890, and some of them are even preserved today in the Cambridge University library. Foreign visitors never touched same or dismissed them like William Barr (1839) as being grotesque. Even today Yael Rice a modern researcher alludes to their lack of public visibility. Everybody approaches art and culture with the present spectacles of time. I was invited to mount the steel trappings and see them close, but it seems hazardous to me.

The most surprising newly discovered thing is that some of these tile mosaics have inscriptions. Not many but few are there. And two names appear on same. One is Hussain and the other Abdullah. In all cases name of two painters who drew the drawings or painted them (nobody would have the guts to put up their names for public consumption except painters themselves). A worthy addition to list of Lahori painters. There are two inscriptions on a panel of Calligraphers. One says Allah Baqi and the other says Ya-fatah, Allah Akbar. The surprising thing is that Abdul Baqi Adad was a famous calligrapher of that time, and Al-fatah too could be the name of a calligrapher, of Akbar’s time. Alluding such things was very true for Mughal artists.

Another surprising thing is that there are no panels related to Hinduism. A common theme (appear at many places) at that time were images showing a Simurgh attacking a Gaja-simha (a lion with elephant head). Simurgh is a bird from Islamic context and a Gaja-simha from Hindu symbolism. The appeal of that image was the Simurgh attacking a Gaja-simha showing the superiority of Muslim culture over Hindu culture. On the Lahore Fort the Simurgh is there attacking a dragon, whereas the dragon is having a fierce Garuda like face, the Simurgh not. So although Gaja-simha is avoided being shown here, the animal has particular connotations. And another clarity is absence of any Christian cherubs on the tile mosaics. The much proclaimed fancy of Jahangeer with images of Jesus Christ and Mary not there in any way. Researchers point to the perhaps image of an Englishman, and even with the greatest fancy, cannot understand his placement there. For some he could be Thomas Roe, when Jahangeer does not even mention once Thomas Roe in any capacity. Thomas Roe in dress of an ordinary worker belies all such claims, and with hands folded in obedience. Not worthy of being considered an ambassador here, looks more like a minor attendant. We will research on same.

Although there are male and female fairies, there are no female images on the tile mosaics. Why? The Mughals were fond of depicting women in various poses, and their absence points to the nature of decision making in making these tile mosaics. For public, for private or for royalty alone. One can only wonder. The angels are there in the Wazeer Khan hamam Lahore, and were also there in Gola Serai Lahore of Wazeer Khan, demolished by E.D. Maclagen for security purposes before 1910. Possible other tile mosaics too for Nawab Wazeer Khan was involved in the over haul of Lahore Fort and could have carried the painters to his serai too.

Research would continue but the tile mosaics have been terribly neglected by western art historians and critics for reasons unknown. Our family is linked with Lahore Fort as other Mughal monuments, for we are descendants of Ustad Ahmad Mimar, Chief architect of Shah Jahan, and he is on record as being attached in work to the Lahore Fort itself. Mulla Tughra (the famous diary keeper) was with Shah Jahan in Kashmeer and in a letter addressed to Ustad Ahmad, he tells him that Shah Jahan is about to depart from Kashmeer to Lahore and should complete the works are soon as possible in Lahore Fort but then says something fantastic;

“And the highly dignified Mulla Ahmad Mimar- that discerning appreciator of new ideas of the ‘PICTURE-GALLERY’, that master of resonant language of the ‘workshop’, that designer of Wisdom’s mansions, that writer of inscriptions on the pavilion of the Royal intellect, and that architect of the Holy Temple of benedictions- has rebuilt the exhausted spirit of this writer with the tranquil mortar of his friendship.”  (published in Taj Mahal by Wayne Begley and Z.A. Desai)

This is direct evidence that our ancestor was responsible for the Picture gallery at the Lahore Fort from a writer courtier of Emperor Shah Jahan himself. Mulla Tughra was from Mashad and stayed with Shah Jahan throughout his life, and Shah Jahan was dethroned, Mulla Tughra retired to Kashmeer. His language skills were famous and he talks of things with symbolism of chess board. Skilled communicator of ideas, and surely friend of Ustad Ahmad Mimar, as others like Ustad Abdul Kareem, Makaramat Khan, and Amanat Khan Shirazi. We will add more, till then enjoy!

FORGOTTEN SERAI OF NAWAB WAZEER KHAN LAHORI;
DEMOLISHED EVENTUALLY BY THE BRITISH IN POWER.

Nawab Wazeer Khan constructed  a lot of buildings in the region. Besides the obvious, we have his buildings in Shahjahanabad, Multan, like the Wazeer Khan Mosque there, and a complete city of Wazirabad. It is interesting that this complete city was gifted by his descendant Mirza Izzad Baksh to a Hindu friend, so that it would not be inherited by his own absconder son-in-law, Mira Chajju Baig. Mirza Chajju Baig went to Lahore High Court to undo the gift, but the Court ruled in defense of the Hindu, by asserting that a GIFT ONCE GIVEN CANNOT BE TAKEN BACK. All that is on record in the court files. And we have copies of it.

One important missing construction is the Serai of Nawab Wazeer Khan in Lahore. The location of the Serai is not certain, and the Serai of Mian Sultan has taken its place, or adjacent to it in some ways. Research not done so far. But stories abound. Rudyard Kipling enfolds another role of the Serai of Mian Sultan. In his novel Kim, he points to the Serai as being meeting place of Spies. A certain Afghan spy met here in those times. And killings used to take place here. His father John Kipling has made a sketch of the Serai of Nawab Wazeer Khan. The interesting part is that the Serai was once the Marketplace of Prince Dara Shikoh and later as well  the Serai of Nawab Wazeer Khan. Famous for being demolished by Maclagen after 1904 (but existed even in 1910 partially) in Lahore. We have prints as well as photographs of same. The Wazeer Khan Serai existed and is on photographic record in 1908. We have published photographs of it. Check our book on Wazeer Khan Mosque. In fact Lord Maclagen in his writings describe the Serai as having ANGELS on its doorway in the same spirit as the Lahore Fort as well as the Wazeer Khan hammam. In the Kipling Sketch, the photographs of 1908 and the photograph of 1910 all show the Gateway in different light. Fallen and reconstruction seems the key. We now feel that the drawing printed in France in the 19th century, is maybe the Gateway to the Serai of Wazeer Khan. It has real similarities with the gateway of the Wazeer Khan Mosque. But it does not match any gateway in Lahore. The heading calls it the Gateway to the Palace. Check our analysis!

We are also told that Wazeer Khan constructed a Step well there. In both photographs the Step-well is clearly visible to us. But the most amazing thing is that a house reputed to be in the center of the Serai is tipped as the house of Nawab Wazeer Khan himself. It has changed its construction too, and the last legal descendant of Wazeer Khan was Mirza Izzad Baksh. Who knows who occupied it after that? And surely demolished with the Serai itself. The architecture looks old, but it exhibits changes of the 19th century too. The doorway and the ventilators look 1800s or much. But the plinth looks really old of Wazeer Khan time, as well as the arch above the door. But lower plinth means the level got sunken with time. Anyway it is gone, and the photographs are our only memory of the Serai of Nawab Wazeer Khan Lahori.However Wazeer Khan did leave his initial Diwan and we have a copy, probably the original in his own handwriting. Subject to further research.

AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF THE MUGHAL MINIATURES;
OF QUEEN SAHIB JAMAL REVEALED IN RENOVATION,
OF HER  MAUSOLEUM IN THE BAGH ANARAN LAHORE.

Historians are of many kinds. There are those who go after the truth and solidify the same for the future. And there are those who falsify the truth with distorted repugnant tales in effort to degrade famous people, particularly Muslim Kings and Queens. The Western visitors to India Hindustan were no  exceptions to the rules. They delved in spreading lies about the Muslim rule in Hindustan. They had the help of Indian so called storytellers, who spun tales, particularly in the 19th century. The most bizarre sex stories were spun, and these Western misgots perhaps were obsessed with Oedipus Complex for incest was in their mind all the time. Mughal Princesses like Jahan Ara, Roshan Ara, Zebunisa, were all victims of such slandering on part of these fanatics, who had no access to the Royal Courts, and picked up gossip in the bazaar, or spun their own versions. The Story of Anarkali is one of them.

Someone thought finally renovating the Mausoleum of so called Anarkali , and even dug the place where she was supposed to be buried. No structure, not even the bones. C. Grey had revealed in an article that the bones were taken out when the Church was being made AND  BURIED UNDER THE LEFT TURRET WHERE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE STILL THERE. Someone check it out. Our concern was the revealed portraits of Queen Sahib Jamal on the walls surrounding her sarcophagus. A first of a kind in Mughal history. Only six are revealed so far and there may be even more. Certainly Emperor Jahangeer devoted to his beloved wife the Turkish Princess Sahib Jamal would have chosen the best artists of his time for the same. But that record is certainly missing as even the mention of the Mausoleum. Although a cross reference is available about the death of infant son of Dara Shikoh, buried in the garden of Sultan Pervaiz, son of Sahib Jamal, mistakenly considered as the Mausoleum of Prince Pervaiz, when he is buried in his own mausoleum in Agra. Of course Sahib Jamal was daughter of Khawaja Hasan of Herat, and died in Lahore, on her way back, after an illness. A miniature exists with infant son Pervaiz, as also her dying days in a miniature from Jahangeer album. The revealed works are a bonus of history.

SJ 1

Sahib Jamal has a black spotted (perhaps stars) veil on her head, and a black/brown band on her forearm, and raises her both hands in a typical; gesture of prayer, as exemplified in Muslim rituals. Mughal women and queens are often shown with crowns and flamboyant head dresses, but the austerity in this work is indeed remarkable. And unique in all ways. Simplicity and innocence is best shown in this way.

SJ 2

In this portrayal again the simplicity of a covered head, plus a black swan in her hands. The beak reveals the swan, otherwise it could be a faded background. No mistakes, she is carrying a bird. Maybe her favourite pet.

SJ 3

A black dress and possibly a gold head covering (faded) but the band is indeed golden. And with her Royal share of necklaces, befitting a Queen of her stature. A Royal portrait in full flair, but again a covered head.

SJ 4

Face clearly visible with an aquiline nose. In her hand she holds a small bowl, and in her other hand a stem of flowers. She looks younger in this portrait, of an earlier time. Reputation is that she died at the age of 27 years.

SJ 5

Simple yellow dress and holding a flower in her right hand, and an utensil in her left hand, maybe a small cup. Black means brass cup.

SJ 6

An orange dress with a faded head covering, perhaps a sort of crown. Holding in her hand something, which cannot be seen. Obviously some sort of head dress is there but only the lines can be seen. Its background colour gone.

Restoration of the Mausoleum is a big task. But put the Bones of Shah Jamal back for proper burial, and select renowned artists to repaint the frescoes. These six rarest portrayals of Queen Sahib Jamal only bring two emotions in looking at them. Happiness in their survival, and curse to those villains who destroyed Mughal aesthetics and put a shadow on its abundant Culture. Conquest does not mean obliterating the culture of an entire nation. But what can we expect from these bigots. Those who were ready to dismantle the Taj Mahal itself for selling its marbles in Italy. Even stole its gold pinnacle and replaced it with a bronze one. They came to teach us culture, and forgot the basics of ours.

PAKISTAN FOREVER! PAKISTAN FOREVER! PAKISTAN FOREVER!
OUR FAITH IN THE PURITY OF OUR IDEAS AND ALMIGHTY ALLAH.

I am a born Pakistani. My father Abdur Rahman Chughtai was not a born Pakistani, but Pakistan was in his blood and soul. After the tragedy of the 1857 movement and the War of Independence, the dream of revitalizing the Muslim glory was always there. Friendship of Dr Allama Iqbal for twenty years reinforced his belief in the idea of Pakistan. In his memoirs of 1932 he writes of sitting in the hotel room of Dr Allama Iqbal (in London during the Round Table Conference), and seeing people come and go and talk of a Muslim homeland. Dr Iqbal introduced him to Chaudfary Rahmatullah, who coined the word Pakistan. Dr Allama Iqbal tried his best to boost Abdur Rahman Chughtai in holding an exhibition in London, and also wrote to people canvassing the same. On his deathbed, Abdur Rahman Chughtai was with Dr Iqbal till the very last. Chughtai Sahib writes as to Iqbal’s holding his hand and not letting it go, and asking him to promise that “Amal e Chughtai” as a book, will be done by him. A dream of Iqbal which came true in 1968, when President Ayub Khan inaugurated the same at Alhamra Lahore, an institution founded by Chughtai Sahib himself. It was clear from day one that the idea of Pakistan pricked people, and all the anti-Pakistan zealots were a purchasable commodity by agencies from abroad.  And this animosity goes on every day.

Pick up a newspaper, browse the internet, ask the pseudo intellectuals of Pakistan, they all rave against Pakistan. And not only Pakistan, they bombard their views on Islam itself. Tom, Dick and Harrys abound in finding fault with Islam and Pakistan. When Professor Shameem Anwar wrote the book “The Idea of Pakistan”, Stephen Cohen (from the Brookings Institute) wrote a book on the Idea of Pakistan. So all were at it, from the morons of everyday to the super knowledge of people like Stephen Cohen. I knew them both. On face to face level. But no one needed to tell me, Pakistan was indeed in my blood and soul too.

From first day the conspiracy to undo Pakistan was in full swing. Everything about Pakistan was belittled. Grand plans were made to lower our self esteem, and all the West offered was golden, our past was literally bullshit to our own people. The biggest culprits were the Mullahs themselves whose aim was to undo our faith in Islam by presenting us with fairy tales. Invented stories and miracles nothing to do with the Quran. In our times the Maulvi in the mosque was a poor person and we used to send regular meals to our mosques to feed that poor chap. Now the modern Maulvis are moving in Cruisers and with body guards carrying automatic rifles with them. From where were they being fed to destroy us. Destroy the rationale of our existence. We were friends to all, non aligned in our lives to be happy with ourselves and with others. Normal people for lack of resources joined the band wagon of belittling our ideas. I wish I could name some. Some ready for the grave are raving against our iconic Quaid e Aam. And that too in India itself. An imbecile Indian businessman has become a Pakistani expert overnight. The passion of a retired Major in India is phenomenal.  So many vlogs and blogs to undermine us. It happened with Art too. The conspiracy against Abdur Rahman Chughtai himself was tremendous. French beards, torn jeans, smoking pipes came into Pakistan to teach us that copying Picasso was the key to success. Principals of Mayo School of Art would not tolerate talk of Pakistani art. It was Quaid e Azam himself who talked about the importance of art and aesthetics into guiding a nation. Line and colour shaped the ideas of a nation.

This is subject of many books. Not all can be covered in a write up. Let us say one thing. Hands off Pakistan. We are alive, the flame of the idea of Pakistan is ever alive. Go on with your nonsense, Pakistan will survive and surmount all issues. Yes, Pakistan is forever!