END OF RAMAZAN AND SIGHTING OF MOON – EVER CIRCLE OF LIFE BEGINS AND ENDS ANEW

END OF RAMAZAN AND SIGHTING OF MOON
EVER CIRCLE OF LIFE BEGINS AND ENDS ANEW

Message of Quran

In the infinite wisdom of Allah, the permanent values of the Quran remain the same. but with changing times, newer and newer issues come up. For that Allah has made the concept of IJTEHAD inherent in Islamic values. The external situations change all the time. Once the Muslims rode Camels, now they run on Land Cruisers. Once they communicated by messengers on fast horseback, now touch phones are there in their pockets. Video chatting going on which was imaginable in those times. But technology changes, the values behind the technology remains the same. Ever since Prophet Moses brought the Ten Commandments, the do’s and do nots of life are there.

End of Ramazan

The month of Ramazan brought out the best in your body’s ability to cope with deprivation. It led to spiritual healing of your self. Now it is Eid. Tine to rejoice, to be happy and to share your happiness with others. Happy Eid from Chughtai Museum!

Sighting Eid Moon

THE ENDANGERED SPECIES OF ANGELS OF LAHORE – NOT ONE ANGEL LIKE THEM IN ANY PICTORIAL RECORD

THE ENDANGERED SPECIES OF ANGELS OF LAHORE
NOT ONE ANGEL LIKE THEM IN ANY PICTORIAL RECORD

Mughal angels

Every one knows about Angels. The Quran calls these as FERISTHAS and specify them as POSITIVE FORCES. No iconic image or description is given to them. The Angels as we understand them in figurative detail starts from the religion of Judaism itself. Yes Zoroastorianism has Angels, but they are more bearded like human faces with animal bodies. Mostly that of Lions. The Jews made them male and female human figures with delicate feathers, with ability to fly the skies and tackle the demonic ones. Angels imagery starts from Judaism, but also moves on to Christianity and Islam. The East had no room for Angels. Hindus as well as Buddhist never believed in angels. So when Angels are discovered in Lahore in form of figurines which culture do they actually reflect. This area a thousand years ago was empty of Christianity in all its forms. Only a Jewish culture could have entered Lahore before the Muslims. From 30 feet layers to 12 feet layers, these angels are unique in many ways. In different forms, clothes, head dresses, the most particular thing about them is that they carry DIVAS in their hands. They are a source of light, and some of these divas are blackened, which means that the divas were actually lit at times. Our probable consideration is that they were used on graves, a form of lightening candles as in modern times.

Tobias and angel
Gabriel

Unlike the Christians, Angels depicted in our Art reveals adult females, beautiful bodies with rainbow colours. No cherubs were ever used. The Lahore Fort, the Serai of Wazeer Khan as well as the Hammam of Wazeer Khan depict beautiful angels. These Angels are also evident in the mausoleums in Khusrau Bagh, Mughal Hindustan.

Ferishta Jabreel iconic Lahori image
Lahori Angel holding Noor in his hands

The most ancient of these figurines has a figurative symbol in its head dress, which is Jewish language and means form of light, or NOOR. In all ways it is the ANGEL GABREIL, for the iconic image of Gabreil is that of neither male or female. And we have this figurine which does not denote the gender of the Angel. Later models with time show female figures for angels. The most interesting part is that in history of angels, we have seen not one image of any angel carrying a light in his/her hands. Unique portrayal of Lahore. We share, and we enjoy! And we pray to these Angels to save us from the threat of demolition from the rancid evil of our land and the most corrupt system in history of humankind.

Angels in Khusro Mausoleum
Angels in Mughal Art
Central Asian Male Angels

THE VISIT OF SURAT SINGH TO THE MARI OF BABA GURU NANAK – UNIQUE RECORD IN MANUSCRIPT DATED 1055-57 AH 1645-47 AD

THE VISIT OF SURAT SINGH TO THE MARI OF BABA GURU NANAK
UNIQUE RECORD IN MANUSCRIPT DATED 1055-57 AH 1645-47 AD

A manuscript in verse written by Surat Singh son of Dhuni Chand from 1055 AH, 1645 AD to 1057 AH, 1647 AD in praise of his saint is entitled TAZHKIRA HASU TELI. Hasu Teli was a wheat seller in Lahore in a shop in Chowk Jhaunda inside Lohari Gate, Lahore. He used to weigh the wheat in a dishonest way and after becoming a disciple of Shah Jamal Lahori left his corrupt ways. He stopped selling wheat and embarked on a career of selling oil. To this day a lamp is lighted in his shop by well wishers. His tomb is also in Lahore and described in detail by Judge Muhammed Lateef in his history of Lahore. Surat Singh became a revenue official in Lahore and became a disciple of Hasu Teli and used to contribute to the welfare of his saint’s burial place.

Guru Nanak

One day Surat Singh heard of the Mari of Baba Guru Nanak on the bank of river Ravi in Kartarpur and visited the Mari as reverence from him. Surat Singh relates the legend of Guru Nanak leaving two bodies behind; one for the Muslims to bury and the other for the Hindus to cremate same. This was a consequence of Hindus and Muslims wishing to deal with the dead Guru in their own way. Surat Singh tells us that across the river Ravi, the actual Baba Guru Nanak had already crossed on his own, and met an Afghan soldier and had a meal with him. He asserts that till 1647 AD, the Mari of Baba Guru Nanak existed on the bank of river Ravi in Kartarpur. This is a very rare reference and one of its kind.

Surat Singh also affirms his belief that Guru Nanak and Hasu Teli were in fact one and had changed places. He recounts how he saw Baba Guru Nanak at the mazar. But Hasu Teli came in his dream to tell him not to confuse any identity. In any case the mention is early and unique in Sikh history.
P.S. Researchers are indebted to Professor Rizavi Aligarh University for this research.

TWO GREEDY ENGLISHMEN COME TO INDIA STAR STRUCK – ANTICS BIZARRE OF WILLIAM HAWKINS AND WILLIAM FINCH

TWO GREEDY ENGLISHMEN COME TO INDIA STAR STRUCK
ANTICS BIZARRE OF WILLIAM HAWKINS AND WILLIAM FINCH

The imagined Mughal Court in William Hawkins

In 1608 AD William Hawkins along with his assistant William Finch reached India through Surat. Father Peniero and the Portuguese immediately confiscated all his goods as well as imprisoned him. When the Portuguese dismissed King James as the King of Fishermen of an Island which had no importance, it prompted William Hawkins to challenge the Father to a duel of death. Never happened. Both Hawkins and Finch through various intrigues reached Agra to the Seat of Emperor Jahangeer. Such dubious things are said that they cannot be believed, or confirmed from different sources. Emperor Jahangeer wrote extensive autobiographical memoirs but did not feel it fit to even mention one encounter with such a missionary or ambassador from abroad. Hawkins claim that Emperor Jahangeer appointed him as a Royal equal to 400 cavalry men, with a salary of 3200 pounds. And yet where thousands of pounds should have been there, Hawkins himself says that he only received 300 pounds and that was not enough to even meet his regular expenditure. He is there when Jahangeer is saying is prayers and could see that the rosary had images of Mary on it. He accepts Jahangeer’s request to convert his three nephews to Christianity and he converts them. He witnesses Jahangeers piercing the cheek of his young Prince, to note whether the Prince would cry or not with blood gushing out from the cheeks. Amazing foolish notions. Unbelievable and yet those people live by these statements as cardinal truths.

William Hawkins

William Finch is no better. His invention of tales is phenomenal. The originator of so many evil incestuous thoughts, he invents the legend of a dancing girl. Anarkalli is a beautiful concubine in Akbar’s harem, and the King marries her and begets a son Danyal from her self. According to calculations she is more than 45 years old. Prince Saleem is only 30 years of age at that time. A heir to the Mughal Empire can find peace no where except in incestuous thoughts and have an affair with his step-mother, actual mother of his brother. And then he throws caution to the wind and on becoming Emperor, constructs a grand mausoleum on her death place (where she was buried alive standing). Even that society could not have accepted that. And all this time, Finch is trying to sell indigo in Lahore, sitting in some tandoor, refused entrance into any Royal place. Gossips galore and with knack of understanding even the language, jumping to far fetched conclusions. The amazing part is that at the time of the so called incident, King Akbar was not a resident of Lahore, Prince Saleem was elsewhere and there was not even one Shish Mahal in the Lahore Fort. The so called Anarkalli was buried alive in the Lahore Fort and we know that the mausoleum is at a far off place.This is the same moron who saw the Lahore Fort full of images of Jesus Christ and Mary and Jahangeer on the verge of Christianity. In fact he affirms that Jahangeer not only had three of his nephews converted to Christianity, he also stupidly claims that (Nous-billah) Jahangeer used to attack (impossible) the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) as well as the Al-Quran (Nous-billah a thousand times again) in his court. Curse on this haramzada to indulge in such blasphemy even at that time. A person who may have never entered the Lahore Fort, saw it full of images of the Cross, Jesus Christ and Mary. The interesting part is that he saw it in a pavilion which was made after he had left Lahore, till his death in August, 1613 in Babylon. All his indigo got stolen and he lost his life. So take his invented stories with a grain of salt. So who speaks the truth? These greedy bastards with the filthiest minds in the world. One William Hawkins died on his way back, while William Finch was possibly murdered in Babylon by drinking poisoned water. Sad end to their sad stories.

Why on Earth is our inferiority complex so great that we are willing to believe these garbled conjectures of sick minds? They led the East India Company here, which finally showed its true colour, by understanding the weaknesses here and engendering their divide and rule policy to perfection. How can greedy people tell the truth? Contemporary illustrations show the lack of knowledge of William Hawkins even of the settings of the Mughal Court.

TWO THOUSAND YEARS OLD DEAD SEA SCROLLS – PREDICTS IMMEDIATE SCENARIO OF DOOMSDAY

TWO THOUSAND YEARS OLD DEAD SEA SCROLLS
PREDICTS IMMEDIATE SCENARIO OF DOOMSDAY

Caves of Dead Sea Scrolls

During the Israeli wars, a shepherd stumbled over some caves and they had a trove of scrolls known as Dead Sea Scrolls. World famous by now and many in small pieces, they have been reconstructed by scientists and they tell of a period of a time of Jesus Christ himself. Probably Jesus was alive when these were being written by priests. One book in the Dead Sea Scroll paints an immediate doomsday scenario. It looks unfortunate that 2000 years after the scrolls were written, we still stand there. Obviously the prediction was all wrong. This “last days” mentality seems rooted with doomsday cults, and the Scrolls record the sayings of such a cult, predicting the immediate end of times. Obviously the cult was wrong. The whole object is to sap the positive energies in humankind with a pessimistic world, proclaiming that it is all ending, why even try? It is certain that a cult which makes us lose hope in the future is against Islam itself.

Dead Sea Scrolls

Soothsayers are fond of predicting the end of Planet Earth. This phenomena is known to Allah alone and Allah has not shared this secret with anyone. Islam is a DEEN of Hope and positive developments. Life is Revolution and Evolution. Every dimension leads to another dimension. Hell is where life stops, Heaven is the continuity of life over dimensions. Confidence in tomorrow!

Time Stops

DEFRAGMENTING SAULAT AJMAL’S FRAGMENTED MEMORIES – THE VORTEX OF SPINNING IDENTITY AND ISLAMIC CULTU

DEFRAGMENTING SAULAT AJMAL’S FRAGMENTED MEMORIES
THE VORTEX OF SPINNING IDENTITY AND ISLAMIC CULTURE

A few days back Ms Saulat Ajmal walked in the premises of Chughtai Museum. We were expecting a visit of Ms Orianne Zehrah, and the confusion was natural and got corrected in a short time. I was invited to download her thesis from VCU and I did. Every mind is a complex entity and words are not enough to transfer thoughts. Stray thoughts do sweep in, but correlating them as a whole is impossible. The said lady was born and lived in Lahore and then migrated to New York, and she spins the Identity of each place not as any crisis but as a vortex in the sea, enduring complexity.

The lady stands in a Peters place in New York, performing a rhythm, and nobody notices her actions. If she performs the same in Bhatti Gate, Lahore, the crowd would crash on her. Her purpose to unravel actually leads her to unequal fragments.

Confessions

To talk of American Identity and Pakistani Identity, or more specific New York Identity with Lahore Identity may be easy but it detracts from an essential truth. In all cultures, human beings react to their environment and the ecological factors determine their nature. I have always spoken in terms of throwing a stone anywhere on Planet Earth, and the stone will acquire the ecological conditions as natural to their own. Human organism being most complex also reacts to same cues. But the Islamic Identity goes far above the distillation process. The Islamic organism is not an empty one, but full of ideas of its own. These ideas are a result of Divine intervention and interpretation. These Divine filters in organism make reaction to environments conditional with acceptance and rejection. For example before the Ten Commandments, those ten forbidden as law were natural to human kind. A simple statement that THOU SHALL NOT STEAL. Certainly stealing was never considered a crime as it happened all the time. THOU SHALL NOT COVET ANOTHER MAN’S WOMAN. Certainly this enticing would certainly be there. Divine role enhanced the organism and it reacted to the environment in a different way than before.

But then DIVINE REVOLUTION AND EVOLUTION gave the organism the possibility of a choice. And then did not fix anything except the basics. Ijthehad was the key to change, to progress, to modernize according to changing times. The tuning of the organism remained perfect, till priesthood added the dilemma of DESTINY to the game. You make your own destiny, but for the priests everything was predetermined.

Saulat Ajmals vision

The Identity of the Human Organism where the same may be evolves and evolves differently in different environments and yet remains the same. The fraternity of humanity. One kind of Identity develops as healer, and with it adds a FRINGE IDENTITY which fragments itself. Defragmenting makes it new, otherwise it carries the weight of multiple identities. Will Saulat Ajmal mix in the pool of a civilization, or will she perish in the advancement of one culture super imposed on another. Only time will tell!

OUR SHARING WITH OTHERS, LEAD OTHERS SHARE WITH US – AN ARCHAEOLOGIST SENT BIZARRE IMAGE FOR REFLECTION

OUR SHARING WITH OTHERS, LEAD OTHERS SHARE WITH US
AN ARCHAEOLOGIST SENT BIZARRE IMAGE FOR REFLECTION

In some ages past, a Buddhist woman decided to pay homage to Lord Buddha. Homage could be anything but the best homage was considered to be sacrifice. One could sacrifice anything, but the more close the sacrificed, the more the spirituality. So she cut her ear and placed it in a Stupa and then closed the enclosure after her offering. Powder resin was put on her ear to stop the bleeding. That is one version. Another version that the said lady did something evil in the eyes of the Head monk and he had her ear cut and placed in the Stupa as homage to Lord Buddha. There could be other versions. But a fossilized ear flesh, with perforations for many rings. Some silver, blackened with age. Some in gold ever fresh. Some pearls still shining and blue topaz ever bright. And decayed fossilized flesh for the ages.

Sacrificed Buddhist ear

The turmoil of war, the fighters leaving things in dust. Razing stupas to the ground. One of them putting his hand n a small clay enclosure and senses metal. The ear came out and he put it in his pocket. The Kabul market, foreigners from all over the world buying trinkets. Haggling and things like that. The result the ear leaves the home country and fly away to another land. The man who bought it literally forgot it for years and years. It had to come out. The supposition is some garage sale.

We love to share things on the internet and people love to share things with us. We were sent this bizarre and fantastic image of a cut ear of a Buddhist woman long dead and gone. It was an omen of love on one hand and repulsion on the other hand. A degraded human flesh is not easy to digest. But we saw the image. We inspected the image. Our blog is about Art and Pakistan. The field of Buddhism is not our field, We are no scholars. We are no experts. But there is a dignity in the ear. Centuries after the death, a Buddhist homage still there.

The lady made an offering to Lord Buddha and asked for his help in her daily life. Perhaps we too can ask Lord Buddha to help us in our hour of distress as we fight the rancid corruption of our times, out to demolish an iconic museum of Pakistan. The will of Allah is in all things. The Divine Principles. Perhaps the sacrifice of an ear of a woman will help us in our time of need.

THE SO CALLED ALI SINBADE KING OF LAHORE 1795 – FRENCH OFFICER CAPTAIN TRINQUART ACCOSTS HIM – A DYNAMIC SCENE FROM THE UNKNOWN PAST

THE SO CALLED ALI SINBADE KING OF LAHORE 1795
FRENCH OFFICER CAPTAIN TRINQUART ACCOSTS HIM
A DYNAMIC SCENE FROM THE UNKNOWN PAST

On 23rd June, 1838, the National Library of France added a PRINT to their register of prints in the library. The subject was a French Army Officer Captain Trinquart, and his disposition in India. He is being presented to the King of Lahore, whose name is given as King Ali Sinbade. Apparently the French Officer had been sent to India by General Napoleon Bonaparte. We do know that Napoleon Bonaparte had offered military support to Sultan of Mysore, Tipu Sultan, and had sent contingents there too. Napoleon Bonaparte was born in 1769 and died in 1821. His reign in featured as from 1804 to 1814. Captain Trinquart period would be around that period. Tipu Sultan was born in 1750 and died in 1799. Captain Trinquart should be there in India from 1795 to 1799. Details are anybody’s guess.

Captain Trinquart meets King of Lahore 1795

Our concern is that the meeting of Captain Trinquart with the King of Lahore. Is it mere a legendary meeting or it is concerned with historical facts. We do know that the period of 1795 to 1799 is a period of acute disturbances in Lahore. The three Sikh Chieftains had captured Lahore, but to what degree, Actually nothing is very clearly known. Were there pockets of previous Muslim rule still there? Anybody’s guess. The name Ali Sinbade looks imaginary too. But the Print does not. The mosque at the back is very clearly of Lahori origin. More like the Badshahi Mosque Lahore. The King also looks very real as well as his subjects. Not one Sikh in the audience. All faces look Mughal. Even the dresses are more appropriate as well as the tent of the King. Contrary to many prints made in those days, there are features of reality here.

Napoleon Bonaparte 1804 1814

Our effort is to introduce unknown documentation of Lahore. If we do that, we feel successful. Obviously it is meant for research, but till then, it is also meant o be enjoyed as a missing chapter of Lahore.

We add details from the National library here:

… HAS yielded 3 references in the listings of prints and photographs of the newspaper Bibliography La France (1811-1881), ict predecessor General Journal of Prints and Libraries (Dec. 1810 to Sept. 1811), the registers of the legal deposit of prints , 1795-1811, and the surviving registers of prints and photographs which were refused authorization for publication prior to 1870. Copies of most Of the works of the National Library of France, where they may be discovered today. Please note:

ImofFr no. 28817.   Bibliog. Of 23 June 1838 , no. 533 – Beautiful actions of Captain Trinquart, n. 1 to 4, lithog. In Paris, at {Maezani}, rue de la Cité, n. 25.

AND

Tipu again made a proposal in October 1797 through Malartic, the Governor of Ile de France (Mauritius).[19] Malartic, who could not deplete his forces in Ile de France, sent a group of 150 volunteers in the frigate La Preneuse, on 7 March 1798.[20] La Preneuse arrived in Mangalore in April 1798.[21] A group of French officers numbering 124, under the Command of Michel Raymond, was also leading an army of 14,000 for the Nizam, Subhadar of the Deccan Ali Khan Asaf Jah II, but they were neutralized following British diplomatic intervention.[22]

AND

There exists a French cemetery in Harohalli, where the French who came to aid Tippu Sultan are buried. The beautiful cemetery is more than 250 years old, but sadly lies in a state of neglect, with most graves vandalised by the local people. The French soldiers and family members died either by malaria, fatigue or in battle. The land for the French cemetery was granted by Tippu Sultan. Only 35 graves exist at present and most of them in a bad state. The locals have vandalised the graves to remove the iron grills, bricks, metal plaques and expensive marble. Many graves are left without any headstone.[33]

Ali Sinbade King of Lahore 1795

A PRIVATE DIARY OF QUAID E AZAM’S VISIT TO LAHORE 1940

A PRIVATE DIARY OF QUAID E AZAM’S VISIT TO LAHORE 1940
RARE PHOTOGRAPHS OF PUBLIC EXUBERANCE AND NAMING
MUHAMMED ALI JINNAH AS QUAID E AZAM FOREVER

Quaid in Lahore 1940
Quaid in Lahore 1940 second

Photographs say everything. The crowds not there for any monetary advantage as in today’s world, or even eating free meals. The exuberance of the crowd for the Pakistani Identity. However enough vested interests may malign it today, it is in the heart and soul of people and it come s alive after every martyrdom. Beware enemies of Pakistan! The flame of love for Pakistan is not gone anywhere. You have stifled it with crushing the people in harassment of every days life. Making every official venture difficult, standing in lines. No jobs or remuneration in sight. BUT LOVE REIGNS! Want to test it. Make some foolish attempt again and we will wipe you away from the face of earth. That is our promise to all enemies of Pakistan.

Quaid in Lahore 1940 third
Quaid in Lahore 1940 fourth
Quaid in Lahore 1940 fifth

AN UNRECORDED AUTOGRAPH QURAN OF HAZRAT MIAN MEER LAHORI!

AN UNRECORDED AUTOGRAPH QURAN OF HAZRAT MIAN MEER LAHORI
IN THE ARCHIVES OF CHUGHTAI MUSEUM AWAITING PROPER RESEARCH
PERHAPS THE BLESSINGS OF ALLAH THROUGH HAZRAT MIAN MEER BE UPON US!

Hazrat Mian Meer Lahori

History records many things. Many facts are lost in history. That is life. We have never heard of Hazrat Mian Meer Lahori as a calligrapher but certainly a person who has studied the Quran as well as Deeni books, must be well versed in writing same. It came as a total surprise when we came across a Quran, the initial part somewhat damaged, with a couple of pages missing in all. But the Surat Fateh is there intact. It is sprinkled with gold throughout and has seven golden naqashi pages. The calligrapher has his own individual way of writing his name, different from the usual calligraphers. It is clearly written SHEIKH MEER LAHORI. The date was written but only KHUMAS can be read with ease, meaning Five. The numerical THREE as separate can also be read too. As Hazrat Mian Meer died in 1045 AH, it lead to our research in the date as follows. The word Khumas means FIVE, and we see the THREE fit in like this. The Quran is dated 1043 AH and means FIFTH JALOOS. The date 1043 AH translates as 1633 AD, and as Shah Jahan ascended the throne in 1628 AD, it clearly means the fifth year of his reign. A word can be read as zil ul QAD. This clearly shows that it was written about two years before his death.

Mulla Shah Badakshi
Quran Sheikh Meer Lahori

The calligraphy is of thicker line, not that of a professional calligrapher with a thinner line to work on. It is the work of a calligrapher who is not a professional one, as most calligraphers would write in a different way. The calligrapher instead of the usual way of expression is writing of himself in a different way too. Not Katba Malik ul Wahab but Baid Al-Mazneeb. The calligrapher endorses the Prophet (PBUH) as well as Hazrat Ali in his elucidation. The Khatimah Quran is slightly different than the normal one elucidated in Hadees literature. These small points all point to the special nature of writing of the Quran.

Mian Meer

The Quran was damaged in time but some follower and well wisher repaired it in his own way, but not up to the mark in any way. Even chips missing of the text were filled with missing writing. Surprisingly the binding is intact with a big poetic SEAL on it. We have not been able to read all of it but individually many words can be read, and it means a poetic stanza of same. One clear word is QALANDER, one is LUTUF, one is ILM, one is perhaps KHADIAM, and so on. It is there as an attachment. A rough reading could be KHADIAM AHAL ILM NAM UMEED LUTUF IRAM BANDOBAST QALANDER. People can try to complete the poetic stanza, perhaps it is a sentence which Hazrat Mian Meer used extensively in his life time. Our object is to surprise people, so that they can enjoy the unexpected and appreciate our work in the matter. Perhaps as we have preserved the sacred writing of Hazrat Mian Meer, he can preserve our museum from demolition by the bandits of our times. Allah hamari madad karey! Ameen.

Seal on binding cover Qalander