A DESERTED LAHORE GETS RECLUSE FROM SAYYID MUBARIK;DEFEATS JASARATH KHOKHAR AND SETS BASIS FOR NEW CITY,
NAMED AS MUBARIKABAD LAHORE IN 1421; AS REPOPULATED.

Yahya bin Ahmad bin Abdullah Sirhindi writes in “Tarilkh-i-Mubarakshahi”:
“In the month of Muharram, A.H. 825 , (Dec- Jany 1420-1421 A.D.), the shade of the blessed fortune and the shadow of the Imperial umbrella fell upon the deserted city of Lahore, which was bereft of any living soul, save the inauspicious owls which had made it their abode. After a time, the Sultan turned bis attention to the restoration of the city, and under his royal favour  building was reconstructed. He stayed there encamped by the side of Ravi for nearly a month, engaged in repairing the fort and the gates. When the repair work was brought to a completion, the fief of Lahore was bestowed upon Malik-ul-Shark Mahmud Hasan, and a contingent of two thousand horses was placed under him. Having made suitable arrangements for the upkeep of the army and the fort. His Majesty returned to Dar-ul- Mulk Delhi.”

Jasarat Khokhar was enraged at the sack of his stronghold at Talwara. He collected a large army and besieged Lahore. However, two attacks on the city proved to be unsuccessful. Once again, he withdrew from the siege and took refuge in the hills surrounding Talwara. Some Muslim nobles attempted to capture him, but the wily Khokhar evaded capture and escaped. Thereafter he proceeded to sack Dipalpur and then moved towards Lahore again. However, the new governor of Lahore. Malik Sikandar Tuhfa put up a fierce resistance, making the Khokhar army to retreat.

Who was Jasarat Khokhar? Some say son of Shaikha Khokhar, others say brother. It is said:”Jasarat Khokhar was born to Khokhar King, Shaikha Khokhar to Khokhar Muslim royal family. In one of his father’s battles, he was captured by Timurid Army and was held prisoner in Samarkand. However, due to his extra ordinary battle skills, he was appointed as a general in the Timurid army. For developing better relations with Timurids, he married a Timurid / Mughal Barlas princess, Sa’adat Sultan Agha who was the daughter of emperor Shah Rukh Mirza and granddaughter of Timur. Later, he left Samarkand and returned to Punjab after Timur’s death.”
These are excerpts from various sources on the making of new Lahore. A deserted city with no one, got a new lease of life and was renamed as Mubarakabad in 1421D. Was it Amir Timur who sacked Lahore before that? Or due to fear people had already left the city. In any case there was no one here. A new Lahore was born in the process. Timur negotiated and left the city alone so it was not him who sacked it. Or perhaps when Sheikhu renegaded, warriors were sent to quell him.  Very little history known of that period. Without Ahmad Sirhindi, the author,  nothing would be known. Thanks to him in filling the void in our knowldge.