A FORGOTTEN AND “DISCARDED VOICE’ OF A MUSLIM REFORMER,

MAJID SIDDIQI ENGLISH MASTER ISLAMIA HIGH SCHOOL LAHORE

The reformative spirit in Lahore which made a progressive Pakistan

More than a hundred years ago the Islamic renaissance hit Lahore in number of ways. Educated people realized that reformation was required and the journey of their nation towards a tomorrow. The famous people we all remember and there is none like Dr Allama Iqbal, but there were others too, forgotten in time but not their living souls spirit. One such person was Majid Siddiqi Sahowalia English Master at Islamia High School Lahore.

I came across a book published by him in 1915 and it seems that it is written for today. The situational analysis is same, the answer is same. The Master addresses the semi westernized youth of those days and says that with lack of understanding the Arabic knowledge they have gone far from the Quranic ideals. He compares Islam as a DIAMOND RELIGION with others which are merely GLASS RELIGIONS. And he says that we must recognize the greatness of our ALLAH and the Quranic revelations as original compared to other religious books. Suffice to say the message is as relevant today as it was in 1915.

CLUES OF JAINS IN LAHORE
JAIN MANDIR A DAILY WORD IN LAHORE

MAHVIRA THE LAST JAIN LEADER

Texts and Inscriptions reveal clues about Jains. In comparison to Buddhist, they wee literally more extreme in nature. Totally non aggressive, they yielded everything to others. They would roam completely naked in jungles, eat by begging only, eat in a standing position and defecate in a standing position too, without attaining the crouching condition necessary for that. One can just imagine the results. Whereas like Buddhists, Jains were wiped out of the region by the Hindus themselves. In fact we have relics of Jains in Lahore, both from under the ground as well as above the ground.The last famous downfall of a Jain Mandir in Lahore was in retaliation of breaking of the Babari Masjid in India.

Every day the word JAIN MANDIR is used in Lahore and yet no one knows anything about the JAINS. A fascinating account of a civilization which came and was wiped out of existence in a rather short period of time.

PRINCE OF WALES VISIT TO LAHORE 25TH FEBRUARY, 1922

POLITICAL UNREST AND RIOTS WERE EXPECTED IN LAHORE

PRESENTATION BY AHMADIYAH GROUP TO THE PRINCE

The Prince of Wales made a tour around the world. He came to India too, and also visited Lahore. That was on 25th February, 1922. Unrest was expected here as there was political instability. But tempers cooled down or were brought down by strategy. Various groups reacted in different way. The Ahmadiyah in Lahore collected one anna (16 annas to Rupee) each from the 500,000 members and made a presentation to the Prince. A reply was received from the Chief Secretary of the Prince of Wales. The Prince was asked to study Ahmadiyah literature. These are the kinds of events that developed in Lahore to make it a hotbed of politics.

The result Dr Allama Iqbal emerged on the scene and convinced Quaid e Azam Muhammd Ali Jinnah To wage a battle for Pakistan. The moderate elements of Islam won the game and Pakistan was created in letter and spirit. The Ideology of Pakistan finally gave a geography to practice the reconstruction of religion in Islam.

THE STRANGEST ROLE OF DANCING GIRLS AT MUGHAL HAREM
EMPERORS EVEN GAVE PRESENT OF DANCERS TO THEIR WIVES

A bizarre gift by any consideration

Emperor Babur entered Hindustan with his own ideas. Things were different here and it made differences to the life of the Mughals. The Mughal ladies were fascinated with Hindu dancing girls. The historian Rumer Godden writes about the impressions of Gulbadan, daughter of Emperor Babur:

“Undulating hips the Muslims were used to — belly dancing as it is called now was the mark of Muslim dancing girls — but they had never seen the subtle movement of neck and head and shoulders, the intoxicating movements of Hindu dance. Though used to music, the throbbing of the tabla drums was new and disturbing as were the tiny silver thumb and finger cymbals the girls used or percussion, and the tinkling of anklet bells a music made with heel and toe”.

Emperor Babur was concerned about entertaining the ladies in his harem, which included aunts, cousins, wives, sisters, etc. He knew that happy ladies meant happy existence of husbands. The women were allowed to do many many things. Interest in literature, poetry on one hand, sports activity on the other. Archery. polo, sword fighting, what not? The ladies were given free hand to entertain themselves. But the most bizarre gift the Emperors gave were the dancing girls to keep their wives happy and in good mood. Unbelievable!

THE PASSING OF SHAH JAHAN BY M.A. RAHMAN CHUGHTAI

ALL NEW SIR CECIL BURN’S VERSION COMES TO LIGHT

Various artists with varied imagery of same subject

Abanindranath Tagore, the Bengalli Indian Master first worked on the subject in 1897. The original was on wood and later made on paper. M.A. Rahman Chughtai got repulsed with the imagery of the Indian Master and presented his own version of same in 1920. The work was exhibited in Bombay in 1921 and won a commendation there in an exhibition show. Another version attributed to Chughtai but not by Chughtai was made famous in the 1980s. A fake by any standards. No other version was known. We came across a printed version of a version of the LAST DAYS OF SHAH JAHAN in an album and the artist was Sir Cecil Burns.

Sir Cecil Burns was born in 1863 and died in 1929. He was Curator of Victoria and Albert museum in Bombay and Principal of the J. J School of Art (Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy) in Bombay for many many years. On his planned return to England, many of his works were destroyed in a fire on Bombay docks. An unfortunate incident but among the works set on fire was a version of the LAST DAYS OF SHAH JAHAN. We present here an image for the first time in the regional history.

Different versions by artists of different cultures reflect the diversity in approach to art. Sir Cecil Burns version does not have the environment or persona of the great tragedy being illustrated by people. The Emperor does even look like a dying person and all three ladies are nor relevant to the scene. The first thing we observe is not the Taj Mahal but the rather erotic hips of the girl supporting the dying Emperor. That such a scene was possible that day is impossible and the lusty scene shows lack of consideration for the poignant subject. The other lady looks with annoying eyes at the other two and her face is full of malice too. But the daughter shown is the most absurd of them all. Holding the hands of her father, her face looks moronic like a servant. It is a scene in which Sir Cecil Burns exhibits his own hidden sexuality not the evident and not reflect the sorrow and tragedy of that moment. What more can we say? The costumes shown are all wrong in every way. The Emperor himself has no grace or edge of royalty about him. We can dissect it bit by bit, for the work annoys not soothes us in any way.

Sir Cecil Burns saw the work of M.A. Rahman Chughtai at the show in Bombay in 1921 (part of the committee) and must have thought of making his own version. The version lost in history and an image remains of same. An addition to our knowledge of the important painting which made history in India by selling for the highest sum ever paid for a modern work. It was purchased by the Prime Minister of Nepal then. Now it is Art history and a reflection of the two nation theory of our region.

THE GADD MAKERS OF LAHORE IN MOZANG AREA

CARRIAGE MAKING SPECIALTY OF TAR-KHANS

Carpenters galore in the city

The background of the word Tar-Khan is not even clear to this day. Many believe that the word has its origin in a special tribe of the Mongols, meaning High Ranking Khans. Chengez Khan himself was an iron smith and that is why Lohars are famous in his legacy. These people were wonderful craftsmen for centuries.

Tongas were very particular to Lahore. The new Tonga we used to see recently is not the Lahori Tonga. The Lahori Tonga was a deep well carriage, which in times of flood or river crossing would act like a boat itself. It was an all terrain vehicle. The buggy carriages made in England wee duplicated here, but the Lahori Tonga had its own merits. Tonga making was usually done in Sultan de Seran outside Delhi Gate and even today tonga materials are still to be found there. People from other cities come to Lahore to buy the Tonga accessories.

Very few people would know that GADD making was a speciality of Lahore too. To make a Gadd is not an easy task, and usually we have a two buffalos Gadd. But there was one buffalo Gadd too. The most difficult part was to select the proper wood, season it properly and make the wheels. The Komanis used to be of wood too, buffered by thick rubber. Later Kamanis of trucks were used to cushion impacts. These people were concentrated mostly in Mozang Lahore and there children have now new occupations. Master Khursheed was a Master Gadd maker of those days.

Whole mohallas used to be transported by Gadds as the same were very reliable carriages. A Gadd would go on its own, unhindered by obstacles on the way, come what may. In fact the Gadd driver could be found sleeping on the Gadd while the buffalo knew the routes towards home or otherwise. In fact Gadds were used to transport lakhs of people from India to Pakistan at time of partition in 1947.

PRESIDENT AYUB KHAN AT TOMB OF BAHADUR SHAH ZAFAR

FILLING MISSING CHAPTERS OF OUR WORTHY HISTORY

A worthy ten years in service of Pakistan

The tragedy of Bahadur Shah Zafar is decline of our Muslim history in the region. Indian Heads have visited the tomb of Bahadur Shah Zafar, but here, one hardly knows the President Ayub Khan did so in his period of time too. Enjoy the visual of President Ayub Khan’s visit to the tomb of the last Mughal Emperor. A legacy from which we can learn many things.

AN EROTIC ROOM OF PRINCE MASOOD GHAZNAVI AT LASHKARI BAZAAR

INSPIRATIONS CAME FROM LAHORE THE NEW CITY OF RICH CULTURE

Amazing pictorials lost in time

The historian Al-Baiqhi worked in the Court of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi and wrote a ten volume history of that reign. Only three volumes survive to his day and there is bizarre information in those volumes. One is about the SECRET ROOM of Prince Masud son of Mahmood Ghaznavi. In the construction of his palace at Lashkari Bazaar Afghanistan, he had made a secret room with EROTIC ILLUSTRATIONS. Literally a wall sexual manual of sexual positions.

We know of Sex Manuals in Islamic history. The earliest known is of Ahmad Al-Tifashi who died in 1253 AD. The famous PERFUMED GARDEN of Sheikh Nefzawi, came from Tunisia and he died after 1324 AD. But from where came the inspiration for the paintings in the SECRET BEDROOM of Prince Masood. By this time they were in touch with cities of Hindustan and they had conquered Lahore, the city of Culture. One probability can be some painter of Lahore who had not only seen the Kajaro Caves but also read the Kama Sutra. In some respects it may be conjectured that the Lahore Painter was inspired by the Kama Sutra, the Hindu guide to love, with impossible acrobatics. But Lahore was in possession of the Muslims then, from a short period of a 100 years or so. the greater possibility is of the inspiration from CHINESE SEX MANUALS. We know that painting in that period was inspired by Chinese and Central Asian models. It is much more probable that the painter or painters were Chinese themselves or were students of Chinese painters. One of the earliest dated painting of Sultan Qutb ud din Aibak has strong Chinese influences. The Secret Room probably owed its inspiration to China. The Chinese Sex Manuals were based on the experience of Chinese Emperors and were written in the earliest period as 1500 BC. The same would be in common knowledge in the period of Prince Masood Ghaznavi.

The room was cut short in its making. Sultan Mahmood Ghaznavi was informed of this and reprimanded his son in very strong way. Before the Sultan could visit and see the room for himself, it was white washed and the room cleared of all the profanity. But it is a unique reference in early history of Lahore and Ghazni and the inspirations that went into it. There is no reason to doubt that China as a civilization was influencing the world.

UMRO BIN MUHAMMED SON OF QASIM AND LADI
A FORGOTTEN AND LOST GOVERNOR OF SIND

THE LEGACY OF MUHAMMED BIN QASIM

I do not think we hear much of Muhammed bin Qasim at all. We only hear of the tussle between Islam and Hinduism. The character and life of the man is left uncertain. The love of Qasim and Ladi actually speaks of the rebellion of the women hood in Sindh at that time. When warriors were ordered to assassinate all women folks on the brink of Dahir’s defeat, the warrior attached to Ladi, actually hesitated, and Ladi jumped to the ground from the camel she was riding. In this way she escaped her husband’s (actual brother) wrath, and certain death. When she was saved by the army folks attached to Qasim, it was her luck again. And then Qasim bought her from those who had captured her and certainly it seemed the prophesy had come true. The prophesy was that Ladi would marry a Ruler of Sind and will give birth to another. Not that we believe in any such prophesy as being the truth. It was the love radiation between the two characters.

We are told that Qasim was so much loved, that they put a life size statue of Qasim on the chowk of their main city. But we have forgotten one more thing. The product of the love of Qasim and Ladi, the son born to the living couple. They named him UMRO, and he was brought up in Sindh itself. When Qasim was removed, as the new Caliph did not approve of him (different versions of his death are there), the situation in Sindh had changed after all. Historians talk of a grave of Muhammed bin Qasim in Mosul, here he was tortured at the behest of the new Caliph. This is contrary to the story given in the Chach-nama, which is obviously the floated legend at that time.

In any case UMRO was reared up in Sindh, and must have become popular with the people, as he became eventually a Governor of Sindh. We have not come across more material on him, but we will search for same, as there is evidence here, that the DNA of Qasim is still in Sindh to this day. It reminds me of a 9000 year old skeleton they discovered in a mining cave in Scotland, and after research in the nearby village (the entire’s village DNA sample was taken), they found a match to the DNA. A living person descendant of a miner 9000 years old. What fun it would be to discover a descendant of Muhammed bin Qasim in Sindh?

There was another son of Muhammed bin Qasim and he was named simply as Qasim. He was Governor of Basra for 15 years, and also reached a certain kind of fame in his lifetime. So one leaves for Arabia, the other remains in Sindh. There must be more about them in some archives. Suffice that Qasim did not conquer Sindh in the battlefield alone, he conquered the hearts of Sindh and that is why Sindh never became a Hindu nation again. Three cheers for the icon of all times!

THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE, BEING
PEACE PALACE HAGUE AND M.A. RAHMAN CHUGHTAI

Message of peace to the world

A long time back the Governments in Pakistan were Pakistani friendly and promoted our interests all over the world. Today the morons can only think of making money for themselves and their cronies. Liaquat Ali Khan presented a painting of M.A. Rahman Chughtai to it at the residence of International Court of Justice at Hague, namely the Peace Palace, Hague. People from all over the world go there and are introduced to the artist from Pakistan represented there. Our relatives have enjoyed VIP treatment there by mentioning their links to the artist. We visited the place too, and received a grand reception from the Director of the place.

When we picture jurists from all over the world assembled there, with Chughtai Art at their back, it sends a message of great contentment to us. There are other lobbies who are trying to sabotage such places where Pakistan is represented, and we all the bigotry of that lobby. There were various attempts to shelve the painting. Obviously by our neighbours. We do not know the latest for 2015. We will find out.