A SCARCE MENTION OF THE PALACE OF NUR JAHAN IN LAHORE
MUHAMMED TAHER ASHIANA INAYAT KHAN DETAILED MENTION

DESTROYED BY RANJIT SINGH WITH 2000 OTHER MUSLIM MONUMENTS

There is romance woven around Nur Jahan. From total obscurity, we are told of the tale of her being left behind in her parents rough travail towards Hindustan. Her survival and rise to phenomenal power is the stuff of dreams. When she retired to Lahore, with a Royal pension of Two lakh rupees annually, she built a residence of her own, along with her designated mausoleum. The only person who has given us the details is Inayat Khan alias of Muhammed Taher Ashiana.

Inayat Khan was son of Zafar Khan. Both father and son were highly patronized by the State and both supported Prince Dara Shikoh in his struggle. But they were so much loved by the people, that both were forgiven by Emperor Aurangzeb and reinstated on Royal roles. Inayat Khan was in Lahore too, writing about things here. Perhaps the only one to give us a description in verse of the Aineh Khana of Dara Shikoh. He has also given us a description of the residence of Nur Jahan in Lahore. The details are:

1. The residence was known as CHAHAR CHAMAN.
2. There were four gardens co-joined of 100 guz each.
3. The mausoleum and residence cost 3 lakh rupees and took four years to complete.
4. The mausoleum had a high bulbous dome.
5. Eastern wall is same to other two mausoleums.
6. The havelli had a mosque and on its opposite side a balancing jawab, copy of the mosque.
7. Only Nur Jahan was buried there.
8. The place was full of Quranic inscriptions and names of Allah on walls.

Obviously the same does not exist like that anymore, for first the Sikhs tore it apart and then the British did the same.

There is a description of a bulbous DOME on it, sky high. It is not there any more. But it was not removed recently. It seems when the dome of the Mausoleum of Emperor Jahangeer was removed, so went the dome of Empress Nur Jahan. This is attributed to Emperor Bahadur Shah, who was claustrophobic in nature.

The amazing thing about this description is the concept of a Mosque and a JAWAB of a mosque to balance the same. We find it ideally expressed in the mosque of the Taj Mahal of Agra, in which to balance a mosque there was a JAWAB (copy in reverse) to same. The same was also expressed in Lahore in the mausoleum of Mian Lutuf ullah Khan son of Saad ullah Khan. There was a mosque and a balancing building with it. Even in the mausoleum of Nawab Asif Khan, a jawab mosque was made to the old one in the Serai. The same thing is mentioned here that there was a Mosque in the Palace of Nur Jahan and then there was a balancing mosque type building to same. Although there may be more of same, we have not heard of any other building with same principles and this is a landmark design of Ustad Ahmad Mimar Lahori and his family. The Taj Mahal was completed in Nur Jahan’s lifetime and it must have affected her in a way. Once upon a time she was very close to Arjamund Bano herself, one of her favourite nieces., Then Four portions of the garden, each of one hundred guz speak of Euclidean principles. It shows that the family of Ustad Ahmad Mimar were attached to Nur Jahan and her buildings in some way surely. The architect of Emperor Jahangeer’s mausoleum was Ustad Abdul Kareem Lahori.

In her Diwan she speaks of a mosque MASJID NAHR WALI and also NAHR LAHORE. There was an artificial extension of the river Ravi, which used to take water in a canal to the Mughal buildings, and one hear of an extension going to Hiran Minar itself. Nur Jahan also mentions a lady by the name of MEHR AFROZE. Her own name was Mehrun nisa, but this name is new to history. Maybe the actual name of her daughter Ladli Begum, who is buried in Allahabad, contrary to perception of burial in Lahore.

More on her later.

WHEN ARTIST M.A. RAHMAN CHUGHTAI LANDED IN BOMBAY,
THE STORY OF BUTKADAH FILM PRODUCTIONS AND ASHOK KUMAR

An episode in the life of the artist of Lahore

After the return of M.A. Rahman Chughtai from Europe in 1938, there were acute financial issues. He found a solution in publication of the book CHUGHTAI PAINTINGS. The lure of writing had not gone away from him. It came in the form of his writing of FILM SCRIPTS. He wrote a number of film scripts, a few in URDU and one even in PUNJABI. The urdu one was named SEHERBEEN (viewing box), which was the story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahall. The Punjabi one was Thandi Chawan (Cool Shelters). Some of these scripts we still have, one was presented to Dallip Kumar, who did not even had the courtesy to acknowledge same. Maybe he should return it one day.

Realizing that commercial houses will not venture into Art Productions, Chughtai launched a FILM PRODUCTION HOUSE, and named it BUTKADAH CINE ART CENTER. Advertisements appeared in the local press and were entitled “CHUGHTAI KO KHOOBSURAT CHAHRYOAN KEE TALASH HAI”. Many well known people came for the interview. One was Pari Chayra Naseem to the house. In those war times it was not easy to get registered and launch such a thing. An investor was ready to finance him and the British Government gave him special permission to import relevant equipment for same. After the initial attempts, the decision was to move to Bombay itself.

When Chughtai landed in Bombay, the news spread far and wide. Parties were being arranged and Chughtai was amongst the film stars. Here he met the second Gangoly in his life. That is Ashok Kumar, the iconic actor. Everything was in place and everything was moving in the right direction. Ashok Kumar made a statement which startled the artist. He said you will be a big success in film industry and you will make a name in it, but your own ART will die its natural end. This sentence shocked the artist and made his head spin. Irritating and annoying all his comrades as well as the investor, Chughtai decided to leave Bombay and come back to Lahore. The money of the investor was returned and the right of Film Production given away. There was nothing in the world which would substitute his desire to remain an artist. Film production was a sacrifice which he gave away easily. Few people know about Butkadah, an episode in the life of M.A. Rahman Chughtai.

A CARTOON FROM THE PAST REFLECTING ISLAMIC STATES
THE SITUATION STILL THE SAME FOR MUSLIMS OF WORLD

CHARLES DE GAULLE AND WINSTON CHURCHILL DOG TREATMENT

An album got sold and dumped in the junk yard. There were other albums. A person in Lahore had gathered clips from newspapers and made a book out of same. Short hand written notes illustrated the mind of people at that time. A cartoon caught our attention. It is dated 28th February, 1945 and is made by some cartoonist M. Hanif. Must be in vogue at that time.

Charles De Gaulle of France and Winston Churchill of Great Britain have a multiple strings in their hands and uniting the diverse Islamic States by treating all of them as DOGS. Anything new here! Churchill is claiming that they have treated all in same way and united them as dogs of Western Imperialism.

A lot of cartoonist sprung in Pakistan. We used to read NANNA of Anwar Sahib all the time in the “Pakistan Times”. But they were more of a social commentary, less political jibe. Today Shaukat Mahmood is making lot of cartoons with political bite in them as Maxim. All credit goes to Pakistani cartoonists who never got harnessed by the political circles. We need more like them today!

FIRST OFFICIAL SHOW OF PAINTINGS IN PAKISTAN, M.A. RAHMAN CHUGHTAI,
INAUGURATION OF ALHAMRA ARTS COUNCIL KHAWAJA NAZIMUDDIN 1949

AMBASSADORS SPECIALLY FLEW FROM KARACHI TO VIEW THE SHOW

It was a grand event in the cultural history of Pakistan. It was well advertised and well known to people in and outside the country. Delegations came from all over the world. Chancellors from American Universities. Ambassadors flew to Lahore from Karachi. The Governor General of Pakistan, Khawaja Nazimud din to inaugurate the show. This was in conjunction with the inauguration of ALHAMRA ARTS COUNCIL. The idea discussed at the house of Begum Shahnawaz in 1946. An institution founded by M.A. Rahman Chughtai and he designed its first insignia, which is still valid to this day. He also gave it the name ALHAMRA. He set the whole tone for it. It was to reflect the kind of renaissance in culture which happened to Islamic Arts in Spain. Everything was forward looking.

The first foreign Head of State to visit Pakistan was the Shahinshah of Iran and he too visited the show along with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan. It can be seen in the press photograph too. The place Alhamra was like a second home to us and we visited it often. M.A. Rahman Chughtai even planted many mango trees there. The object to bring Pakistan to the fore front of the Art world.

Men of culture governed Alhamra. Then Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto thrusted it into bureaucratic orbit and nincompoops came one after the other, to loot the spoils of war. From the refinement of Fine Arts and Classical music, it was set for stage dramas of the most vulgar kind. Imtiaz Ali Taj must be crumbling in his grave as to what happened here. The place was used to rent out for Shadi ghars and what not? The making of the new building was so defective that the roof gave in one day. Even now we see work going on in the roof. Contractors busy at looting governmental money. Suffice to say we all understand that. There are those who deny even Chughtais association with the place. Documentary evidence speak otherwise. We wish Kamran Lashari, the best in his venture to upgrade Alhamra back into form. But like many other things in Pakistan, this is just another RAW deal.

THE POETESS BAQANA THE CRYING MUGHAL LADY FROM LAHORE
THE DISCOVERY OF AN UNKNOWN DIWAN OF EMPRESS NUR JAHAN

THE LURE OF LAHORE TO REBELS EVERY WHERE

Little is known about the end of Empress Nur Jahan. No solid information? The tussle between brother and sister finally led to the victory of the brother. Nur Jahan had plotted to put Prince Shahryar on the throne. Her brother Asif Khan obviously preferred his son in law, Prince Khurram, later Shah Jahan. The maneuvers were swift and obviously ruthless. No quarters were given. But the end of Nur Jahan was not like the normal end of those who intrigued against the state. A pension of Two lakh rupees per anum was sanctioned for her by Shah Jahan himself and she settled in Lahore.

History does not tell us anything that happened in Lahore. It is all dark. We know that she was building her own mausoleum but according to historian Ali uddin in his Ibratnama, she was never able to complete her mausoleum. It was unfinished till the end. Close proximity to both her brother and her husband, and then further ruthlessness.

One enters the underground chamber of the Mausoleum of Nur Jahan, and you find two broken chain kundas swinging from the ceiling. The solid lead and iron coffins long gone. Reputation as well as historians point out that in search of treasures, the Sikhs dug deep in Muslm remains. But Ranjit Singh wanted to see the remains of the most beautiful woman of the world. Reputation had it that her body was still intact. What was found? Historian Lateef points out that the bones were found and local reputation has it that they were not reburied. But thrown to the wolves and dogs to eat. The pathos of Nur Jahan did not end with the defilement by the Sikhs. Obviously the Sikhs tore the monument apart for stealing of Marble for their own use in religious and domestic monuments. The cruel spin was finally rendered by the British who took the Railway track through the mausoleum and separated Nur Jahan from her brother and husband again.

Nur Jahan after the death of her husband stopped wearing make up or fashion of any kind (although she pioneered fashion in her own days) and started wearing white plain clothes. The story of her getting the coffin ready for her death is narrated at many places. And we here recite that again. While constructing her mausoleum, Nur Jahan also had her coffin made. Special cloth was imported from Isaphan and embroidered here in Lahore (Kinari bazaar) with Quranic verses. Then the coffin was sent to various religious sites all over the world for ziarat, including Mecca. There the coffin was dipped and washed in the water of underground source, zamzama. To safeguard the sacredness of her coffin, even a Darogha was appointed to keep it safe and intact from others.

Nur Jahan was involved in many charity works. It is reputed that she had supported the marriage of more than 500 orphan girls with gifts of dower from her. Widows were on her help list. Every month she would hold a Khatam Quran at her residence and praying for her forgiveness. Perhaps she pioneered many such charity works that we hear are so common about to this day.

The pathos and tragedy of Nur Jahan is still visible. But remarkably another thing happened very recently. The discovery of a pocket diwan in the manuscript world. Bound in red leather, with naqashi patterned design, the 206 pages diwan gives us the takhallus BAQANA. Now what does BAQANA actually means. It means CRYING. The takhallus tells us the frame of mind of the most famous Mughal lady of all times. It is in very difficult script writing but there is waver in the hand, so it shows that it was written at an advanced age. One finds name of Jahangeer in it, as well as Shah Jahan. Dilawar Khan is in it, as is the Bagh Dil Gusha, which she was irrigating on her own. There is also mention of Masjid Nahr Wali, from which she was able to obtain relevant manuscripts. We are analyzing it and will get it professionally done with time. Suffice that it is a major Mughal discovery of the times. Nur Jahan died in Lahore on 18th December, 1645 AD, and was buried in her mausoleum. Her sarcophagus was still present in 1843 AD, when Baron Huegel had seen it there. More on that later.

A PROFESSOR FROM CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY, I.J. PITT’S, IN 1942-44,
AMAZING REVELATIONS ABOUT THE HINDU MIND AND THINKING

CERTAINLY SUCH FREEDOM OF SPEECH NOT POSSIBLE THESE DAYS

It is worth reading. It is worthy of analysis. A Professor from Cambridge published his analysis of the difference between Hindu and Muslim mind. With pinpoint accuracy he has defined both nations and the very essence of the TWO NATION THEORY is upon us in his small pamphlet from a University, which can never do same today.

A small glimpse is here in our two selections, but the whole should be read in full. Perhaps we can put it in full on our blog. Happy reading to those who think the two nations are the same. Shame on such pseudo intellectuals is always evident.

AN UNKNOWN EUNUCH OF MASJID WAZEER KHAN LAHORE
THE ENIGMA OF FAMILY OF MULLAH YUSUF KASHMEERI

NAZAK YUSUF KASHMEERI IN TRADITION OF YAQUT MUSTASIMI

A walk inside the Wazeer Khan Mosque Lahore reveals many names. A number of calligraphers are there. One is Mullah Yusuf Kashmeeri, who was also probably the first muezzin of the mosque and the same is mentioned in the letters of Imam Rabbani. Yusuf Kashmeeri was son of Ustad Haider Mimar, who had constructed a famous garden in Kashmeer for Empress Nur Jahan. The name is in an inscription on the garden itself. The family seem to have moved to Lahore. Yusuf had three sons, all famous calligraphers of their time. One was Muhammed Zaman, another Abdul Kareem and the third was Muhamed Saleh. Their names are on many manuscripts as well as inscriptions on Mughal Monuments. The name of Muhammed Saleh is inside the dome of the Gulabi Bagh mausoleum, attributed to Dai Anga. No problem there.

A hand written Quran dated 1071 AH , precarious condition due to water soiling, but the name of the calligrapher is intact. It cannot be read clearly in the way that the calligrapher has tried to hide his gender in same. It looks like it says that it is Faqeer Haqeer Nazak bin Yusuf Kashmeeri. But careful reading tells us something else. It can read as:

Al Faqeera Haqeer Nakzal bin Yusuf Kashmeeri
Al Faqeer Al Haqeer Nazak bin Yusuf Kashmeeri
Al Faqeera Haqeer Nazli bin Yusuf Kashmeeri.

But the simplest reading is that of NAZAK KASHMEERI. Nazak is not a proper name for a man, it can be a proper name for a woman, like Nazakat. But then it should say BINT YUSUF KASHMEERI. The solution lies in only one thing. This fifth child of Yusuf Kashmeeri was an eunuch and in the tradition of Yaqut Mustasimi, one of the greatest calligraphers in our Islamic history, doing his best within his gender. It is said that Yaqut used to write his Qurans siting on top of the minaret of a mosque in Baghdad. Perhaps our Nazak used to write Qurans on top of the minaret of the Wazeer Khan mosque Lahore. Allah bless his/her soul!

A UNIQUE EVENT IN HISTORY OF PAKISTAN OF A HOME VISIT IN 1959
PRESIDENT AYUB KHAN VISITS THE STUDIO OF M.A. RAHMAN CHUGHTAI

NEVER BEFORE AND NEVER AGAIN SO MUCH IMPORTANCE TO AN ARTIST

Martial law was declared in Pakistan in 1958 and it all happened, for politicians even at that time, had become corrupt to the core. The advent of President Ayub Khan brought a sense of relief to the people. With wonder struck eyes, they cheered Ayub Khan into victory. President Ayub Khan immediately started a review of all policies and emphasis as placed on all professions in Pakistan. Islamabad was built by President Ayub Khan, as well as most of the Industry we talk of even today. Dams and barrages came up in the country. Sports flourished and Pakistan brought in Gold Medals from international victories. President Kennedy received President Ayub Khan at the airport. Jacqueline Kennedy thought it well to travel on her own. Pakistan was touching the sky.

In those days at the height of his unquestioned power, President Ayub Khan gave the first Pride of Performance for Arts to M.A. Rahman Chughtai in 1958. In 1959 it became Hilal Imtiaz. President Ayub Khan did not stop at that. In 1959, he paid a state visit to the HOUSE OF THE ARTIST. It was unheard off and never heard again. A President visiting the house of an artist. The Press seized the opportunity and carried the news at times as headlines.

M.A. Rahman Chughtai not only presented the President an original painting of his, he dedicated his magnum opus AMAL E CHUGHTAI to President Ayub Khan, but that is another story. Enjoy images of that occasion in 1959!

A GREAT ART EVENT IN PAKISTAN’S HISTORY 14TH AUGUST 1959
INAUGURATION OF KARACHI ARTS COUNCIL WITH ART WORKS

OF ABDUR RAHMAN CHUGHTAI NATIONAL ARTIST OF PAKISTAN

Media is nowadays suffering an amnesia about the past of Pakistan. All they can see is the worst of Pakistan and that they show at the behest of foreign lobbies, for those lobbies pay them enough to do things allergic to the Identity of Pakistan. Pakistan made great strides in the world even in its worst circumstances. Like the past Heads of State, President Ayub Khan also promoted the Arts in his way. Finances were released for the new ARTS COUNCIL building in Karachi and it was inaugurated with an Art show of the works of M.A. Rahman Chughtai. One of the biggest shows in the history of Pakistan with hundreds of works by the artist. The speech Ayub Khsan read is with us and we will give it another time. Till then just enjoy a vision of the show.

Art activities in Karachi started with M.A. Rahman Chughtai’s show. Previously in 1952 Governor General Ghulam Muhammed Khan had also inaugurated a show,. And in 1949 Governor General Khawaja Nazimuddin at Arts Council Lahore. All Arts Councils in Pakistan were inaugurated with shows of M.A. Rahman Chughtai, including the one in Peshawer and in Dacca. More on that later. Enjoy!

THE ENIGMA OF MOHALLA CHAHAL BIBIAN LAHORE
SYED AHMAD TOKHTA AND HIS MAZAR IN LAHORE

Misplaced priorities in the historical context

A lady walked in the museum some years back. Very plain, very simple, wearing a traditional black burqa. Normally one would wonder as to why her need for a museum arose in the first place. And then she started speaking. Fluent English and expression. She had come from Washington DC , where she was a working psychiatrist, for the US government. Her vision grander than anybody else. The interesting part was that she would be normally considered to be from Mochi Darwaza Lahore, and strangely, she was from Mochi Darwaza Lahore. A lady from a prestigious family of Lahore, still in the garb of her old city. A Chahal Bibi of Lahore.

The Mimar family of Lahore was very attached to the residents of Mohalla Chahal Bibian. My grandfather Mian Kareem Baksh, and his father Mian Raheem Baksh, and his father Mian Salah frequented the place. The presence of this family itself can be proved from the inscription on the Mausoleum of Pir Nizamuddin Shah in Miani Qabarastan. All names are on it. But I was surprised to discover a manuscript of my ancestor, Mirza Khairullah of the 18th century, in which he says Sheikh Khairullah khadim Bibi Haj Taj. I think it is one of the earliest documents of the Bibian of Lahore.

Ghulam Dastageer Nami wrote a history of Lahore and named it TARIKH JALEELA. The house belonged to his grandfather, so when he rebuilt the place, he left the old grave intact. It was the grave of Syed Ahmad Tokhta Tirmizi who died in Lahore around 1208 AD or 605 AH (needs to be verified). When they were digging, they came across many bones, and even sign of two domes, which were now on the level of the ground. Under the grave of Syed Tokhta was a basement, where the actual grave was. They sealed the place out of respect. Miracles were associated with the place and we know the imagination of Lahore walas run riot all the time. Ghulam Dastageer dismissed the notion that the place known as Bibi Pak Daman was the mausoleum of a daughter of Hazrat Ali. The ladies were the daughters of Amad Tokhta and died probably in 1241 AD, as said by him. The full story is narrated in his book.

Prince Dara Shikoh in his writings speak of the graveyard of Bibi Haj and Taj. Little is mentioned anywhere else. One interesting fact that is missed is that in one of the histories, it is mentioned that of the many wives of Hazrat Hussain, one belonged to the area of Sindh. Who invented the Mausoleum of Haj and Taj and others, is that of persons fleeing the happenings at Karbala, one really does not know. But research can be done on that too. The earliest mention is probably Chisti, and Chisti has many tall tales to tell in his book. In any case Ghulam Dastageer thinks that the mohalla of Chahal Bibian was also a graveyard in olden times outside the fortified city itself. Grave worship has become our favourite past time, and it seems that the SARKARS are increasing every day in great count.