THE MOST UNIQUE PICTURE GALLERY OF THE WORLD
LAHORE FORT’S EXCEPTIONAL HERITAGE
STORY OF NEGLECT AND DESTRUCTION

Shamelessness of our caretakers and apathy of leaders

William Finch is supposed to have walked in the Lahore Fort around 1615, and was wonder struck at the most magnificent gallery of pictures in the world. The whole open space and verandahs, and each verandah had a number of hand made paintings on the wall. There were pictures of the Emperor and his ancestors and family, as well as his courtiers. But there was also pictures of other kind. To our view the gallery exhibited most of the pictures of DASTAN AMIR HAMZAH, commisioned by Emperor Humayoun and Emperor Akbar in large size format, mostly on cloth rather than on paper. But the Mughals were not just content with visuals they could see, they had to have drawn all that they had not seen in life. And that meant all things! Unfortunately for us this record is gone. The list given by William Finch is extensive, but looks exaggerated, as perhaps he never even entered the Lahore Fort. These travelers were often gossip makers from bazari tales.

But outside the walls of the Lahore Fort, the Mughals did another thing. They had a gallery of frescos painted as tile mosaics, which also exhibited all kinds of subjects. But hold on, one thing is missing! There are hardly any women in the same. And that is a strange phenomena. These pictures would be visible to the soldiers standing on the ramparts on the outside walls, including the King and the Generals. No women! The Mughals loved women in all ways, then why? In fact here the inner world was for the King, the outer world was for all see. The plan perhaps was not to excite the warriors in any way with images of women. That is why we have elephants, camels, antelopes, courtiers, domestic scenes, professionals a work, but no women at all.

The one thing which has puzzled researchers for centuries is that the Tile Mosaics of Lahore Fort exist to this day, but no Mughal or even Western writer has ever mentioned them. Slight references are made in the Sikh times by travelers like William Barr (who ridiculed Sikh paintings as well as thought of the tile mosaics as “Passing through gateway decorated with paintings of figures,wild animals, etc, fashioned in the most grotesque style” ) and Dr Honigberger (only notices them), but no time before that. It is agreed that the mosaics were started in the last period of Emperor Jahangeer and were finished in the initial period of Emperor Shah Jahan. Why are the Mughals silent about their own creation? To this day no satisfactory answer is there.

But even today people do not listen to their aesthetics calling. No one observes them to this day, and that is why the neglect is phenomenal. Decay surrounds the Tile Mosaics to this day and many have disappeared with time, except for the kind drawing recordings of Vogel. It is a must requirement that a tour be made of visitors and they be allowed to climb the ramparts to see this WONDER OF THE WORLD at closest possible sight. Let us call it is a Gallery Tour of Mughal Paintings. Anybody listening!

GOLA SERAI

A strange fact is mentioned by E. D. Maclagan in his writings, when he says that Angels appearing in Lahore Fort Tile Mosaics are also made on the gateway of the GOLA SERAI in Lahore. I find this mention nowhere else. What was this Gola Serai? We find similar angels in the hammam of Wazeer Khan and immediately come to the conclusion hat we are here talking of the Serai of Nawab Wazeer Khan. E.D. Maclagan points out that the Serai has been dismantled now, that is around 1910. But we do have photographs of the Serai dated 1904 and instead of myself, I find that mentioned by no one else. That in a separate blog.

OUTSIDE THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN U.N.O NEW YORK
THE CAFE HOUSES THREE WORKS OF M.A. RAHMAN CHUGHTAI

Only four painters represented at United Nations at that time

After the formation of U.N.O, art works were requested as donations from member countries. Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan decided to present three paintings of M.A. Rahman Chughtai to the U.N.O in New York. Pitras Bokhari was Pakistan’s representative to the UNO and a personal friend of the artist. Not only the works were presented, they were placed at a very important venue. After people met at General Assembly, there was a cafe outside the hall to accommodate the delegates to the General Assembly. The works were hung there and admired by the most important diplomats of the world. In fact New Year parties were held in this Cafe and Secretary Gebneral Kofi Annan used to be seen dancing in front of these art works on international television.

When the news of the death of M.A. Rahman Chughtai reached the U.N.O, the Secretary General Dr Kurt Waldheim sent his personal as well as official condolence to the Chughtai family on the sad loss of an international figure. I visited New York to thank him personally for the same in 1976. We were in touch for a long time. Dr Walheim even recommended our case to the Government of Punjab related to the building of Chughtai Museum. A great man indeed!

It is a shame that so many people as well as Heads of State visit the U.N.O headquarters, but pay no heed of the art representation at the U.N.O from Pakistan. Either they do not know, or they are not even interested in same. Would it hurt the pride of Prime Minister Nawaz Shareef to be seen with them in New York? Only Allah knows better.

YOU HAVE SEEN MAPS SHOWING BREAKUP OF PAKISTAN
NOW OBSERVE A NEW CHINESE MAP OF FUTURE PAKISTAN

A BIGGER PAKISTAN AND A BROKEN INDIA

The perception of countries is important. It does not show reality. It shows wishes of people doing same. The Western lobby have delighted in presenting us maps of a broken Pakistan into smaller parts and the gaining of Afghanistan and India with our territory. Now the Chinese intelligence have shown us a different perspective. A broken India and an enlarged territory of Pakistan.

It may not show anything else but it does show one thing clearly. Who are our friends and who are our enemies? Worth noting again and again. Thank you CHINA for thinking kindly of us!

There are many mentally sick persons on the internet raving against Pakistan all the time. We lost East Pakistan by conspiracy and nothing else. Outside forces were combined with our own political traitors, and not only in East Pakistan, but in West Pakistan too. History is not counted in days. East Pakistan will again emerge a strong Islamic block. Wait and see! The passion of Islamization in the hearts of Bengal, those sitting in big cities, draining Western resources are wasting their time and future.

Some nincompoop probably by name of Jamaluddin constantly sends me emails on DIVIDE PAKISTAN subject. His motivations are very clear. He himself circulates a video of himself dancing in a strip tease club. What wonderful gains for the man? Good luck to you Jamal Sahib! A lot of similar ladies will join you in your ultimate place! Lucifer awaits you with great anxiety.

WAS QUAID E AZAM A FILM FAN?
THE LEADER KNEW POTENTIALS OF FILM INDUSTRY

Aspects of nation building

Films are not our line. But we enjoy films all the time. The films made before partition were of a different kind in all ways. Muslims contribution to film making in many ways was spectacular. But the most amazing thing is that the Quaid e Azam had eyes on this subject too. He wished Mussulmans to indulge in productive film making.

The name of the first Pakistani films tell us a lot about the minds of those people. The very first film envisaged in Pakistan was named JEHAD. What lovely inspiration those people had? Poignant settings, truly Pakistani stories. The rubbish and trash of these days was not there.

Foreign lobbies are rescuing our film industry for their own ends. No more views of the kind that were made in the past. Trash of another kind. Hit at the Ideology of Pakistan. Make heros of the zeros of our history.

An English writer was writing a script of a film on M.A. Rahman Chughtai. I do not know what happened to it but they were ready to make it. Again they wanted to give it their own twists and turns and I did not agree to same. A number of documentaries were made in the past. It included ones made by Russian and Japanese teams. Even a number of them made by Pakistani Films and Publication department and shown in cinema houses. Even Burmah Shell made a documentary in the 1960 s. More in the future.

Films can be used for uplift of nations or to degrade them. We know that all the more now.

ON TOP OF HILL IN RAJA GIRAH SWAT
THE PROUD HERITAGE OF A GHAZNAVID AMIR

The legacy of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi

People live their lives. Few people leave heritages. The heritage of some people shine today as ever more. On top of the hill in Raja Girah, Swat, lies a mosque of Amir Nishtagin Jarib, the Amir of Hindustan, deputy of the legacy of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi. It has survived the times and is a reflection of the spiritual quest of those people, paying homage to Allah, wherever they went in life.

Who was Amir Nishtagin Jarib. He was a proud General appointed by Sultan Masud son of Sultan Mahmud to the command of Punjab. He was the Governor of Lahore in those days. A lot of intrigues were happening in Ghazni in those days. Amir Nishtagin tackled the USURPER TUGHRIL and defeated him, and instead of takIng over Ghazni himself, proclaimed Jamal ud Daulah Farukhzad as the New Emperor. His loyalty to the Ghaznis was unquestioined now. Certainly if he built a mosque under the fortress in Swat, he must have built mosques at other places, and in all ways, in Lahore too. No mosque has been excavated in Lahore, but Dr Abdullah Chaghatai recalled seeing one like this in a basement near the Rang Mahal area. Other Ghazanavid Generals are buried in Lahore in Mohalla Shaheed Ganj, near Takia Sadhus in Lahore. Some are reputed to be buried in Mahmood Booti too, near Lahore.adresvar is only around

Comparing this mosque to other extant mosques in the region reveals startling information. The once considered oldest Mosque of Solahkhambi in Bhadresvar is only around 1160 and the one at Junagadh in Gujarat is around 1286. So the year of construction of this Swati marvel is much earlier and still intact in many ways, as the area became inaccessible because of its height. What a sight it would be the Azan early in the morning on the hills and the army people praying there in union where there was no Master or Slave, all people equal to each other. The blessings of Allah was on them!

There are skeletons in the hujra outside this mosque. Buried underneath, one can wonder the background of these people. Scholars perhaps, imparting their knowledge to a new world. Or part of some conspiracy surrounding the complex. Our minds are not innovative and we do not search for truth of this kind in any way. But there are stories to tell. No one to hear!

Allah fearing qualities were there in these Generals and that is the same today, as our Pakistani Army also has heritage of these Generals of the past.

FORGET THE INDOCTRINATION OF OTHER DOCTRINES
THE KASHMEER DISPUTE BY LIAQUAT ALI KHAN 1950

The original source free from conspiratorial thought

The Media war to dilute our thoughts about everything that we hold sacred is very much on. Some call it the 4th generation war. If you observe a lot of people who spoke outright have been silenced in one way or the other in the past few months. Different strategy for different people. We feel jittery and scared for those people who are still there. The invisible hand keeps on working, and it is time to cut it into pieces. We need resolve for that.

We came across a printed version of an address given to the Parliament of Pakistan by Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan. There are a number of other pamphlets of that time too. But this seemed very appropriate for the times., The honour and dignity of those times cannot be questioned. So take the time to read this. The indoctrination of other doctrines, kick them out of your mind with full force

Kashmeer. Now what? The answer today in 2015 is the same as was in 1950. Full control given to Kashmeeri people to decide their future in this world ready to unleash full forces on positive things related to Pakistan. Pakistan Forever! Kashmeer Forever! As it is said KASHMEER BANAY GA PAKISTAN.

RUTHLESS DISMANTLING OF MUGHAL MONUMENTS
THE SERAI OF NAWAB WAZEER KHAN UNDER BRITISH AXE

Nothing was safe from them

The British bureaucracy today presents us with a very healthy image of themselves. Like saviours of a vanquished race, they soft peddle us on everything. But most people would hesitate in believing anything about them. However the fact remains that after the pillage of thousands of Islamic monuments by Sikhs, the British were equally responsible for this carnage to our heritage. Who would believe that tenders were issued for the marble of the Taj Mahal itself ? The bulldozers were there in the compound to take it down. When marble of other monuments were sent for sale to Italy, they did not fetch a good price and the prospects of dismantling more, remained in limbo. It was Lord Curzon who came to the rescue of the Monuments of Hindustan and we give him full credit for his contributions.

Some of the greatest Mughal monuments in history of Lahore were destroyed in the process. Mention is made of the Sheesh Mahal of Nawab Asif Khan, which was there in Sikh times. Ainah Khanah of Prince Dara Shikoh met the same fate. The City Walls as well as many Gates of Lahore were raised to the ground. Conquering civilizations are ruthless and know no mercy. Such is also the fate of the SERAI OF NAWAB WAZEER KHAN outside Delhi Gate Lahore, which was more commonly known as GOLA SERAI. In historical records mention of the Serai is there. But nobody knew where it was and what it looked liked in all ways! In 1904 a traveler passing through Lahore made some photographs and with that contribution, we have two visual images of the Serai in Lahore.

E.D. Maclagan in one of his writings around 1910, talks of the dismantling of the Gola Serai and adds that there were tile mosaics on it. He says the Gateway to the Serai had Angels on both sides of the Gate. We find similar angels in the Hammam of Nawab Wazeer Khan, as well as the tile Mosaics of the Lahore Fort. Our idea gets complete and further consolidates the fact that most of the tile mosaics of Lahore Fort are the work of the period of Emperor Shah Jahan. Living history is often reduced to references in books, and even those books are lost in time. But that is life. When people give up their freedom, they lose many things. Culture and aesthetics are a small part of it. The fourth generation war has brought Cultural Terrorism too. We write about it all the time.

PESSIMISM SURROUNDING DR ALLAMA IQBAL IN 1932
STOPPED TRUSTING PEOPLE AS RAMPANT BETRAYAL

An inner glimpse of the mind of Dr Allama Iqbal

Letters are moments in time. Letters of great personalities talk of their state of mind, their inner revolutions and evolutions. I came across a letter of Dr Allama Iqbal. It is addressed to probably some Seth Talish. Who was this Seth Talish? I do not know. But the letter is very clear about the perceptions in the mind of our philosopher. He is not trusting people and not willing to share his views with Seth Talish. Is Seth Talish a Muslim or a Hindu? One does not know. Some Iqballian may tell us. Ours is to share this treasure with the public.

16th Jan, 1932

My dear Seth Talish

Thanks for your letter which I read a moment ago. I am sorry to tell you that I fret (feel) extremely pessimistic about Muslim demands in England and that that state of mind still continues. Experience has taught me that very few men should be trusted.

As to your proposed deputation I do not wish to say anything for the present. As you know I shall be presiding over the felicitations of the coming conference at Lahore. I must I think, reserve my views as to which the Muslims of India should do now that their demand has received practically no attention from the ‘Princes’.

Yours Sincerely,

Muhammed Iqbal

Letters are reflection of personalities at one given time as one continuous time. This letter is important in understanding the frustration of Dr Allama Iqbal. Very simply it led him to think of Quaid e Azam and the rest everybody knows. Dr Iqbal’s letters brought the great Jinnah back home to wage the struggle for Pakistan.

Such are the examples:

Strictly Confidential

Lahore

20th March, 1937

My dear Mr. Jinnah,

I suppose you have read Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s address to the All-India National Convention and that you fully realize the policy underlying in it so far as Indian Muslims are concerned. I believe you are also aware that the new constitution has at least brought a unique opportunity to Indian Muslims for self-organisation in view of the future political developments both in India and Muslim Asia. While we are ready to co-operate with other Progressive Parties in the country, we must not ignore the fact that the whole future of Islam as a moral and political force in Asia rests very largely on a complete organisation of Indian Muslims. I therefore, suggest that an effective reply should be given to the All-India National Convention. You should immediately hold an All-India Muslim Convention in Delhi to which you should invite members of the new Provincial Assemblies as well as other prominent Muslim leaders. To this convention you must re-state as clearly and as strongly as possible the political objective of the Indian Muslims as a distinct political unit in the country. It is absolutely necessary to tell the world both inside and outside India that the economic problem is not the only problem in the country. From the Muslim point of view the cultural problem is of much greater consequence to most Indian Muslims. At any rate it is not less important than the economic problem. If you could hold this Convention, it would test the credentials of those Muslim Legislators who have formed parties contrary to the aims and aspirations of Indian Muslims. It would further make it clear to the Hindus that no political device, however subtle, can make the Indian Muslim lose sight of his cultural entity. I am coming to Delhi in a few days’ time and hope to have a talk with you on this important matter. I shall be staying in the Afghan Consulate. If you could spare a few moments, we should meet there. Please drop a line in reply to this letter as early as possible.

Yours sincerely

(Sd.) Muhammad Iqbal

Bar-at-Law

P.S. Please excuse me. I have got this letter written by a friend as my eye-sight is getting bad.

A SCHOOL OF ART AT KAMRAN’S BARADARI IN LAHORE
WESTERN AND INDIAN SCHOLARS RELUCTANT TO CREDIT LAHORE

Unraveling the secrets of the Mughal Artists in Lahore

The two brothers Prince Humayoun and Prince Kamran grew up in the laps of Emperor Babar and both were blessed with literary abilities as well as passion for painting. Little of those times survive and when something is discovered, it poses more questions than answers. Information about them comes more from the writings of their sister Gul Badan Begum, then anybody else. The Humayoun nama of Gul Badan was of course handled by the Mughals themselves and illustrated copies exist to this day. But history remains more silent about Prince Kamran. Few things survive. There is even a letter from Babur written to Kamran. Portraits very rare. Buildings perhaps only one, namely the Kamran Baradari at Lahore. The Garden of his wife Mah Afroze at Lahore next to his own was obliterated by the ruthlessness of the Sikhs in Lahore.

We know that Prince Kamran was Governor of Kabul and Qandahar, but we forget that he was also Governor of Lahore. After the death of Emperor Babar in 1530, he annexed Lahore by strateygm, instead of resorting to fighting for same. Prince Humayoun was already very much displaced and allowed him to do so, and left him alone at that time.

Dr Abdullah Chaghatai in 1944 came across an exhibition of a manuscript which had come from Alwar State Museum. A two page comment was published in Islamic Culture Hyderabad in 1945. Although the manuscript had issues, there was something very unique about it. It was an illustrated copy of the Baburama and it had been done in the lifetime of Emperor Babur himself. This was clearly stated in the colophon which Dr Abdullah Chaghatai read himself and noted same. The unfortunate part was that in the 18th century it came in the hands of some person and he went ahead in making the manuscript new. A lot of margins were cut and a lot of works repainted in the 18th century style, and even a new golden binding was given. Only a few of the original works remained. I have not been able to access them but name of two painters come to light, one whose name was MUHAMMED and the other whose name was SAD UD DIN MUHAMMED. The inscriptions of same were copied from the edited pages of the manuscript. A lot of people refer to this manuscript by western scholars are poor at deciphering Chaghatay texts (Persian text was done by Abdur Raheem Khan Khanan in 1589/90). It is the earliest record of a MUGHAL SCHOOL which predates the School of Humayoun which came later. These painters were a continuation of the Sultanate School which existed in Hindustan as well as Lahore. Another probable folio, probably made in 1530 (last year of Babur), is in the Rampur State Library, where Emperor Babur is dictating his memoirs, but the work is certainly made in Hindustan. People think that it would be later, but the realism of the Emperor shows, that it was made in his life time. A masterpiece of the times.

Some decades back a manuscript came at auction in London. It was an illustrated manuscript and out of all odds, the colophon said it was made for PRINCE KAMRAN. Scholars have pinpointed the date of creation between 1530 and 1540. Amazing exactly the period when Prince Kamran was the Governor of Lahore, so in all ways it is a Lahori manuscript, well before the traditional Mughal School came into being. Little by little, our knowledge grows of those times but one thing is sure. Few Muslim Scholars at this job now and even those few working under the programmes of other lobbies. Obviously Indian and Western scholars have no sympathy for us and their bias works against us. It was the three brothers, M.A. Rahman Chughtai, Dr Abdullah Chaghatai and Abdur Raheem Chughtai who stood against them and they are all three no more.

6TH SEPTEMBER, 1965 STRANDED IN DACCA
VIEWING THE WAR FROM EAST PAKISTAN

President Ayub Khans speech resonated in us

There was an institution made by the Government in Pakistan to promote reconciliation between East and West Pakistan. A number of intellectuals were attached to it. Someone, I wonder who made up the plan to send M.A. Rahman Chughtai to Dacca on unity mission to that wing of the country. The artist had already visited the wing around 1952 and this was supposed to be his second visit. A flurry of activities there in Dacca, Chittagong, Khulna and other places. They even took us in river speed boats to Rangamati lake and offered hunting in the Sunderbans. A bureaucrat offered us skying. It was like a magical trip.

All the VIPs were there. We met Zainul Abedeen (the artist), Jaseemuddin, Sophia Kamal, Zainul Abedeen (the bureaucrat), his daughter Nina (who gave us Pink Pearls), Begum Najma Attar (glamorous), Junaid Iqbal, and so many others. Hosted at Music recitals, dinners, visit to tea plantations and what not? Many photographs exist as well as a movie. It ended with a Press Conference of M.A. Rahman Chughtai in the hotel lobby.

The common people were so poor and there were hordes of them. We would try to give money to some of them but we would run out of money, not takers to our offers. We even had a site of Chakmas from the hill in Chittagong. But our main working station was the Shahbag Hotel in Dacca, rooms 303 and 304. The paradise was about to turn itself into a nightmare.

And then came 6th September, 1965. The news had come on radio that Lahore had been over run by the Indians. My father would have literally died there with that news, but the broadcast of President Ayub Khan resonated in us and kept our hopes alive. In the hotel we were literally alone. The hotel stood vacated. There were a couple of glamour girls in a few rooms across the verandah to ours, and a few waiters. Abdul Mannan the waiter kept us company with his bits of information about the latest in war. There was a famous song going on radio that SADAY batalian nay panj so chali maray nain, (our army of 42 killed 540 Indians) an encounter of our Army with the Indian Army. Black out days were observed and sometimes the Siren did sound possible coming wrongs. But nothing drastic happened there. It was the people in Lahore who were not only braving the storm but enjoying the situation with bravery. Cricketnwas still being played on the streets, and people would throng their roofs to see the dogfights of fighter jets of PAF with IAF, and people would shout at their warriors for victory. No one was afraid to die.

Khawaja Shahabuddin was a close friend of my father and the Information Minister. He assured Chughtai Sahib of all help. After many days our passports were made, and we were to reach Lahore, either through China or Ceylon. It was finally Ceylon and we landed in Colombo for some hours. A brother missionary was on the plane with us. We hit Karachi and things seemed normal again. The most funny part of it is that we went to Bambino Cinema and there my cousin working for the Manager introduced us to a young Sindhi in an office there. We had a small introduction. Who could have realized that this Sindhi was the future Asif Zardari, destined to be President of Pakistan one day. It seems a joke, comparing the then President Ayub Khan with another person, completely different in character and approach.

What was the trip all about? We knew how much East Pakistan was part of Pakistran, and that how much the Bengalis believed in the Ideology in which Pakistan was made. Media creates more hypocrisy. Like days in the past let Maharajah Narendar Modi marry Rajput Princess Hasina Wajid, and she should bring Bengladesh in jahez for India. Then we will see see how much sparks will fly, and East Pakistan will be on map of world again.