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.

A NATIONAL ANTHEM FOR MUSLIM CHILDREN
DR ALLAMA IQBAL’S CONTRIBUTION IN 1913

Never a need to disparage Allama Iqbal for his Anthems

Dr Allama Iqbal was doing all the best he could do for revival of Islam in our region. Books, addresses, poems, you name it; he did it with his full fervour for Muslim Nationhood. Stagnant dust particles in our society (there are plenty on the payroll of foreign lobbies, who are allowed to grab media outlets) try their best to undo Iqbal in any way they can. Impossible for you crappy guys to undo the Icon of Muslim Civilization of our century, and perhaps actually an icon of the last 1000 years. He taught us that we had to go to the Quran itself, to rid ourselves of the accumulated wrongs of the centuries. The detracting by enemies of Islam from the message of Islam itself. Such a imbeciles try to tell us that we have to forget Iqbal and take Faiz Ahmad Faiz our icon. Go ahead, make Faiz your own. We have no objection. But a person like Iqbal, no one even comes near.

We came across a TARANA written for Muslim Children by Dr Allama Iqbal In 1913. Instead of commenting on it ourselves, we have reproduced it for your own sake. Read and Enjoy it! Let your children learn from it the spirit of Islam.

CONCENTRATION OF WEALTH ENGENDERS SATANISM
ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE BEHAVIOR THROUGH MEDIA

ALLAH HAS FIXED SOME INNATE VIRTUES IN US

We are told that Allah held his creation humankind as supreme to all others and expected all other forces to bend in front of him into submissiveness. Satan did not listen. Who was Satan? Our baser emotions, surely. But Allah gifted us with something superior, the ability to differentiate good and evil through a set of permanent values, and the ability to change other values through a democratic spirit of civilization. All is well that ends well!

People are talking of WAR not in terms of simple warfare, but different generations of war. Different tiers of confrontation. Greed has spun through MEDIA WAR, economic sabotage of world resources. Failing the economy of other countries the GREED of life. Prices are raised at will. Petrol goes up, petrol goes down. Stock Exchanges rise and fall. Deadly maneuvers to topple all the mighty ones. Wheat is dumped in the sea to save prices and not let the hungry in Africa benefit from it. Why? To get everything, to let others burn in hell.

No one ever had the courage to speak against Pakistan. What was done used to be in whispers or dagger and cloak variety of actions. Corrupt money has made people bold enough to start spitting on their country, which unfortunately gets the spit on they themselves. Media started the reign of terror in Pakistan. Zaid Hamid would call it the 4th and 5th generation war. Whereas Vance Packard taught us of the concepts of HIDDEN PERSUADERS on media, Marshal Mcluhan taught us that MEDIA HAS BECOME THE MESSAGE itself. Sabotaging our peace of mind with terror images from all over the world. BREAKING NEWS to break our nerves.

On the other hand between these negative images, we see people rocking in parties, totally or nearly naked, undulating hips, pelvic thrusts. The degradation of human kind seems total with such rotten images. Once dance and songs brought solace to our souls, now the rock shatters our tranquility and ability to even think in a proper way. The reason is SUBLIMINAL CUTS and the changing of the frequency of music to affect us in different ways. Not only that, the same lobbies which bring these things, also present us with imbecile Mullahs to degrade our concept of our Islamic Ideology into cave man thinking. Satanism remains supreme all over the world.

Concentration of wealth engenders corruption in society. When the deprived see all things with a certain class of people, and wishing to have them, everyone nurtures a desire to shortcut same through massive corruption. With such a deprived class present, tendency to go rogue in society is always there. In fact corruption is a direct consequence of concentration of wealth.

But all human values cannot be crushed! There is an innate goodness in man. People are rebelling against these systems all over the world, and that is the best sign of them all. Not anarchy but CHANGE, where the RICH DOES NOT GET RICHER AND POOR POORER but fairness in society for all. That is equitable distribution. And that is what Islam is all about. Occupy Wall Street people does not realize, a little twist in their message can be termed as movement for the Economic system of Islam. What is the Economic system of Islam? Forget what the Mullahs tell you. Concentrate on the Law of Rubabiyat. Another blog!

A STRANGE ANECDOTE NEVER MENTIONED IN HISTORY BOOKS
CHAUDARY KHUDA BAKSH HONORARY MAGISTRATE AT LAHORE

Mughal legacy of his ancestors living in the Sheesh Mahal Lahore

An enormous amount of books were published in British times in Hindustan, about the nobility present here, and the felicitations of the Government of India to them. In 1937 we hear of a Chaudary Khuda Baksh in Lahore, who is a Zaildar, Jageerdar and Honorary Magistrate in Lahore. The official chronicles sing songs of their family and the family possessed SANADS from the great Mughals related to their importance in Lahore. The family was known as KATARBAND and had possessions in Lahore.

Nothing new here. So many people were blessed on same lines. But here is a stupendous information, unknown to historians. It is said that Emperor Shah Jahan was so pleased with the family, that he gave the SHEESH MAHAL in LAHORE FORT to them for living. It would have been a meaningless claim, but it appears in British records. And the most amazing thing us that they were in possession of Sheesh Mahal, till the Sikhs ousted them out. In retrospect they gave suitable havellis or residence to the Khuda Baksh family in other areas of Lahore. Katarband literally means KATAR, which is a strange Sword in itself. Either they were famous for manufacturing Katars or carrying them. Or something related to their bravery in defending others! Speciality of Katars in some way. There is a Katarband road in Lahore near Cantonment area. Probably research can establish other links. This is not that old. Indeed worth researching and indeed worth recording for the future.

In fact the issue is that our nation is in no ways worried about its legacy. Amassing wealth is the biggest name of the game. Unfortunately the legacy of the looters and plunderers is zero. And we know it.

ARE COMMANDOS SAME ALL OVER?
OR ARE OUR COMMANDOS DIFFERENT?

Allah O Akbar makes a difference

A Commando is trained to take the life of another person. Killing a living human person is not an easy job. That is why all commandos are trained with the idea that THINK TWICE BEFORE HAVING PRINCIPLES. Principles interfere in performance. A commando can be sent on any mission. Probably not sent to remove their own families, but the capacity is there to even obey that order of chain of command. What a harsh life?

The SSG Commandos of Pakistan Army is a different thing all together. If I remember correctly General Mitha was responsible for their initial formation. Of course they had help of the American Commandos on the same subject. General Mitha believed that the CIA had sponsored the project to leave behind their replacements whenever they may require that. Training was rigorous then, and is rigorous now. Nowadays after retirement commandos bring their learning experience together and make SOFTWARES of their tactics. That software kind of thing is marketed in the world by EX Commandos and by Private Armies, ready to be hired for jobs anywhere in the world. Blackwaters and Engility come to mind.

The TV Season brought episodes of a lady Commando NIKITA to the screen. Headed by a Master Planner and Assassin PERCY, it was worth watching, for its lack of all response to virtue. The theme was merely Greed and Power all over the world. PERCY personified EVIL at its best. As if nothing like it can ever be true, almost twelve firms are cleared by the American Ministry of Defense for this international jobs. Obviously other countries have their own private armies too.

So what makes Pakistan’s SSG different from others. Very simply the Quranic injunction ALLAH O AKBAR. That be prepared to lay your life in the Cause of Allah, and if you die, you embrace Shahadat and the time to move to the next plane of life is shortened and you get into Heaven on an immediate level. It is the very presence of principles that differentiate Pakistani Commandos from others in the world.

M.A. RAHMAN CHUGHTAI’S HOMAGE TO SIKH PHILOSOPHER
A LOST IMAGE OF BABA GURU NANAK

Love for many of Sikh friends of the artist

Guru Nanak is the founding father of Sikhism. No one can dispute that. No one can criticize him too. He is the faith of all Sikhs. But a lot woven around him is plainly fabricated and that is not true for Sikhism alone. Every one builds up an icon and then weaves stories about him. The reason is that he did not write much in his lifetime. His spoken discourses were copied by his successor Guru Anjad, others credit his follower Baba Mardana after his death. Yes, janamsakhis exists, but even the oldest one of them (Bhai Bala), does not match their stories with other stories. Maulvi Ghulam Muhammed gives credit to Said Hussain for Nanak’s training. For instance a Sikh writer, namely Sewaram Singh Thapar, himself writes in 1904:

“The History of the Sikhs Gurus lies much in obscurity. The material at our disposal are very chaotic and misleading. The authenticity of the few extant janamsakhis has been seriously called in question. Many of them are full of mythological descriptions and fictitious tales.”

There was an illustrated manuscript (18th century perhaps) in Lahore with an antiques dealer of the Lahore Museum, in which Guru Nanak’s life was illustrated. There was even a miniature of his meeting with Emperor Zaheeruddin Babar. They sent it for identification to the British Museum and turned it to an American diplomat. The American diplomat just plainly stole the Manuscript from the dealer. Mian Aslam narrates the theft to this day with disdain in his heart. Claims are made of many things by Sikh writers. They claim that his portrait was made in Tabrez by Kamal uddin Behzad himself. I obviously do not know the truth, but it remains a claim, till it is substantiated.

The visit of Guru Nanak to Mecca is there in the Granth itself but the Granth itself was a subject of revision. In any case no one needs to dispute the claim that Guru Nanak visited Mecca (Dr Zakir Naik does) and had a row with caretakers there. He slept with his feet towards the Holy Kaaba and the caretakers resented it. Guru Nanak volunteered to change the directions of his feet. And then the Miracles started to happen, for as they would turn the feet of Guru Nanak away from the Kaaba, the Kaaba would start rotating itself towards the feet of Guru Nanak. This kind of Harry Potter and Dumbledore stuff is found in tales of most Peers and Faqeers of our area. Ali Hujveri Data Darbar just picked up a mosque from its roots to correct the Qibla of same. I am not one to believe them, for I am scientific oriented person, with use of my mind. These are only Faith stories and people are welcome to believe them. Clash of Titans are romantic for knowledge.

This makes us come to the portrait of Guru Nanak by M.A. Rahman Chughtai. The idea was that of the artist’s own. He wrote to the Maharaja of Patiala that he was making such a portrait and would send it to him. The Maharaja was delighted with the news, but when the portrait was made and it reached him, he did not like it. He wanted the artist to change the style, and the concept. The portrayal showed a portrait of a PUNJABI as a SIKH PHILOSOPHER. The Maharaja wanted the garb of a Holy man in deity role. He did not like it and returned it to the artist. The artist would not change his views. Finally it was printed in MODERN REVIEW CALCUTTA as a SIKH PHILOSOPHER but it was ascribed to JALAL UDDIN CHUGHTAI, a nephew lo the artist, who was an Engineer in Railways. He retired as General Manager Pakistan Western Railways as the top man in his services. But he was never an artist in any way. I felt it must be shared. It can be enjoyed for its deep insight. In fact it very much resembles a portrait, which is described as being of the Guru and done in his lifetime. Unfortunately the style and materials are not of that era in any way. But who are we to make a judg’ment. The Sikhs love it, let them love it. In faith, truth is secondary. Where is Chughtai’s portrait of Guru Nanak? I do not know. It must probably would have gone to some show in India and sold there. It must be out there somewhere. We do not have it in our archives, except the printed one. It is a record in itself.