Tulamba the forgotten Archeological Site

Reference Archeological Survey of India (Volulme V) 04-11-2017 

Tulamba is more than 2500 years old. People say that Tulamba was here even in the era of Noah. Tulamba faced many armies as it was in the way to famous Multan. The forces coming from North and West had to pass from Tulamba to go to Multan.On digging, five eras are discovered. The first era belongs to Moi tribe. The remaining four belong to Greek, Sasani, Budh, Hinduand Muslim civilizations. From Aplodots Sir Megas to Muhammad Ghauri, the coins of several governments were found here.

When Alexander the great invaded Indian Sub-Continent, he also came to Tulamba. In that time, Tulamba was ruled by Moi people. They were very brave and courageous, that's why Alexandar faced big difficulties here.The history of Muslims begins with Muhammad bin Qasim when he came to Tulamba in his way to Multan. The place from where he passed is now called Qasim Bazar.

Sher Shah Suri built a Fort right in the center of the city, whose boundary wall and some parts of the building are still present. The Girls High School and the offices of Town Committee are present in the Fort.

The ruins of older city are on a distance of one kilometre from the city. Though they are in a miserable condition due to rains and negligence, but their bricks are still visible. When Dr. Sayyed Zahid Ali Wasti visited Tulamba in 1967, he saw the ruins spread in the area of several miles. He saw a Fort with walls and a very high Tower. He saw a three thousand years old trench around the fort which was dig for the protection of the fort. He describes that walls were beautifully plastered with mud and floors were not solid. Yet most of his description is now unpredictable, because ruins are very much destroyed now.

The present town of Tulamba is said to have been built by Shujawa khan, son-in-law and Minster of Mahmud Langa of Multan, between A.D, 1510 and 1525. The old fortress, which had escaped the army of Timur, was situated upwards of one mile to the south of the modern town. It was upward of 1000 feet square, the outer rampart being about 200 feet thick and from 35 to 40 feet in height above the fields. Inside there is a clear space of 100 feet in width and 15 feet above the country, surrounding an inner fort upward of 400 feet square and 60 feet in height the level of the faussebraie. The eastern ramparts of the inner fort are still upwards of 50 feet in thickness. The whole was originally faced with brick walks, the traces of which still exist in the horizontal lines of the courses on the outer face of the ramparts, and in the numerous pieces of brick lying about in all direction. This strong, old fort is said to have been abandoned in consequence of a change in the course of the Ravi, which took a more northerly course, and thus cut of the old ramparts were then removed to build the wall of the new town, in which it is curious to see numerous carved and moulded bricks placed in various odd positons, sometimes singly, sometimes in lines of five or six and frequently upside down. The true name of the place is said to have been Kulamba, or Kulambha; but no meaning is assingmed to the name, and no reason is given for the change to Tulamba. Masson writes the name as Tulumba; but al the Muhammadan authors, from Sharf-ud-din downwards spell the name Tulamba, just as it is pronuced at the present day. The earliest notince of Tulamba that I am aware of is in Sharf-ud-din’s History of Timur, The town capitulated on terms which, as usual, were broken by Timur and his troops. “During the night the soldiers under pretence of making a search (for grain), marched towards the town, which they sacked and pillaged, burning all the houses , and even making the inhabitants slaves.”But the fort escaped. As its siege would have delayed Timur for some time, and he was imptietn to push on to Delhi.

In A.D. 1480, just one generation later, the unfortunate town of Tulamba again captitulated  to a Muhammadan invader , Amire Shekh Ali, Governor of Kabul, under Shah Rokh. Again the invader broke his pledge, and after plundering the town and killing all the males able to bear arms, he burned the place and carried of the women and children as slaves.

Tulambah is a historical place in Khanewal district. According to the district gazetteer of Multan, the present town appears to have been preceded by at least two previous sites, one of which was at the huge mound known as Mamu Sher, a mile or so to the southwest of the present town, and the other among the ruin which extends immediately to the west. According to some oral traditions, this was the place where Alexander had to face stiff resistance from the local people, and it was here that an arrow hit him which ultimately became the cause of his death on his way back to Athens.

The location on the east bank of the Ravi and the presence of ruins of a fort are a proof of the tradition. This place emerges in history many times. Many centuries later, it gave stiff resistance to Amir Temur while on his way to Delhi. According to his memoirs, he had halted here but was not welcomed by the local people for which they had to suffer at the hands of his commanders, Amir Shah Malik and Shaikh Mohammad who had slaughtered two thousand men who had taken refuge in the neighbouring jungles. Temur writes: "Amir and Shaikh slaughtered two thousands of these ill-fated Indians with their remorseless sabres, carrying off captives of their women and children." The city till 1947 was a stronghold of Brahmins who had resisted the invasion of Mahmood Ghaznavi. He plundered the city. For the fourth time, it was looted by Ahmad Shah Abdali in one of his incursions.

The city with such a glorious tradition of resistance against foreign invaders had produced a historian like Satya M. Roy who had to migrate to the Indian Punjab in 1947. She wrote a book on The Revolutionary Movements of the Punjab (1906-1946) which has been translated into Urdu by journalist Mahmood Zaman under the title, Punjab ki Inqalabi Tehreekein (published by Jamhoori Publications, Nila Gumbad, Lahore).

Migrated Tribes from India, after partition of Sub continent, people from India came to Tulamba, Shorkot, Makhdoom Pur, Kassowal, almost all parts of Southern Punjab. These people who came from India mostly are muslims and agricultural professionals, their languages are rohtiki or heryanvi.There is family like khan,s they speek pure urdu and punjabi as wel They are Rajpoots and have any subcasts according to clan and tribes system in the subcontinent; Tiagi, Sarohi, Chohan, Rajpoot, Mdahr, Toor etc. Also people from other casts; Dogar, Mio Pathan(Khan,s) Blouch and clans migrated to Tulamba

The University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore

29-10-2017

Veterinary sciences and microbiology institute in subcontinent founded by British in Lahore in 1892, it is one of the oldest institutions of veterinary in Asia. It was established in magnificent and historical building that was property of Bank of Bengal at that time.

In present Building the institute shifted some ninety years back. It was also Asia first teaching veterinary school. Lt. Col. Kehlewell was first principal from period to 1882-1890. After that its name changed to “college of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry”, and than its name changed to “Punjab College of Veterinary Sciences”. Since its inception, it maintained its reoccupation as one of the famous and renown institution Veterinary and animal sciences, and conducts wide range of research in microbiology and development of human resource. In 2002 this institute gets chartered and became University. The university offers undergraduate, post-graduate, and doctoral programmes in diverse fields of animal’s health, food irradiation, security and safety. The university maintains its highest ranks and regarded as one of the top university in “agriculture” category by the HEC, as of 2010.

Visit to Waris Shah Tomb

The great Sufi poet Waris Shah was born in 1722 in Sheikhupura, Punjab. He is known as one of the best Punjabi poets. His folk tale known as Heer-Ranjha got popularity not only in Pakistan but crossed the borders as well. He died in 1798 but his work made him immortal.

His tomb is in Jandiala Sher Khan and is visited by thousands of fans and devotees. The grave of Waris Shah was not paid proper attention so a proper mausoleum was built by the government of Punjab. In 1975, structure of the tomb was decided by the mausoleum committee and the mausoleum was completed in 1978 in Jandiala Sher Khan. Thus, the birth place of Waris Shah was made his final destination as well.The tomb was designed and constructed by Abdul Rashid, a renowned architect who built it with red bricks and white plaster in the Mughal style. The tomb is 83/83 meters long while the shape of the mausoleum is octagonal with stairs and pillars. There is a large, square-shaped garden in the mausoleum and on the other side the mausoleum is made up of red brick walls. The walls of the corridors are in arch shape. The other side of the mausoleum consists of housing facilities and the entrance of the visitors. The mausoleum has a pool and a fountain and the garden and courtyard has pine and palm trees. The people visit this place and pray and on the death anniversary of Waris Shah,his fans or lovers conduct “dhamaal” (a folk dance) on the beat of Dhol (drum). Along with red bricks and white plaster, blue decorative tiles have also been used in the construction of the tomb. There is an open- air theatre as well in the building where speakers fitted in the walls facilitate the listeners who visit his tomb.The poetic songs of Waris Shah are heard and appreciated by the people and fans therein. On the death anniversary of Waris Shah “langer” is also distributed among the people and people also distribute the food when their wish or pray is fulfilled..

Stepwell (Baoli) at Jandiala Sher Khan

24-10-2017

Jandiala Sherkhan, also known as Jandiala Sher Khan, is a town situated in the Punjab province of Pakistan's Sheikhupura District. It holds significance as the birthplace of the renowned poet Waris Shah, often referred to as the Punjabi Shakespeare, and is home to his Mausoleum. The town is located at coordinates 31°49'15N 73°55'10E and falls within the jurisdiction of Sheikhupura Tehsil.

In the days of the Mughal empire, Jandiala Sherkhan held prominence as an important provincial town. Despite being situated on a floodplain, the absence of nearby water sources compelled the local inhabitants to dig wells for irrigating their crops. During the reign of Emperor Akbar, a man named Sher Khan, who was well-off, decided to settle in the town. Acting upon the advice of a local dervish named Syed Ghaznavi, Sher Khan undertook the construction of a remarkable step-well, also known as a baoli, to facilitate access to the water table.

Furthermore, Sher Khan erected a structure resembling a caravansary above the steps leading to the well. This construction served as an inn or a marketplace for merchants to trade their goods with travelers journeying along the road connecting Lahore and Kashmir. Adjacent to the baoli, in the southeastern direction, Sher Khan also contributed to the establishment of a small mosque. The architectural design of the step well exemplifies the essence of Akbar's era. The layout encompasses a central domed chamber encircled by eight smaller rooms, an artistic motif known as hasht bihisht, meaning "eight paradises." This innovation by the Mughals was derived from Timurid's influence.

Sher Khan's endowment of the baoli was commemorated through a plaque adorned with Persian calligraphy. Previously displayed at the site, this plaque was relocated to the Lahore Museum in 1971 for preservation and safekeeping.

Gurdwara Sacha Sauda

28-09-2017

At the age of eighteen, Guru Nanak Sahib Ji, was sent by his father Mehta Kalu to the city to do business. His father was disappointed that Guru Sahib's mind was not into farming and other worldly work, therefore, he thought perhaps engaging him in trade would firstly, be a good profitable profession, and secondly his son would be happy all day talking to his clients about his business.

Thinking this way and choosing an auspicious day, Mehta Kalu called Bhai Mardana Ji to accompany Guru Sahib. Mehta Kalu gave twenty rupees to Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana Ji and said, 'Go with Nanak. Buy and bring some genuine goods by selling of which we may make profit. In this way if you make a profitable transaction, next time I will send you with more money to buy goods.'

Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana Ji started from Talwandi Sabo towards Chuharkana (now known as Farooqabad) to purchase some merchandise. They had hardly gone ten or twelve miles from the village when they came across a village, where the people were starving, thirsty and sick due to lack of water and an outbreak of disease.

Guru Nanak Sahib Ji said to Bhai Mardana Ji, 'Father has asked us to carry out some profitable transaction. No bargain can be more truly profitable than to feed and clothe the needy. I cannot leave this true bargain. It is seldom that we get an opportunity to carry out some profitable transaction like this.'

Guru Nanak took all the money to the next nearest village dwelling, where he bought plentiful supply of food and brought water for these people. Guru Sahib invested the twenty rupees into what we today call 'Langar'.

Eis bhaekh ai thhaavahu gireho bhal aa jithhahu ko varas aae || 

'Instead of wearing these beggar's robes, it is better to be a householder, and give to others.' 

(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 587)

As well as bringing food and water to the villagers, Bhai Mardana Ji and Guru Sahib brought clothes for with the money that was left. Taking leave from the villagers, they started back 'empty-handed'. When his father admonished him for squandering his hard earned cash, Guru Nanak said that that was the best bargain he could have made.

Many years later, Sikhs built at the village of Sacha Sauda built a Gurdwara in memory of Guru Nanak's kindness which in due course became a popular Sikh site attracting visitors from near and far.

A land endowment of over 100 acres (250 bighas) was made to the Gurdwara during the Sikh Empire by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The Gurdwara formerly administered by udasi priests was occupied by Jathedar Kartar Siṅgh Jhabbar on behalf of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee on 30th December 1920. At the time of its evacuation in the wake of the partition of the country in 1947, it had a huge fortress like, three storey building with domed towers.