14th August 2022
Abd al-Samad Khan, who passed away in 1737, held the significant position of the Mughal Empire's subahdar of Lahore Subah from 1713 to 1726, having been appointed by the Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar. He hailed from the esteemed Ansari family of Panipat and was succeeded in governing Punjab by his son, Zakariya Khan Bahadur.
Zakariya Khan Bahadur continued and expanded upon his father's harsh policies, particularly towards the Sikh community. During his tenure, a considerable number of Sikhs fell victim to severe persecution, and a tragic event known as the Chhota Ghallughara witnessed the loss of thousands of Sikh lives.
In the course of his time in power, Zakariya Khan constructed a palace, or mahal, for his residence near Begumpura in Lahore. Regrettably, today, this once grand structure exists only as a set of ruins, with merely a few walls standing in a deteriorated state, situated in proximity to the Shahi Mosque of Begumpura. The bricks of this mahal were sold off during the governance of three Sikh Chieftains in Lahore, symbolizing the passing of an era and the transformation of historical legacies.
