QILA GUJJAR SINGH (2018)

 22-04-2018

#2018 

Qila Gujjar Singh, a residential area located within the boundaries of Lahore, gained its name from being designated as a "fort" in April 1765. During that time, the city was divided among three Bhangi Sardars: Gujjar Singh, Lahina Singh, and Sobha Singh. The portion of land outside the walled city of Lahore, approximately five square miles towards the Shalamar side, was allocated to Sardar Gujjar Singh.

To demarcate his "kingdom," Sardar Gujjar Singh constructed an entrance gateway, and since then, the area has been known as Qila Gujjar Singh (Fort Gujjar Singh). Although ruled independently by Sardar Gujjar Singh, the enclave remained part of the city of Lahore. During the British era, the railway station and police lines were built in this area.

Gujjar Singh Bhangi, one of the triumvirate who ruled over Lahore for thirty years before its occupation by Ranjit Singh, was the son of a modest cultivator named Nattha Singh. Strong and robust, Gujjar Singh received the vows of the Khalsa from his maternal grandfather Gurbakhsh Singh Roranvala, who gifted him a horse and enlisted him as a member of his band. As Gurbakhsh Singh grew older, he appointed Gujjar Singh as the leader of his band. Soon, this band merged with the force led by Hari Singh, the head of the Bhangi Misl of chiefship. Gujjar Singh embarked on a career of conquest and plunder.

In 1765, along with Lahina Singh (adopted son of Gurbakhsh Singh) and Sobha Singh (an associate of Jai Singh Kanhaiya), Gujjar Singh captured Lahore from the Afghans. As Lahina Singh held a senior relationship, being his maternal uncle, Gujjar Singh allowed Lahina Singh to take possession of the city and the fort, while Gujjar Singh himself occupied the eastern part of the city, which was then a jungle. Gujjar Singh built a mud fortress and invited people to settle there. He also dug wells for water supply and constructed a mosque for the Muslim population. The area, where the present-day railway station of Lahore is located, still bears his name and is known as Qila Gujjar Singh.

Gujjar Singh went on to capture Eminabad, Wazirabad, Sodhra, and around 150 villages in Gujranwala district. He then seized Gujarat from Sultan Muqarrab Khan by defeating him under the city's walls in December 1765, establishing Gujarat as his headquarters. In the following year, he expanded his territory by capturing Jammu, Islamgarh, Punchh, Dev Batala, and extending his control as far as the Bhimbar hills in the North and the Majha country in the south. During Ahmad Shah Durrani's eighth invasion, Gujjar Singh and other Sikh Sardars offered strong resistance. In January 1767, when the Durrani commander-in-chief arrived in Amritsar with 15,000 troops, the Sikh Sardars routed the Afghan horde. Shortly after, Gujjar Singh laid siege to the famous Rohtas Fort, held by the Gakkhars, with the assistance of Charat Singh Sukkarchakia, who had friendly relations with him and gave his daughter, Raj Kaur, in marriage to Gujjar Singh's son, Sahib Singh. Gujjar Singh subdued the warlike tribes in the northwestern Punjab and occupied parts of Pothohar, Rawalpindi, and Hasan Abdal.

Gujjar Singh passed away in Lahore in 1788.

An old and abandoned Hindu temple in Kanjrur. (2020)

09 August, 2020

Kanjrur is a small town located  6 km from the Kartarpur. Before partition, it was pre-dominant with the Hindu population. Also, there were several Hindu temples present in Kanjrur. 

After the partition none of the Hindu family stayed there, sadly most of the temples were dismantled in the reaction of the Babri Masjid incident. 

In this picture, one can see a small abandoned temple around which Local children are playing. The structure consists of a single-story square “Sanctum” which was designed for placing the housing deity. In the sanctum room corner squinches portion filled with extended flower bouquet element made of lime. Around all four sides of the sanctum assembly hall for devotees present in Hindu terminology it is called “Ayatana”

From the square sanctum structure main temple curvilinear spire (tower, sikhara) is raised, which is a common type of northern Indian Shrines (Latinas). 

An old Eidgah Eminabd (2020)

AN OLD EIDGAH IN EMINABAD

Relevance: Muslim Architecture 

Date of Visit:- 23 August 2020

(All pictures in this blog are taken by me, kindly respect copyrights)

Article No.1 on Eminabad

South of #Eminabad, remnants of an old mound still exist, it is supposed that it is two millennium years old and was the part of great Raja #Rasalu (the younger brother of famous historical character Pooran Bhagat) Kingdom. 

It is also interesting to mention here that all the old buildings of Eminabad have been constructed from the bricks taken from this mound. 

In this picture, the wall and gateway is of old Janezagah present in one of the graveyard of Eminabad. The place was very mysterious and having graves of mughals soldiers as well that were constructed of old bricks. Also there were trees which are more than a century old. Dnt know why i could not able to take my DSLR out , took this shot from mobile.