Tomb of Hazrat Shah Muhammad Ismail Gillani

Sheikh Ismail was a prominent scholar who belonged to the Bukhari Sayyids. During the reign of Mahmud Ghaznavi, he settled in Lahore and made it his permanent residence. He became famous for his expertise in Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) and Tafsir.

Sheikh Ismail was the first person to deliver sermons in Lahore, and his teachings had a profound impact on education and preaching in the city. He was admired by the common people and his influence extended to thousands of Hindus who embraced Islam under his guidance.

Sheikh Ahmed Zanjani's book acknowledges Sheikh Ismail's significant contributions. Zanjani writes that Sheikh Ismail was among the foremost advocates of religion, arriving in Lahore and dedicating his entire life to spreading the message of Islam. Similarly, Syed Muhammad Latif highlighted another Maulana Ismail during Akbar's era, who served as Lahore's Mufti but was a different individual from the esteemed Sheikh Ismail.

However, various scholars have needed clarification regarding the identity and actions attributed to Sheikh Ismail. According to reliable research, Sheikh Ismail passed away in 338 Hijri and was laid to rest in Lahore. The tomb in front of Jain Mandir is often associated with Syed Ismail Gilani, Syed Moj Darya's father-in-law and Hazrat Bibi Kalyan's father.

While some historians claim this tomb as Sheikh Ismail the scholar's final resting place, there remains debate and uncertainty regarding its attribution.

The tomb was constructed with Mughal-era bricks, and fresco work and paintings can be seen inside. The dome of the tomb has been reconstructed lately.

My confusion was cleared by my history-loving friend, Dr. Zishan Ahmed, who has found the grave of Shah Ismail. It is located on Hall Road.

Sheikh Ismail's legacy as a knowledgeable scholar and influencer in Lahore's religious and educational spheres endures, leaving a mark on the city's history.

 

KURI BAGH TOMB

18-08-2018

(Reference of write up taken from article of Dawn Newspaper)

Few people know that the Civil Secretariat at Lower Mall was not built by the British, but by the French legion that served with Maharajah Ranjit Singh. This was the house of the colourful Gen. Jean Francois Allard.

Let us begin this story by imagining that you are having delicious 'falooda' at Haji's shop in Old Anarkali. Opposite it is Munshi Chambers, and behind it is the Income Tax Department Building, and beyond it, on Edwards Road, is the mausoleum of the great Sufi Hazrat Muhammad Shah, known popularly as Mauj Darya Bukhari. This is a place steeped in history. On Edwards Road, close to the mausoleum of Mauj Darya Bukhari, once stood Kapoorthala House, known popularly as 'Kuri Bagh' - or 'daughter's garden.' The garden was sold by the Maharajah of Kapoorthala before 1947 and converted into flats. People used to call the flats 'Kuri Bagh Flats'.

With time as the flats were knocked down and the Income tax structure came up, the name 'Kuri Bagh' was lost from our collective memory. It is important that we recollect just who that 'kuri' was. Munshi Chambers provides a narrow access to its rear to a yard containing a tomb of Gen. Allard and his daughter Marie Charlotte. The structure is a typical Sikh-period fluted cupola and is a very important monument of that era. Luckily, the French government recently undertook an excellent conservation exercise to bring this beautiful structure to its original glory. But as it remains hidden from public eyes, it remains unknown.

The structure was originally built by Gen. Allard himself in memory of his daughter in the garden attached to his house, which on that account came to be called Kuri Bagh. The tomb, dating to 1827, carries the inscription: "Cette tombe a ete construite en 1827 sur l'ordre du chevalier general Allard sahib bahadur pour sa fille Marie Charlotte que dieu lui aporte sa benediction an paradis." The tombstone above the grave reads: "Marie Charlotte, decedee le 5me Avril, 1827, fille de M. Allard de St. Topiz Chivalier de la Legion d Honneur General de la Cavalerie".

So it was that the tomb of Marie Charlotte was constructed in 1827, almost 12 years before Allard himself died and was buried next to his daughter. His wife, a relative of Maharajah Ranjit Singh left Lahore after the fall of the Sikh rulers and died in St. Tropez, France, where she was buried. Let us go over the story of General Jean Francois Allard. Born in 1785-1839, he was one of several European adventurers employed by Maharajah Ranjit Singh to train Sikh soldiers against the growing threat of the British East India Company. It goes to his credit that the Punjab was the last country in the entire sub-continent to fall to the British, who ruled over the Punjab for just 98 years.

He had arrived at the court of Ranjit Singh in 1822 along with Ventura, and received a command in the cavalry with an annual fixed salary of Rs50,000. Allard, together with Ventura, Court and Avitabile, is credited with instilling a high level of discipline in Ranjit Singh's troops—the brigades commanded by them were considered the elite force of the Khalsa (Sikh) army.

Gen. Jean-François Allard (1785-1839) was born in Saint-Tropez. As a captain of the French Hussars in the Old Guard, he fought in the Napoleonic Wars in Italy, Spain, and France. He joined up with the retreating Napoleon in Golfe Juan, escorted him to Paris where he became the 'aide de camp' (ADC) of Marshal Guillaume Marie Anne Brune from 1815 to 1816. After the Battle of Waterloo, he escaped to Iran, where he devoted himself to learning the Persian language. In Iran he served the king, but as the British had promised the government a lot of military assistance on the condition that all French soldiers be arrested and expelled, Allard thought it prudent to escape. From there he secretly moved towards Kabul, crossed the Khyber Pass in disguise and ended up on the banks of the River Ravi at Shahdara. Unknown to the Punjab's secret police, this well-disguised traveller, in the company of another French general Ventura, crossed the river at night and landed up inside the old walled city of Lahore in March 1822.

In Lahore he let it be known to Maharajah Ranjit Singh that he sought employment in his army, and would train the Sikh in modern warfare, so that the expanding British could be halted. The maharajah took his time and made them wait. He ordered that they not leave Lahore and his spies made sure their every move was reported. The fear of them being British spies was on his mind. After almost three months the maharajah responded positively. Gen. Allard was given the task of organising the maharajah's cavalry on European lines.

On May 22, 1822, both Allard and Ventura took command of Sheikh Basawan's 'Paltan Khas', followed by them taking over 'Paltan Deva Singh, and then the 'Gurkha Paltan' a year later. Allard trained them hard, and some accounts tell us that a lot of the soldiers tried to run away. To set an example, he shot a soldier who broke into tears, telling them that this was a shame on the 'khalsa'. In a way this was to become a highly-trained religious extremist fighting force that the British general Edward of India was to term “the finest fighting force in Asia”.

Once the training was over in the latest warfare methods, he named them 'Fauji Khas' – special force. The cavalry, called Fransisi Sowar, was originally formed by two regiments raised by Allard on July 16, 1822 Rajman (Regiment) Khas Lansia (Lancers) and Rajman Daragun (Dragoon). The tough training led to more protests, so Allard made fresh recruitments selecting the toughest men he could find. By 1825, the Fauji Khas was almost 6000 strong. All the words of command were in French. Gen. Allard commanded the whole force, and took orders only from the Maharajah.

Gen. Ventura, under Allard's orders, was in charge of infantry. The uniform of the Fauji Khas was copied from Napoleon's Grande Armee mixed with some local wear. The regimental standards were the French tri-colours with the motto 'Vahiguru Ji Ki Fateh'. Each regiment had the French Imperial Eagles. If you even today see the old building to the far left of Munshi Chambers, you can see two old building with the Imperial Eagle made in limestone on them. Our history is everywhere, if only we observe and think about it.

The 'fauji khas' cavalry, undoubtedly, achieved a very high level of efficiency. The men and horses were the finest; their accoutrements were of the finest quality and the training the very finest. Across the border in British India, the East India Company's cavalry was certainly no match, and it was this that kept them at bay during the lifetime of the maharajah. Gen. Allard introduced the use of carbine among the Sikh troops. Very soon Allard came to occupy a position of preeminence at the Lahore Darbar. To go with his impressive salary of Rs30,000 a year, he was granted several 'jagirs' and was able to live in a style even rich Sikh sardars could not match. His performance in 1825 in Peshawar and Derajat pacifying the Muslim tribes; in 1827 and 1830 facing the 'jihad' of Sayyid Ahmad Barelavi; and in 1837 in the attack on Jamrud after the death of Gen. Hari Singh Nalwa, made sure that he was held in the highest esteem. From 1824 onwards, Allard secured the Anglo-Punjab border along the Sutlej, from the Himalayas down to Multan.

In 1838, he was sent to Peshawar to help Gen. Avitabile in the administration of the province. On Jan 23, 1839, he died at Peshawar, having suffered for some time from a heart ailment. His body was, as he had wished, brought to Lahore and buried with full military honours between the tombs of his two daughters in 'Kuri Bagh' on Feb 19, 1839.

A firm favourite of Maharajah Ranjit Singh, Gen. Allard's body was brought with full ceremonial from Peshawar, with salutes being fired at every station through which the cortege passed on its route. On arrival at Lahore, the entire stretch from Shahdara to Anarkali was lined with troops who fired minute guns during the progress of the body to its last destination. A grander burial was not to be seen again in Lahore

Shrine of Shah Chiragh and seeking "HOPE"

23-09-2018

#Hope, a women sitting at shrine of #shahchiragh. She was hoping her all miseries and problems will be solved. Hope is interesting thing, patient have hope they will recovered from deadly diseases, other hope good days will came in their lives. Hope is a energy, a positive energy to bring you out from savage state . If there was no hope, ancient human didn't come out of caves to fight with odds. This is also a hope paradox, we will die and go in better world. Our lives are revolving around state of 'Hope. So dnt loose hope, you dnt know what tomorrow will bring for you. 

InsideView of Tomb

The ancestors of Abdul Razzak, alias Shah Chiragh, were residents of Uch, in Bahawalpur, and their pedigree joins the celebrated saint of Gilan, Muhy-Ud-Din, and known as Pir Dastagir.

Shah Chiragh flourished in the days of Shah Jahan, and died in 1068 A.H. (1657 A.D). The present mausoleum was raised to his memory by the order of the emperor Aurangzeb. There are total eight graves in the mausoleum including the grave of Shah Chirag’s father and grandfather.

The building is designed in traditional Mughal style of architecture. The exterior of the tomb is made from lime stone and the interior is decorated with beautiful floral frescoes on walls and ceiling. The mausoleum is square in plan, its facades decorated with cusped arch niches and cartouches set within a paneled scheme.

Tomb of Shah Chiragh and mosque

Mosque of Shah Chiragh

Inside View of Mosque

Baba Hassan Din, Mausoleum, Lahore.

November 26, 2017

Detail Taken from Article of Iqbal Alam 

A unique Mausoleum designed by architect Kamil Khan Mumtaz for two modern Gnostics from Lahore. Hafiz Iqbal and his mentor Baba Hassan Din lived on the site of their mausoleum for a significant part of their lives and now their resting places lay under two identical domes around cloisters modelled on shrine of Imam Ali in Najaf.

It is said that Baba Din was an Englishman working for railways in Birmingham who arrived in Lahore in early 50s of last century to become a Sufi ascetic.

Din adopted a poor local boy, Hafiz Iqbal and educated him to high university standards but Iqbal decided to become a street sweeper under an assumed Christian name to experience life almost as an outcast.

The work on Mausoleum started soon after the death of Hafiz Iqbal, using only natural materials. The whole structure is built of local clay bricks and lime mortar prepared and mixed on site. The craftsmen use traditional tools and techniques, some revived especially for task. Some of the decorations are copied from the walls of Red Fort in Delhi. The false burial chambers are decorated with Organic verses chosen by Hafiz Iqbal, inscribed in ink made from burned mustard oil in the style of calligraphy taken from Taj Mahal.

KHAIR UN NISA’S TOMB ROHTAS

25-08-2017

It is located near Rohtas Fort in Jhelum. She was the daughter of Qadir Bakhsh who was food minister during the reign of Shah Suri. Cracks appeared in the structure and the surface turned black due to algae. The floor has also been badly damaged.

Who is Buried at Nila Gumbad Lahore?

15-05-2018

The rough location of this site is 31°34'9.80"N, 74°18'41.69"E.

The mausoleum of Nila Gumbad houses the remains of the great mystic Sheikh Abdul Razzaq. He belonged to Mecca city, and came to Lahore in the reign of Mughal Emperor Humayun (1508-1556). He became a ‘mureed’ of the famous saint Miran Muhammad Shah Mauj Darya Bukhari, who soon realised that his pupil had powers beyond the ordinary. He called him Sheikh Abdul Razzaq Makki. His scholarship of the Holy Quran and his pow ers of the occult attracted a very large following.

Soon he was considered as the leading ‘seer’ of his time, consulted often by the Mughal court. Abdul Razzaq Makki died in 1084 A.H. and was buried at this place. The Mughal court built him a fine mausoleum, which still stands as a testimony to the man. Next to the graves they also built an elegant mosque, which today is known as the Nila Gumbad Mosque.

When the Sikhs came to power, they ransacked the elegant building of its excellent marble, which they transported to Amritsar. Maharaja Ranjit Singh ordered that an ammunition dump be made of the mausoleum, and to one side in the mosque he housed a gun manufacturing facility. To the western side, among other graves, he built a cannon manufacturing facility. Thus a majority of the graves of some of Lahore’s leading saints and seers were destroyed.

When the British came, they removed the arms manufacturing facility and converted the mausoleum into an eat ery, where officers of the British East India Company used to have their meals. A bakery was set up next door, the very first in Lahore. This bakery was owned and operated by a building contractor called Munshi Najmuddin Thakedar. Once the cantonment was shifted to Mian Mir, the contractor persuaded the British authorities to restore the mausoleum and the mosque. He invested in the project and on his death he was buried to one side inside the mosque.

To the west, just along the alignment where today exists the Anarkali Bazaar was the grave of Khawaja Saeed Lahori. Next to his grave were the grave of Haji Abadullah, and a third grave of the nephew of Khawaja Muhammad Saeed by the name of Abdur Rahman. Next to them is the grave of Hazrat Shah Sharaf. In an earlier piece I had dwelt on the grave of Shah Sharaf, who was originally buried at Bhati Gate. When Maharajah Ranjit Singh ordered that the grave be removed to make way for the expansion of the defences of the city, his grave revealed a man, buried over 100 years earlier, as fresh. The famous Fakir Nuruddin got the saint reburied near the Nila Gumbad.

After 1947 the entire area underwent a massive change, in which new shopping plazas came up. If you happen to walk through the ba zaar, the building to the south of the old Hindu temple to the east of the Punjab University, in which a number of clothes shops exists, is where a few well-known shoe shops exist. If you walk inside the narrow alley of shops, to one side, under a staircase, is the grave of this famous seer. This is what one can call a picture of the age in which we live. All the other graves have been cleared and new shops made on them. Mind you the original grave was built by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, an excellent structure the Sikh razed to the ground.

Outside the traffic flows past a fast deteriorating Nila Gumbad. In the narrow lanes a few graves have been left in small rooms, mostly unmarked. There is a need to research each one of them. The lost ones of some great saints need to be located, and if it is possible to move commercial interest, just let them be known

Mir Chakar Khan Tomb & Fort of Raja Raneet Singh Satgarah (Pictorial Blog)

The Punjab government has made the decision to preserve and restore two historical landmarks in Okara: the Satgarah Fort, constructed by Maharaja Ranjeet Singh approximately 180 years ago, and the tomb of Mir Chakar Khan Rind, a Baloch chieftain and folk hero, which predates the fort by over two centuries.

As a first step towards conserving and restoring these monuments, the provincial government has allocated a budget of Rs2.875 million. This funding will be utilized for archaeological surveys, documentation, and the development of a master plan to guide the conservation and development of the historic village of Satgarah in Okara. The project's PC-II has already been prepared, and documentation work is expected to commence next month.

Satgarah is a village located approximately 17 kilometers from Okara City. According to a concept paper prepared by the Punjab archaeology department, Mir Chakar Khan, a Baloch chieftain from the Rind tribe, migrated from Balochistan to the region in 1518. He settled in the present-day precincts of Okara and used the area as a base for his campaigns against the rulers of Multan. Mir Chakar Khan allied with Mughal emperor Humayun in his battles against Sher Shah Suri and established his power in the region. He is believed to have constructed a fort and a mosque near Satgarah village. Local residents believe that the site served as a Baloch graveyard and that Mir Chakar Khan was buried there in 1565.

In 1830, during his campaigns for Multan, Maharaja Ranjeet Singh constructed a fort on the site of the Baloch graveyard. He demolished the roof of Mir Chakar Khan's tomb, desecrated the grave, and incorporated it into one of the bastions of his fort. Although the Sikh fort still stands, it is in a dilapidated condition. The tomb was excavated and restored in 1960 by the then Multan commissioner, Atta Muhammad Khan Leghari, and was subsequently entrusted to the archaeology department. Despite a restoration effort in 2007 under the supervision of a provincial committee, the tomb remains in a state of disrepair. The plastering and alterations made during the restoration deviated from the original design, causing damage to the architectural and historical significance of the monument. The restoration work at that time focused only on the tomb, with no attention given to the Sikh-era fort or the site of Mir Chakar Khan's citadel.

The Satgarah village has been haphazardly developed around the fort and consists of old houses and fortification walls constructed with brick tiles. An annual congregation takes place at Satgarah, attracting Baloch people from neighboring areas and even from Balochistan.

The Punjab archaeology department has proposed a three-phase project for preservation and restoration. In Phase I, it is suggested that the entire site, including the Satgarah village, be protected under the Punjab Special Premises (Protection) Act 1985. Additionally, the department recommends the establishment of a small museum within the tomb or any other historically significant building in the village. Furthermore, it proposes the construction of a building for the Baloch congregation, equipped with facilities such as eateries.

Phase II entails the restoration of the fortification wall and other fort structures, as well as the preservation of selected village buildings based on their historical and architectural importance. The old Satgarah Baloch settlement would be retained and protected.

Phase III focuses on the preservation and restoration of old houses, the rehabilitation of the village area within the fort as a living monument, and the development of tourist facilities such as an information center, landscaped park, and outdoor congregation area