1.
Fortification
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Fortifications are military constructions or buildings designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and also used to solidify rule in a region during peace time. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs, the term is derived from the Latin fortis and facere. From very early history to modern times, walls have been a necessity for cities to survive in a changing world of invasion. Some settlements in the Indus Valley Civilization were the first small cities to be fortified, in ancient Greece, large stone walls had been built in Mycenaean Greece, such as the ancient site of Mycenae. A Greek Phrourion was a collection of buildings used as a military garrison. These construction mainly served the purpose of a tower, to guard certain roads, passes. Though smaller than a fortress, they acted as a border guard rather than a real strongpoint to watch. The art of setting out a camp or constructing a fortification traditionally has been called castramentation since the time of the Roman legions. Fortification is usually divided into two branches, permanent fortification and field fortification, there is also an intermediate branch known as semi-permanent fortification. Castles are fortifications which are regarded as being distinct from the fort or fortress in that they are a residence of a monarch or noble. Roman forts and hill forts were the antecedents of castles in Europe. The Early Middle Ages saw the creation of towns built around castles. Medieval-style fortifications were made obsolete by the arrival of cannons in the 14th century. Fortifications in the age of black powder evolved into much lower structures with greater use of ditches and earth ramparts that would absorb, Walls exposed to direct cannon fire were very vulnerable, so were sunk into ditches fronted by earth slopes. The arrival of explosive shells in the 19th century led to yet another stage in the evolution of fortification, steel-and-concrete fortifications were common during the 19th and early 20th centuries. However the advances in warfare since World War I have made large-scale fortifications obsolete in most situations. Demilitarized zones along borders are arguably another type of fortification, although a passive kind, many military installations are known as forts, although they are not always fortified. Larger forts may be called fortresses, smaller ones were known as fortalices
2.
Punjab, Pakistan
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Punjab, is Pakistans second largest province by area after Balochistan, and its most populous province with an estimated population of 101,391,000 as of 2015. It is bordered by Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as the regions of Islamabad Capital Territory and it also shares borders with the Indian states of Punjab, Rajasthan, and Jammu and Kashmir. The provincial capital of Punjab is the city Lahore, a centre of Pakistan where the countrys cinema industry. Punjab has been inhabited since ancient times, the Indus Valley Civilization, dating to 2600 BCE, was first discovered at Harappa. Punjab features heavily in the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata, in 326 BCE, Alexander the Great defeated King Porus at the Battle of the Hydaspes near Mong, Punjab. The Umayyad empire conquered Punjab in the 8th century CE, Punjab was later invaded by Tamerlane, Babur, and Nader Shah. Punjab reached the height of its splendour during the reign of the Mughal Empire, following a successful rebellion, Sikh-led armies claimed Lahore in 1759. The administration of the Sikh Empire was based out of Lahore, the province was formed when the Punjab province of British India was divided along religious boundaries in 1947 by the Radcliffe Line after Partition. Punjab is Pakistans most industrialised province with the industrial sector making up 24% of the gross domestic product. Punjab is known in Pakistan for its prosperity, and has the lowest rate of poverty amongst all Pakistani provinces. Punjab is also one of South Asias most urbanized regions with approximately 40% of people living in urban areas and its human development index rankings are high relative to the rest of Pakistan. Punjab is known in Pakistan for its relatively liberal social attitudes, the province has been strongly influenced by Sufism, with numerous Sufi shrines spread across Punjab which attract millions of devotees annually. The founder of the Sikh faith, Guru Nanak, was born in the Punjab town of Nankana Sahib near Lahore, Punjab is also the site of the Katasraj Temple, which features prominently in Hindu mythology. Several UNESCO World Heritage Sites are located in Punjab, including the Shalimar Gardens, the Lahore Fort, the excavations at Taxila. The region was known to the Greeks as Pentapotamia, meaning the region of five rivers. The word Punjab was formally introduced in the early 17th century CE as an elision of the Persian words panj and āb, thus meaning the five rivers, similar in meaning to the Greek name for the region. The five rivers, namely Chenab, Jhelum, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej, flow via the Panjnad River into the Indus River, of the five great rivers of Punjab, four course through Pakistans Punjab province. Due to its location, the Punjab region came under constant attack and witnessed centuries of invasions by the Persians, Greeks, Kushans, Scythians, Turks
3.
Pakistan
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Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a federal parliamentary republic in South Asia on the crossroads of Central Asia and Western Asia. It is the sixth-most populous country with a population exceeding 200 million people, in terms of area, it is the 33rd-largest country in the world with an area covering 881,913 square kilometres. It is separated from Tajikistan by Afghanistans narrow Wakhan Corridor in the north, Pakistan is unique among Muslim countries in that it is the only country to have been created in the name of Islam. As a result of the Pakistan Movement led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah and it is an ethnically and linguistically diverse country, with a similarly diverse geography and wildlife. Initially a dominion, Pakistan adopted a constitution in 1956, becoming an Islamic republic, an ethnic civil war in 1971 resulted in the secession of East Pakistan as the new country of Bangladesh. The new constitution stipulated that all laws were to conform to the injunctions of Islam as laid down in the Quran. Pakistan has an economy with a well-integrated agriculture sector. The Pakistani economy is the 24th-largest in the world in terms of purchasing power and it is ranked among the emerging and growth-leading economies of the world, and is backed by one of the worlds largest and fastest-growing middle classes. The post-independence history of Pakistan has been characterised by periods of military rule, the country continues to face challenging problems such as illiteracy, healthcare, and corruption, but has substantially reduced poverty and terrorism and expanded per capita income. It is also a member of CERN. Pakistan is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement, the name Pakistan literally means land of the pure in Urdu and Persian. It is a play on the word pāk meaning pure in Persian and Pashto, the letter i was incorporated to ease pronunciation and form the linguistically correct and meaningful name. Some of the earliest ancient human civilisations in South Asia originated from areas encompassing present-day Pakistan, the earliest known inhabitants in the region were Soanian during the Lower Paleolithic, of whom stone tools have been found in the Soan Valley of Punjab. The Vedic Civilization, characterised by Indo-Aryan culture, laid the foundations of Hinduism, Multan was an important Hindu pilgrimage centre. The Vedic civilisation flourished in the ancient Gandhāran city of Takṣaśilā, the Indo-Greek Kingdom founded by Demetrius of Bactria included Gandhara and Punjab and reached its greatest extent under Menander, prospering the Greco-Buddhist culture in the region. Taxila had one of the earliest universities and centres of education in the world. At its zenith, the Rai Dynasty of Sindh ruled this region, the Pala Dynasty was the last Buddhist empire, which, under Dharampala and Devapala, stretched across South Asia from what is now Bangladesh through Northern India to Pakistan. The Arab conqueror Muhammad bin Qasim conquered the Indus valley from Sindh to Multan in southern Punjab in 711 AD, the Pakistan governments official chronology identifies this as the time when the foundation of Pakistan was laid
4.
Urdu
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Urdu is a persianized standard register of the Hindustani language. It is the language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also one of the 22 official languages recognized in the Constitution of India, hyderabad, Rampur, Bhopal and Lucknow are noted Urdu-speaking cities of India. Urdu is historically associated with the Muslims of the northern Indian subcontinent, apart from specialized vocabulary, Urdu is mutually intelligible with Standard Hindi, another recognized register of Hindustani. Urdu, like Hindi, is a form of Hindustani, Urdu developed under the influence of the Persian and Arabic languages, both of which have contributed a significant amount of vocabulary to formal speech. Around 99% of Urdu verbs have their roots in Sanskrit and Prakrit, Urdu words originating from Chagatai and Arabic were borrowed through Persian and hence are Persianized versions of the original words. For instance, the Arabic ta marbuta changes to he or te, nevertheless, contrary to popular belief, Urdu did not borrow from the Turkish language, but from Chagatai. Urdu and Turkish borrowed from Arabic and Persian, hence the similarity in pronunciation of many Urdu, Arabic influence in the region began with the late first-millennium Arab invasion of India in the 7th century. The Persian language was introduced into the subcontinent a few centuries later by various Persianized Central Asian Turkic and Afghan dynasties including that of the Delhi Sultanate. With the advent of the British Raj, Persian was no longer the language of administration but Hindustani, still written in the Persian script, the name Urdu was first used by the poet Ghulam Hamadani Mushafi around 1780. From the 13th century until the end of the 18th century Urdu was commonly known as Hindi, the language was also known by various other names such as Hindavi and Dehlavi. The communal nature of the language lasted until it replaced Persian as the language in 1837 and was made co-official. Urdu was promoted in British India by British policies to counter the previous emphasis on Persian and this triggered a Brahman backlash in northwestern India, which argued that the language should be written in the native Devanagari script. At independence, Pakistan established a highly Persianized literary form of Urdu as its national language, English has exerted a heavy influence on both as a co-official language. Owing to interaction with other languages, Urdu has become localized wherever it is spoken, similarly, the Urdu spoken in India can also be distinguished into many dialects like Dakhni of South India, and Khariboli of the Punjab region since recent times. Because of Urdus similarity to Hindi, speakers of the two languages can understand one another if both sides refrain from using specialized vocabulary. The syntax, morphology, and the vocabulary are essentially identical. Thus linguists usually count them as one language and contend that they are considered as two different languages for socio-political reasons
5.
Jaisalmer
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Jaisalmer pronunciation, nicknamed The Golden city, is a city in the Indian state of Rajasthan, located 575 kilometres west of the state capital Jaipur. Once known as Jaisalmer state it is a World Heritage Site, the town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone, crowned by a fort, which contains the palace and several ornate Jain temples. Many of the houses and temples are finely sculptured and it lies in the heart of the Thar Desert and has a population of about 78,000. It is the headquarters of Jaisalmer District. Jaisalmer is named after Maharawal Jaisal Singh, a Rajput king who founded the city in 1156 AD, Jaisalmer means the Hill Fort of Jaisal. It is the largest district of Rajasthan and one of the largest in the country, the length of the international border attached to Jaisalmer District is 471 km. Jaisalmer, being a desert region, is prone to extremes in terms of temperature. The temperature varies greatly from day to night in summer and winter. The maximum summer temperature is around 49 °C while the minimum is 25 °C, the maximum winter temperature is usually around 23.6 °C and the minimum is 5 °C. The average rainfall is 209.5 millimetres, highest ever recorded temperature was 50.0 °C, the lowest ever recorded temperature being −5.9 °C. Temperatures of up to 52.4 °C have been recorded near the border close to Pakistan. Water is scarce, and generally brackish, the depth of the wells is said to be about 250 feet. There are no streams, and only one small river, the Kakni, which, after flowing a distance of 48 kilometres, spreads over a large surface of flat ground. Throughout Jaisalmer only raincrops, such as bajra, jawar, motif, til, etc. are grown, spring crops of wheat, barley, Tourism is a major industry in Jaisalmer. The Government of India initiated departmental exploration for oil in 1955–56 in the Jaisalmer area, oil India Limited discovered natural gas in 1988 in the Jaisalmer basin. Musicians and dancers are also a cultural export from Jaisalmer to the rest of the world. Merasi musicians have played the world over, and Queen Harish, Jaisalmer is also known for its leather messenger bags, made from wild camels native to the area. Jaisalmer is one of the most preferred event organizing destinations in Rajasthan, roadies, Balika Vadhu, Maharana Pratap, and several movies were shot in various locations and famous fort structured hotels of Jaisalmer
6.
Bahawalpur (princely state)
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Bahawalpur was a princely state of British India and later, Pakistan, that existed from 1802 to 1955. It was a part of Punjab States Agency, the state covered an area of 45,911 km² and had a population of 1,341,209 in 1941. The capital of the state was the town of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur state was founded in 1802 by Nawab Mohammad Bahawal Khan Abbasi after the breakup of the Durrani Empire. His successor was Nawab Mohammad Bahawal Khan Abbasi III, on 22 February 1833, Abbasi III entered into subsidiary alliance with the British by which Bahawalpur was admitted as a princely state of British India. When India became independent of British rule in 1947 and partitioned into two states, India and Pakistan, Bahawalpur joined the Dominion of Pakistan, Bahawalpur remained an autonomous entity till 14 October 1955 when it was merged with the province of West Pakistan. The Abbasi tribe from whom the family of Bahawalpur belong. The tribe came from Sindh to Bahawalpur and assumed independence during the decline of the Durrani Empire, as part of the 1809 Treaty of Lahore, Ranjit Singh was confined to the right bank of the Sutlej. The first treaty with Bahawalpur was negotiated in 1833, the year after the treaty with Ranjit Singh for regulating traffic on the Indus and it secured the independence of the Nawab within his own territories, and opened up the traffic on the Indus and Sutlej. During the First Anglo-Afghan War, the Nawab assisted the British with supplies and allowing passage, for these services he was rewarded by the grant of the districts of Sabzalkot and Bhung, together with a life-pension of a lakh. On his death a dispute regarding succession. He was succeeded by his son, whom he had nominated in place of his eldest son. In 1879, the Nawab was invested with powers, with the advice and assistance of a council of six members. On his death in 1899 he was succeeded by Muhammad Bahawal Khan V, who attained his majority in 1900, the Nawab of Bahawalpur was entitled to a salute of 17 guns. Bahawalpur House in Delhi is now home to the National School of Drama, the predominantly Muslim population supported Muslim League and Pakistan Movement. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the minority Hindus, after independence of Pakistan, Nawab of Bahawalpur Sadeq Mohammad Khan V proved to be very helpful and generous to the government of Pakistan. He gave seventy million rupees to the government and the salaries of all the government departments for one month were also drawn from the treasury of Bahawalpur state. He donated his property to the University of the Punjab, King Edward Medical College. At the time of all the princely states of the British India were given a choice to join either Pakistan or India
7.
Shikarpur, Sindh
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Shikarpur is small city and the capital of Shikarpur District in Sindh province of Pakistan. It is situated about 29 km west of the bank of the Indus. In the early 17th century this city in the northern Sindh province of Pakistan became the nucleus of a historical trade center on a caravan route through the Bolan Pass into Afghanistan. Shikarpur became the core of manufactures including brass and metal goods, carpets, cotton cloth and its great bazaar is famous throughout Turkistan and southern Asia. The predominantly Muslim population supported Muslim League and Pakistan Movement, after the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the minority Hindus migrated to India while the Muslims refugees from India settled down in the Shikarpur District. The population of Shikarpur is estimated to be 225,000 in 2011, there are significant Urdu, Baloch, Brahui, speaking communities in Shikarpur. The population is mainly Muslim with Sunni majority and significant Shia minority, there is a small Hindu minority in the city as most Hindus migrated to India after independence in 1947. District Shikarpur, with an area of 2640 square kilometers, has a population of 880,000 and it is divided in four taulkas, Shikarpur, Lakhi, Garhi Yasin and Khanpur. Its borders meet with districts of Larkana, Jacobabd, Khairpur & Sukkur, two National Highways intersect in the city of Shikarpur, so it can well be termed as, one of the junction points of the four provinces. District Shikarpur has a road length of 920.0 kilometers. It is, thus, deficient in road density compared with recognized international parameters of development, basically, agrarian economy of district Shikarpur is dependent upon non-perennial irrigation system, so the district is always in semi-drought conditions. The last spell of drought is particularly notable as it created heavy unemployment and unsustainable poverty, the District is bounded on the north and east by Jacobabad District in the south by Sukkur District on the west by Indus River and Larkana District. The town consists of eight gates and one window named Lakhi-dar, Hathi-dar, Hazari-dar, Civi-dar, Karan-dar, Wagono-dar, Khanpur-dar, Naushero-dar, located in the center of the old city, Dhak Bazaar or covered market is a long, narrow street with shops on both sides. It is covered with woodwork of pure teak and this served as a cool shade during the hot summers. Shikarpur along with other cities like Bukhara, Samarkand. There are several clinics and hospitals in Shikarpur, rai Bahadur Udhaudas Tarachand Hospital, Hiranand Gangabai Ladies Hospital and Christian ladies hospital and the Civil Hospital are located in Shikarpur. There are many schools and colleges in Shikarpur, shah Abdul Latif University has a campus in Shikarpur. Markovits, Claude The Global World of Indian Merchants 1750-1947 Traders of Sind from Bukhara to Panama, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press,2004, pp. 65–217
8.
Lahore Fort
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The Lahore Fort, is a citadel in the city of Lahore, Pakistan. The fortress is located at the end of Lahores Walled City. It contains 21 notable monuments, some of which date to the era of Emperor Akbar, the Lahore Fort is notable for having been almost entirely rebuilt in the 17th century, when the Mughal Empire was at the height of its splendour and opulence. Though the site of the Lahore Fort has been inhabited for millennia, the foundations of the modern Lahore Fort date to 1566 during the reign of Emperor Akbar, who bestowed the fort with an architectural style that featured Hindu motifs. After the fall of the Mughal Empire, the Lahore Fort was used as the residence of Ranjit Singh, the fort then passed to British colonialists after they annexed Punjab following their victory over the Sikhs at the Battle of Gujrat in February 1849. In 1981, the fort was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its repertoire of Mughal monuments dating from the era when the empire was at its artistic and aesthetic zenith. The fort is located in the part of Lahores old walled city. The forts Alamgiri gate is part of an ensemble of buildings, which along with the Badshahi Mosque, Roshnai Gate, the Minar-e-Pakistan and Iqbal Park are adjacent to the northern boundary of the fort. Though the site is known to have inhabited for millennia. The first historical reference to a fort at the site is from the 1th century during the rule of Mahmud of Ghazni, the fort was made of mud, and was destroyed in 1241 by the Mongols during their invasion of Lahore. A new fort was constructed in 1267 at the site by Sultan Balban of the Turkic Mamluk dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. The present design and structure of the fort traces its origins to 1575, lofty palaces were built over time, along with lush gardens. Notable Akbar period structures included the Doulat Khana-e-Khas-o-Am, Jharoka-e-Darshan, many Akbari structures were modified or replaced by subsequent rulers. Emperor Jahangir first mentions his alterations to the fort in 1612 when describing the Maktab Khana, Jahangir also added the Kala Burj pavilion, which features European-inspired angels on its vaulted ceiling. British visitors to the fort noted Christian iconography during the Jahangir period, with paintings of the Madonna, in 1606, Guru Arjan of the Sikh faith was imprisoned at the fort before his death. Jahangir bestowed the massive Picture Wall, a 1,450 feet by 50 feet wall which is decorated with a vibrant array of glazed tile, faience mosaics. The Mosque of Mariyam Zamani Begum was built adjacent to the eastern walls during the reign of Jahangir. While the mosque served as a Friday congregational mosque for members of the Royal Court, it was not financed by Jahangir
9.
Rohtas Fort
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Rohtas Fort is a historical garrison fort located near the city of Jhelum in Punjab, Pakistan. It was built under Afghan king Sher Shah Suri, to subdue the tribes of the northern Punjab region. This fort is about 4 km in circumference, the Rohtas Fort was built to crush the local Ghakhar tribes of Potohar, who rebelled against the Sur dynasty after the Mughal emperor Humayun was ousted by the former. It took eight years to build the fort, it was captured by Mughal emperor Humayun in 1555, nadir Shah, the Turkic ruler of Persia, Afghan ruler Ahmed Shah Abdali and the Maratha army also camped here during their respective campaigns in the Punjab region. Rohtas was also used for administrative purposes by the Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh after he captured it in 1825. The Fort was commissioned by Afghan king, Sher Shah Suri, and was constructed to block Humayuns return to India, the fort lies on the historic GT road between the mountainous region of Afghanistan and the plains of Punjab. The reason for its construction was to suppress the local tribes of the Potohar region and these local tribes were subservient to the Mughal Empire but they refused their allegiance to Sher Shah Suri. Sher Shah had the fort constructed to crush the rebel tribes. It was captured by Mughal emperor Humayun in 1555, the fort lies eight kilometers south to the present Grand Trunk Road near Dina City within the mountainous region of Jhelum, Pakistani Punjab. The old and historic Shahrah-e-Azam also passes adjacent to the northern wall of the fort, remains of which still visible on ground in the shape of pavements. Qila Rohtas is situated in a gorge approximately 16 km NW of Jhelum and 9 km from Dina and it was constructed on a hillock where the tiny rainy Kahan river meets another rainy stream called Parnal Khas and turns east towards Tilla Jogian Range. The fort is about 300 feet above its surroundings and it is 2,660 feet above sea level and covers an area of 12.63 acres. Qila Rohtas is a fort and could hold a force of up to 30,000 men. Due to its location, massive walls, trap gates and 3 Baolis it could withstand a major siege although it was never besieged, most of the fort was built with ashlar stones collected from its surrounding villages such as Tarraki village. Some parts of the fort were built with bricks, the fort is irregular in shape and follows the contours of the hill it was constructed on. The fort is exactly 5.2 km in circumference, a 533 metre long wall divides the citadel from other parts of the fort. The fortification has 68 bastions at irregular intervals, out of the 3 Baolis, one of them is in the citadel and the rest are in the other parts of the fort. One of the Gates opens into the citadel and is a trap gate because it is in the line of fire of the bastions
10.
Shalimar Gardens, Lahore
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The Shalimar Gardens, sometimes spelled Shalamar Gardens, is a Mughal garden complex located in Lahore, capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab. Construction of the began in 1637 C. E. during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan. The Shalimar Gardens were laid out as a Persian paradise garden, the gardens measure 658 metres by 258 metres, and cover an area of 16 hectares east of Lahores Walled City. The gardens are enclosed by a wall that is famous for its intricate fretwork. In 1981 the Shalimar Gardens were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as they embody Mughal garden design at the apogee of its development, the gardens date from the period when the Mughal Empire was at its artistic and aesthetic zenith. The Shalimar Gardens are located near Baghbanpura along the Grand Trunk Road some 5 kilometers northeast of the main Lahore city, Lahores Shalimar Gardens were influenced by the older Shalimar Gardens in Kashmir that were built by Shah Jahans father, Emperor Jahangir. Shah Jahan was involved in construction of the gardens in Kashmir, the most correct etymology of Shalimars name is Arabic or, more precisely, Arabic-Persian. This etymology has been proposed by the Russian scholar Anna Suvorova who derives the name from the Arabic expression shah al-‘imarat. It should be kept in mind that the word ‘imarat’ was historically used for park architecture, the project management was carried out under the superintendence of Khalilullah Khan, a noble of Shah Jahans court, in cooperation with Ali Mardan Khan and Mulla Alaul Maulk Tuni. The etymology of the word Shalimar is unknown, the site of the Shalimar Gardens originally belonged to the Arain Mian Family Baghbanpura. The family was given the royal title of Mian by the Mughal Emperor, for its services to the Empire. In return, Shah Jahan granted the Arain Mian family governance of the Shalimar Gardens, the Shalimar Gardens remained under the custodianship of this family for more than 350 years. In 1962, the Shalimar Gardens were nationalised by General Ayub khan because leading Arain Mian family members had opposed his imposition of law in Pakistan. The Mela Chiraghan festival used to place in the Gardens. The gardens have been out from south to north in three levels of terraces, with levels spaced by 4–5 metres above the other, descending from south to north. The Shalimar Gardens are laid out in the form of a parallelogram, surrounded by a high brick wall. This garden was made on the concept of a Persian paradise garden, the gardens measure 658 meters north to south and 258 meters east to west. The surrounding area is rendered cooler by the flowing of the fountains, the distribution of the fountains is as follows, The upper level terrace has 105 fountains
11.
Taxila
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The town lies 549 metres above sea level. It is the headquarters of the Taxila Tehsil in the Rawalpindi district, ancient Taxila was situated at the pivotal junction of South Asia and Central Asia. The origin of Taxila as a city back to c.1000 BCE. Some ruins at Taxila date to the time of the Achaemenid Empire in the 6th century BCE, followed successively by Mauryan Empire, Indo-Greek, Indo-Scythian, owing to its strategic location, Taxila has changed hands many times over the centuries, with many empires vying for its control. When the great ancient trade routes connecting these regions ceased to be important, the renowned archaeologist Sir Alexander Cunningham rediscovered the ruins of Taxila in the mid-19th century. In 1980, Taxila was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in 2006 it was ranked as the top tourist destination in Pakistan by The Guardian newspaper. By some accounts, Taxila was considered to be one of the earliest universities in the world, Hindu mythology has it that Taxila derived its name from Takṣa, who was the son of Bharata, the brother of the Hindu deity Rama. Takṣas kingdom was called Takṣa Khanda and its capital that he founded was named Taxila, as per another version, Takshaka was one of the Nagas mentioned in the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Traditionally, it is believed that the Mahabharata was first recited at Taxila by Vaisampayana, student of Vyasa at the behest of the seer Vyasa himself, scattered references in historical works indicated that Taxila may have dated back to at least the 8th century BCE. Historically, Taxila lay at the crossroads of three ancient trade routes. Owing to this location, Taxila has changed hands many times over the centuries. Archaeological excavations later showed that the city may have grown significantly during the Achaemenid Empire of the 6th century BCE, in 516 BC, Darius I embarked on a campaign to Central Asia, Ariana and Bactria and then marched into Afghanistan to Hindush in modern Pakistan. Darius spent the winter of 516-515 BCE in Gandhara, preparing to conquer the Indus Valley, Darius conquered the Indus in 515 BCE. He controlled the Indus Valley from Gandhara to modern Karachi and appointed the Greek Scylax of Caryanda to explore the Indian Ocean from the mouth of the Indus to the Suez, Darius then marched through the Bolan Pass and returned through Arachosia and Drangiana back to Persia. Taxila is also described in detail in the Buddhist Jataka tales. The Jataka literature mentions it as the capital of the kingdom of Gandhara, Greek invaders arrived during the 4th century BCE. According to Joseph Needham, When the men of Alexander the Great came to Taxila. In about the 1st century BCE or 1st century CE, an Indo-Scythian king named Azilises had three mints, one of which was at Taxila, and struck coins with legends in Greek
12.
Chauburji
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Chauburji is Mughal era monument in the city of Lahore, capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab. The name Chauburji, which translates as four towers was likely given by later generations, the establishment of this garden is often attributed to Mughal Princess Zeb-un-Nisa, who is believed to be referenced in an inscription naming her Sahib-e-Zebinda Begam-e-Dauran. The garden for which Chauburji acted as a no longer exists, and the structure is now located in a grassy roundabout at the busy intersection of Lahores Multan Road. The Mughal garden is believed to have extended from Nawankot in the south, flooding from the Ravi river is believed have destroyed most of the garden during the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb. No traces of the expansive garden survive aside from the Chauburji gate. Chauburji is built in a style that blends Mughal architecture, the older Timurid-style. Its distinguishing features are the minarets which greatly widen at the top - a unique feature not present anywhere in the sub-continent, some, however, believe that there were cupolas upon these minarets which collapsed with the passage of time. The eastern and western facades of the structure are decorated by two-storey Timurid-style iwans flanked by two levels of alcoves in a typical of the Shah Jehan period of Mughal architecture. The building was covered in intricate blue and green kashi kari tile work. The iwans are embellished with muqarnas, which were first introduced into the Mughal Empire from Persia with construction of Lahores Wazir Khan Mosque. Although most of the inscriptions on Chauburjia have been lost, on the upper-most part of the construction Ayat-ul-Kursi can be seen in Arabic script in blue and it has been suggested that the Charminar of Hyderabad, India influenced the architecture of Chauburji. During a severe earthquake in 1843, the north-western minaret collapsed and this has however been restored as much as was reasonably possible and the gateway now looks quite as it might have been during the time of its Mughal patroness. The restoration was carried out by the Department of Archeology in the late 1960s, Chauburji is listed on the Protected Heritage Monuments of the Archaeology Department of Punjab. The Chauburji monument is situated along the route of the Orange Line of the Lahore Metro. Islamic Architecture Char Minar Our Own Char Minar by Daniyal Saleem Gilani Watch Chauburji in 3D by using Google Earth
Media related to Derawar Fort at Wikimedia Commons
