Hunting grounds were an important part of the physical environment of Mughal emperors. The place where the town stands today was one of Jahangir’s (Prince Salim) princely dominions during his father Akbar’s reign.
The town was founded by Jahangir, near village Sahu Malli, during his rule in 1607. The king declared the barren jungles adjoining the place as royal hunting ground. After the death of king’s darling deer Mans Raj, this hunting ground was changed into a protected sanctuary and hunting was prohibited.
In the memory of his favourite antelope, the king also constructed an octagonal tower in 1607 at the foot of the grave of the deer and in 1620 a square lake like pond and Baradari were added to the monument.
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IN MEMORY OF A ROYAL DEER
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by S. A. J. Shirazi
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Jahangir Abad turned Sheikhupura is situated in Ravi-Chenab corridor and fast turning from a market agricultural town to an industrial city. Adjacent to Lahore, the town is surrounded by old places like Sangla Hill (old Sakala), Nankana Sahib (birth place of Baba Guru Nanak) and Jandiala Sher Khan (last resting place of Waris Shah).
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Hunting grounds were an important part of the physical environment of Mughal emperors. The place where the town stands today was one of Jahangir’s (Prince Salim) princely dominions during his father Akbar’s reign. The town was founded by Jahangir, near village Sahu Malli, during his rule in 1607. The king declared the barren jungles adjoining the place as royal hunting ground.
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After the death of king’s darling deer Mans Raj, this hunting ground was changed into a protected sanctuary and hunting was prohibited. In the memory of his favourite antelope, the king also constructed an octagonal tower in 1607 at the foot of the grave of the deer. In 1620, a square lake like pond and Baradari was added to the monument. A causeway with its own gateway connects the pavilion with the mainland and minaret. At the centre of each side of the tank, a brick ramp slopes down to the water that used to provide access for royal animals and wild game. Later he conferred the entire area upon Sikandar Moin.
A special feature of Hiran Minar is its location and environment: the top of the Minar is perhaps the best place in the province of Punjab to get a feel for the broader landscape and its relationship to a Mughal site. Looking north from the top of the Minar, one can see a patch of forest which is similar to the scrub forest vegetation of Mughal times, while to the west are extensively-irrigated fields, a product of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, but similar in size and appearance to the well-irrigated fields of the Mughal period. The Lower Chenab Canal has turned the land into one of the most fertile area in the country now.
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Maharani Jind Kaur (some time called Rani Jindaan), who was described by Lord Dalhousie as the only woman in the Punjab with manly understanding and in whom the British Resident foresaw a rallying point for the well-wishers of the Sikh dynasty, was kept under close surveillance in Sheikhupura Fort. Henry Lawrence laid down that she could not receive in audience more than five or six sardars in a month and that she remain in purdah like the ladies of the royal families of Nepal, Jodhpur and Jaipur.
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Maharani Jind Kaur was later exiled from the Punjab. She was taken to Firozpur and then to Banaras. Her annual allowance, which according to the treaty of Bharoval had been fixed at one and a half lakh of rupees, was reduced to twelve thousand. Her jewellery worth fifty thousand of rupees was forfeited; so was her cash amounting to a lakh and a half. The humiliating treatment of the Maharani caused deep resentment among the people of the Punjab. Even the Muslim ruler of Afghanistan, Amir Dost Muhammad, protested to the British, saying that such treatment is objectionable to all creeds.”
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Old Rai Pur and now famous Nanakana Sahib, the birth place of Guru Nanak and last resting place of Waris Shah in Jandiala Sher khan are also claims of Sheikhupura to international fame. Gazetteer of the district written by British reads, Nanakana Sahib was then in the heart of jungle thirty miles from the nearest railway station and on the anniversary of the Guru’s birth was visited by a few hundred pious pilgrims. These days much more Sikhs from all over the world visit the birth place of Baba Nanak.
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Despite being near Lahore, the town has not developed and all the civic facilities are over burdened. Over crowding, population increase, litter, and power outages have all played a part in turning small hamlet into a teeming sprawling slum. Mughal King who founded it would not be able to recognize the town if he comes back. There are no sufficient healthy recreations in town and people of Sheikhupura go to Lahore to have an eating experience at Food Street, for celebrating basant bash or for other recreations.
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The main road that passes through the town was once landscaped on both sides. Now the landscape and green strips along the road have vanished. The bifurcation railing in the middle of the road has broken down at places and people have made crossing points there. Completion of Jinnah Park was very festive for the residents of Sheikhupura but now it gives a repulsive look rather than that of a recreational place. On entering the gate one realizes that the park is not being maintained. Result: polythene bags and wrappers are scattered every where, the grass has not been mowed, there are no flowers, and benches are broken and dusty. A rehriwalla who sells ‘Dahi Bhallay’ in front of the park says, “I used to do much better business when the park was newly completed but now no body comes here.”
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The main attraction of the town is a Hiran Minar Complex. Aside from common visitors, foreign dignitaries, guests of the federal or the provincial governments, who visit Lahore, are sometimes taken to Hiran Minar in Sheikhupura for a short break. It is also on the schedules of some tourist operators. But the monument is not being maintained properly and local population is not benefiting from it. Given proper care, it could be turned into a real restful facility for locals as well as for our guests from abroad.
What Sheikhupura really needs is: an identity, completion and commissioning of bypass, some grass in Jinnah Park and along the road and development of Hiran Minar.
S A J Shirazi is a Lahore based writer, blogger and speaker. Shirazi has authored two books (Izhar, Ret Pe Tehreer) and translated Din Mein Charagh by Abbas Khan into Light Within.
Source: Text , Images Top to bottom: 1 (Title pic) ,2, 3, 4, 5
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Wow…this is nice 🙂
Nay. Not fair. You have not shown a word on Hiran Minar and you ask for comments demanding private information like email ….
@Sunamwal, What do you mean by not “a word on Hiran Minar”. FYI there are more than 1600 words in the post & they are all on Hiran Minar. As far asking for an email from a reader to comment: This is a normal procedure & its just meant to ascertain that the commenter is a human, not a machine. Its done to avoid mails and comments which in computer jargon are called “spam” i.e. unwanted emails. Anyway you are freee to comment or not to, there is no compulsion about it.
I have since found the 1600 words on Hiran Minar. Lucid writing. Research based. Informative. You write like Major Shirazi @ Friday Times. Kind regards from a human being, not a spam-being.
Am happy that you liked the post after having read all the +1600 words on Hiran Minar. BTW, I do not read Friday Times except when I find something of interest there from the internet, therefore, I’ve no knowledge of this Maj. Shirazi.
The writer S. A. J Sihrazi is a fellow blogger who frequently writes on history and heritage of Pakistan.
Hiran Minar is a famous landmark constructed by an equally famous Mughal emperor of the sub-continent. Situated in Sheikhupura, not very far from Lahore, its a remarkable construction with an impressive architectural style.
ZIA ULLAH TAHIR, 0344-5878687.
my faverit place.
Nice description…
Isn’t there any other place in Sheikhupura to visit besides Hiran Minar??? I’m planning to spend a weekend in Sheikhupura.
·Ya, Jamal! Sheikhupura offers 2 more places to be visited. One is the historic Sheikupura Fort and the other one is the shrine of Hazrat Syed Waris Shah, the doyen of Punjabi poets, popularly known as the Shakespeare of Punjab. The latter though is not within the precincts of the Sheikhuua city but at a distance of 15 kilometers. The place is called Jandiala Sher Khan.
i wanted to read a story like why did he made a Minar for just a pet or how did his pet died and something like that …!!!
very informative
Wonderful and informative essay about my birth place.
Hello,
I am a student in tourism management in Belgium and for my french lesson I have to present a monument and I choose the Hiran Minar. I would like to know if you can tell me the basic information about it in simple english (because I have to translate it in french afterwards)
Thank you for replying me as soon as possible.