100 monuments at Lahore Fort date back to Sikh empire, says researcher
A US-based researcher has identified some 100 monuments at the Lahore Fort from the era of the Sikh empire (1799-1849) detailing its historical significance. Of the monuments, 30 do not exist today.
To provide a comprehensive understanding of the fort and its historical significance during the Sikh empire, the Walled City of Lahore Authority, a government body, has engaged Dr Tarunjit Singh Butalia to write a tour guidebook. “The fort, a sentimental monument deeply ingrained in the Sikh psyche, served as the seat of power for the Sikh empire for nearly half a century. It holds a special place in my heart, as my ancestors held esteemed positions within the Sikh court as per Umdat ut Tawarikh — the Persian records of the court,” Dr Butalia said today.
“It is very important for Sikhs in India to recognise that the Partition in 1947 divided Sikh heritage and places of worship into two parts of the world. For a very long time, Sikhs in India were cut off from their historical sites in Pakistan,” he said.
Map compiled
US-based researcher Dr Tarunjit Singh Butalia said he had compiled a comprehensive map of the fort as it stood during the Sikh empire along with an index of monuments. The index covers approximately 100 monuments, each identified by its Sikh-era name and detailing its historical significance.
Things have changed now with visa liberalisation and the presence of a large number of diaspora Sikhs settled in western countries who are able to visit Pakistan, he said.
The fort’s rich Mughal history, dating back to the 16th century when emperor Akbar first constructed it, forms the cornerstone of its importance. Furthermore, the fort’s documented Sikh involvement for half a century adds another layer to its historical narrative.
The expansive fort, constructed upon a mud fort by Mughal emperors Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, was acquired by the Sikh empire in 1799 and remained under their control until 1849 when the British empire transformed it into an army garrison. Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Maharaja Kharak Singh, Kanwar Naunihal Singh and Maharaja Sher Singh preserved many of the fort’s structures and constructed several new ones.
“I secured over 20 meticulously crafted maps and sketches of the fort and its surrounding walled city, dating back to 1825,” he said, also crediting the Panjab Digital Library in Chandigarh for his research.
