Lahore is the second largest city in Pakistan with a population of roughly 8.5 million. The traditional capital of Punjab for a thousand years, it had been the cultural center of Northern India extending from Peshawar to New Delhi.
This preeminent position it holds in Pakistan as well. The people of Lahore, when they want to emphasize the uniqueness of their town say “Lahore, Lahore aye” (”Lahore is Lahore”). Lahore is the city of poets, artists and the center of film industry. It has the largest number of educational institutions in the country and some of the finest gardens in the continent.
Apart from being the cultural and academic centre of the country, Lahore is the showcase for Mughal architecture in Pakistan. For more than 200 years, beginning from about 1524 AD, Lahore was a thriving cultural centre of the great Mughal Empire. Mughal Emperors beautified Lahore, with palaces, gardens and mosques.
The original citadel city is situated one mile to the south of the river Ravi. The walls of the city, when they were still standing, gave it a shape of a parallelogram. The total area inside the walls encompassed roughly 461 acres of land. The city is slightly elevated above the plain, and has a high ridge within it, running east and west on its northern side. The whole of this elevated ground is composed of the accumulated debris of many centuries.
The origins of Lahore are shrouded in the mists of antiquity but Lahore is undoubtedly ancient. Legend has it that it was founded about 4,000 years ago by Loh, son of Rama, the hero of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. Reminiscence of its hoary past are the remains of a subterranean temple attributed to Rama, in the northern part of the Royal Fort. Historically, it has been proved that Lahore is at least 2,000 years old.
Hieun-tasng, the famous Chinese pilgrim has given a vivid description of Lahore which he visited in the early parts of the 7th century AD. Lying on the main trade and invasion routes to South Asia, Lahore has been ruled and plundered by a number of 
dynasties and hordes. Muslim rule began here when Qutub-ud-din Aibak was crowned in Lahore in 1206 and thus became the first Muslim Sultan of the subcontinent. It waxed and waned in importance during the Sultanate.
However, it touched the zenith of its glory during the Mughal rule from 1524 to 1752. The Mughals, who were famous as builders, gave Lahore some of its finest architectural monuments, many of which are extinct today.
It was Akbar’s capital for 14 years from 1584 to 1598. He built the massive Lahore Fort on the foundations of a previous fort and enclosed the city within a red brick wall boasting 12 gates. Jahangir and Shah Jahan (who was born in Lahore) extended the fort, built palaces and tombs, and laid out gardens.
Jahangir loved the city and he and his wife Noor Jahan are buried at Shahdara. Aurangzeb (1658-1707), gave Lahore its most famous monument, the Badshahi Masjid (Royal Mosque) and the Alamgiri gateway to the fort.
During the eighteenth century, as Mughal power dwindled, there were constant invasions. Lahore was a suba, a province of the Empire, governed by provincial rulers with their own court. These governors managed as best they could though for much of the time it must have been a rather thankless task to even attempt. The 1740s were years of chaos and between 1745 and 1756 there were nine changes of governors. Invasions and chaos in local government allowed bands of warring Sikhs to gain control in some areas.
Lahore ended up being ruled by a triumvirate of Sikhs of dubious character and the population of the city invited Ranjit Singh to invade. He took the city in 1799. Holding the capital gave him enough legitimacy to proclaim himself the Emperor. Descriptions of Lahore during the early 19th century refer to it as a “melancholy picture of fallen splendor.”
The British, following their invasion of Lahore in 1849, added a great many buildings in “Mughal-Gothic” style as well as bungalows and gardens (see ATP post on Lawrence Gardens). Early on, the British tended to build workaday structures in sites like the Fort, though later they did start to make an effort to preserve some ancient buildings. The Lahore Cantonment, the British residential district of wide, tree-lined streets and white bungalows set in large, shaded gardens, is the prettiest cantonment in Pakistan. Since Independence in 1947, Lahore has expanded rapidly as the capital of Pakistani Punjab.
Today, Lahore can be best described as a city that is just so wonderful, so very fabulous, that every nook and corner of the city speaks of a certain vibrance, a certain zeal, a spirit of life, which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Perhaps it is the maturity of the city, which manifests itself in the various parts of Lahore. It is present in the monuments, in the bazaars, in the old buildings lining the Mall, or in the vast expanses of the sports grounds in the Cantonment. But most vividly, this great Lahori spirit is visible in the people of Lahore, the Zinda dilan-e-Lahore.
Lahore is a city of culture, of history, of an unrivaled charm that sets it apart from every other city on earth. It seems that great Lahori spirit has invaded and saturated this city over the centuries, to the effect that Lahore today is not just a city, not just a place in one corner of this planet, but a whole universe in itself. There is an old saying, that in every Lahori, there is a Mughal prince.
The description of the pure Lahori spirit conveniently evades the mind, adding to the mysteries of this city. At best, it can be said that this spirit pervades the citadel and the slum alike. The city has known ages of cultural, intellectual, musical, literary and humanistic evolution, which has consequently led to the fermentation and over fermentation of this rich brew we call Lahore. Few cities of the world, if indeed any, can lay claim to such a wonderful past or present.
All this makes Lahore a truly rewarding experience. The buildings, the roads, the trees and the gardens, in fact the very air of Lahore in enough to set the mind spinning in admiration. Many a poet has written about this phenomenon one experiences in the environs of Lahore. When the wind whistles through the tall trees, when the twilight floods the beautiful face of the Fort, when the silent canal lights up to herald the end of another chapter in history, the Ravi is absorbed in harmony, mist fills the ancient streets, and the havelis come alive with strains of classical music, the spirit of Lahore pervades even the hardiest of souls.
Raza Noor has a passion for exploring the history of Lahore, which he does on his dedicated Lahore website and also on Metroblogging Lahore.
good point. there was the whole ‘Pak Tea House’ crowd that exemplified the very best of Pakistans intelligencia
Interesting. I have been away from ATP for a bit. (Consider it my Summer Vacation)
Interesting that no one really got into (except for mentions of Faiz) into what I find the most fascinating legacy of Lahore: it’s tradition of Leftist and Progressive (Tharaqqi Pasandh) thought. Faiz, Sahir (”Aik shehenShah nay dhaulath ka sahara lay kar; hum ghareebon kee muhabbath ka uRaaya hai mazaaq!” was written in Lahore and first read at a Government College Lahore function, if I remember correctly), even Iqbal (”Sulthani-e-Jamhoor ka athaa hai zamaana…”) amongst the poets. A line of leaders from and through Bhagat Singh (after all Lahore was the capital of Punjab) through the Khaksaar’s actions there …
A Karachiite Who’s Always had a Crush on Lahore, so to speak
ths is one of the most interesting discussions on pakistani politicians i have heard. Dr. najam, you shoudl do some survey or analysis as is suggested here. it will be great to see. but what i really find interesting is that we are discussing politicins as a large category and not just nawaz sharif and benazir and musharraf and bhutto. the rand-and-file politicians have some very good people too who never get celebrated
@ Aziz jee,
Wonderful comments!!
I also agree with these variables and if we substitute “incorruptibility” with honesty. I also want to add another variable with your permission “commitment and dedication” imbued with ideology and betterment of people.
@ Adil saeen,
I think we have examples of politicians who had “husn” but avoided “nazakat” like Muhammad Khan Junejo, Ghulam Hyder Wyne.
Thanks for mentioning Fakhar Imam here and i want to share one of his decisions which i think may be quoted as case study of democratic norms. He was serving as a federal minister and he contested for Chairman District Council Multan in which he was defeated. He resigned as a minister after losing the local government election. He was of the view that he should not be serving a public portfolio at federal level, when the public had rejected him at local level.
Regarding the domicile and state of mind issue. I think majority of our politicians have Pindiwaals (not the people of Rawalpindi) state of mind. While the other cities are given a little chance to develop the indigenous leadership from bottom to top.
You are right, Adil, consistency by itself is no virtue. One can manage to be consistently wrong. Probably “loyalty to one’s beliefs and convictions” would be closer to what I had in mind.
You have a valid point on the corruptibility factor. However, I have difficulty with the ‘compromise’ factor. By compromising on one’s convictions and basic principles one might be able to temporarily “rise in politics” or become a successful politician but will never qualify to be a great politician.
Maybe, we could devise a “performance appraisal” questionaire with variables and a scale of values and carry out a survey on Pakistani politicians on your blog!
The question of ‘Who is a Lahori’ is a very intersting one.
My glib answer is that ‘Lahori’ is a state of mind, not a domicile. So, yes, Noor Jahan, Faiz and Imran are all Lahoris.
But I think the real answer is that it is not for us to judge, If you believe you are a Lahori, then you are (same is true for Karachiwallahs or Kasuris or Pindiwaals too).
My gut sense is that Faiz saab, Imran and Noor Jahan would all acknowledge that there is a bit of Lahore in them. If so, they are Lahoris in my book.
P.S. being a Lahori does not require exclusivity. Faiz Sahib is no less of Sialkot than he is of Lahore…. or, for that matter, of Beirut where he spent significant time.
Aziz Saab. very intersting variables. One could probably make an interesting research project out of this. 5 is problematic for me because consistency may be over-rated (I don’t want someone who is consistent in his follies), but I think I know the intent of that category. On incorrptibility I would only add that they should have had a chance to be corrupt (it is easy to not be corrupt if you have never had the opportunity!…. ‘khuda jab husn daita hai, nazakat aa he jati hai”
If we could do a sliding scale on each one of them (say, 1 to 5) and then a cumilative assessment across all and ran it on a database of Pakistani politicians we may actually find interesting results. My guess is that we will find that we have actually had a lot of ‘middlingly good’ politicians… people like Aitizaz or Meraj Khalid or Fakhar Imam, who do fairly (but not exceedingly) well on a number of these variables… and also that the real price of rising in politics is one’s ability to compromise of 5,6, and 7. Sorry for being in a down mood today!
Adil, thanks for a comprehensive and very informative response. (I didn’t know Ranjeet Singh was from Gujranwala. The Gujranwalans should be proud of their distinguished son. Are they?)
You are right, the word “great” has a value judgment, particularly when applied to politicians, It is not easy to measure it objectively. It is far more easier to use this adjective for, say, sportsmen (high scores), scientists (new discoveries), and poets (lasting impact and popularity). But how do you judge a politician? I had a few things in mind (either one or more to varying degrees):
1. charisma (wide appeal)
2. Ability to communicate
3. Vision
4. Brilliance (intelligence)
5. intellectual integrity (consistency)
6. incorruptibility
7. Courage
For example, in the case of Jinnah (it is always safer to use Jinnah as an example!) 1,3,4,5 and 6 were more conspicuous and recognized qualities. ZAB was known for 1,2,4 and 7 while the NAP or ANP leaders of the Frontier were known for 5 and 6. On many of the current leaders the jury is still out.
Perhaps we can assign a weight to each of these qualities, come up with an empirical scale, and then apply it to Pakistani politicians. It will make an interesting academic exercise.
Another question that comes to mind after reading your response is what makes a person true Lahori? Were Iqbal and Faiz Lahori or Sialkoti? Was Noor Jahan a Lahori or Qasuri? Is Imran Khan a Lahori or Mianwali?