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Lahore

Lahore (/ləˈhɔːr/ lə-HOR; Punjabi: لہور [ˈlɔ̀ːɾə̆]; Urdu: لاہور [laːˈɦɔːɾ] (listen)) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. Lahore is one of Pakistan's major industrial and economic hubs, with an estimated GDP (PPP) of $84 billion as of 2019.[12][13] It is the largest city as well as the historic capital and cultural centre of the wider Punjab region,[14][15][16][17] and is one of Pakistan's most socially liberal,[18] progressive,[19] and cosmopolitan cities.[20] It is situated in the north-east of the country, close to the International border with India.

Lahore
  • لہور
  • لاہور
Nickname(s): 
The Heart of Pakistan,[1] Paris of the East,[2] City of Gardens,[3] City of Literature (by UNESCO)[4]
Lahore
Location within Pakistan
Lahore
Location within Punjab
Lahore
Lahore (Pakistan)
Lahore
Lahore (Asia)
Coordinates: 31°32′59″N 74°20′37″E / 31.54972°N 74.34361°E / 31.54972; 74.34361Coordinates: 31°32′59″N 74°20′37″E / 31.54972°N 74.34361°E / 31.54972; 74.34361
Country Pakistan
Province Punjab
DivisionLahore
DistrictLahore
Zones10
Government
 • TypeMetropolitan corporation
 • MayorNone (Vacant)[5]
 • Deputy Mayors9 Zonal Mayors
 • CommissionerMuhammad Usman[6]
 • Deputy CommissionerUmar Sher Chatha[7]
Area
 • Total1,772 km2 (684 sq mi)
 • Rank2nd
Elevation
217 m (712 ft)
Population
 • Total11,126,285
 • Rank2nd (Pakistan); 26th (World)
 • Density6,300/km2 (16,000/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Lahori,[10] Lahorite
Time zoneUTC+5 (PKT)
Postal code
54000
Dialing code042[11]
GDP/PPP$84 billion (2019)[12][13]
 - Per capita$7,550
Websitelahore.punjab.gov.pk

Lahore's origins reach into antiquity. The city has been inhabited for at least two millennia, although it rose to prominence in the 10th century.[21] Lahore was the capital of multiple empires throughout its history, including the Hindu Shahis, Ghaznavids, and Delhi Sultanate in the medieval era. Lahore reached the height of its splendor under the Mughal Empire between the late 16th and early 18th century and served as its capital city for many years. The city was captured by the forces of the Afsharid ruler Nader Shah in 1739. Although the Mughal authority was re-established, it fell into a period of decay while being contested among the Afghans and the Sikhs between 1748 and 1798. Lahore eventually became the capital of the Sikh Empire in the early 19th century, regaining some of its lost grandeur.[22] Lahore was annexed to the British Raj in 1849 and became the capital of British Punjab.[23] Lahore was central to the independence movements of both India and Pakistan, with the city being the site of both the declaration of Indian Independence and the resolution calling for the establishment of Pakistan. It experienced some of the worst riotings during the Partition period preceding Pakistan's independence.[24] Following the success of the Pakistan Movement and the subsequent partition of British India in 1947, Lahore was declared the capital of Pakistan's Punjab province.

Lahore exerts a strong cultural influence over Pakistan.[14] A UNESCO City of Literature and major center for Pakistan's publishing industry, Lahore remains the foremost center of Pakistan's literary scene. The city is also a major centre of education in Pakistan,[25] with some of Pakistan's leading universities based in the city.[26] For many years, Lahore was home to Pakistan's film industry, Lollywood, though in recent years most filming has shifted to Karachi. Lahore is a major centre of Qawwali music.[27] The city also hosts much of Pakistan's tourist industry,[27][28] with major attractions including the Walled City, the famous Badshahi and Wazir Khan mosques, as well as several Sikh and Sufi shrines. Lahore is also home to the Lahore Fort and Shalimar Gardens, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.[28]

Etymology

The origin of Lahore's name is unclear. Lahore's name has been variously recorded by early Muslim historians as Luhawar, Lūhār, and Rahwar.[29] The Iranian polymath and geographer, Abu Rayhan Al-Biruni, referred to the city as Luhāwar in his 11th century work, Qanun,[29] while the poet Amir Khusrow, who lived during the Delhi Sultanate period, recorded the city's name as Lāhanūr.[30] Yaqut al-Hamawi records the city's name as Lawhūr, mentioning that it was famously known as Lahāwar.[31] Persian historian Firishta mentions the city as Alahwar in his work, al-Ahwar being another variation.[32][33]

One theory suggests that Lahore's name is a corruption of the word Ravāwar, as R to L shifts are common in languages derived from Sanskrit.[34] Ravāwar is the simplified pronunciation of the name Iravatyāwar - a name possibly derived from the Ravi River, known as the Iravati River in the Vedas.[34][35] Another theory suggests the city's name may derive from the word Lohar, meaning "blacksmith."[36]

According to an apocryphal Hindu legend,[37][38] Lahore's name derives from Lavpur or Lavapuri ("City of Lav"),[39] and is said to have been founded by Prince Lav,[40] the son of Sita and Rama. The same account attributes the founding of nearby Kasur to his twin brother Kusha,[41] though it was actually established in the 16th century.[42]

History

Origins

 
The Lava Temple at the Lahore Fort dates from the Sikh period,[43] and is dedicated to the Hindu deity Lava

No definitive records of Lahore's earliest history exist, and Lahore's ambiguous early history has given rise to various theories about its establishment and history. Hindu legend states that Keneksen, the founder of the Great Suryavansha dynasty, migrated out from the city.[44] Early records of Lahore are scant, but Alexander the Great's historians make no mention of any city near Lahore's location during his invasion in 326 BCE, suggesting the city had not been founded by that point or was unimportant.[45]

Ptolemy mentions in his Geographia a city called Labokla situated near the Chenab and Ravi Rivers which may have been in reference to ancient Lahore, or an abandoned predecessor of the city.[46] Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang gave a vivid description of a large and prosperous unnamed city when he visited the region in 630 CE during his tour of India that may have been Lahore.[47] Xuanzang described the city, which was then under Taank rule, as a great Brahmin city.

The first document that mentions Lahore by name is the Hudud al-'Alam ("The Regions of the World"), written in 982 CE[48] in which Lahore is mentioned as a town which had "impressive temples, large markets and huge orchards."[49][50]

Lahore, previously a town first emerged as a notable city in 11th century during the era of great sufi saint Ali al-Hajvery.[51] Few other references to Lahore remain from before its capture by the Ghaznavid Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni in the 11th century. Lahore appears to have served as the capital of north-east Punjab during this time under Anandapala of the Kabul Shahi empire, who had moved the capital there from Waihind.[52] The capital would later be moved to Sialkot following Ghaznavid incursions.[47]

Medieval era

Ghaznavid

 
The Data Darbar shrine, one of Pakistan's most important, was built to commemorate the patron saint of Lahore, Ali Hujwiri, who lived in the city during the Ghaznavid era in the 11th century.

Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni captured Lahore, somewhere in 1020–1027. Under Ghaznavid rule, Lahore emerged effectively as the empire's second capital.[47] In 1021, Sultan Mahmud appointed Malik Ayaz to the Throne of Lahore—a governorship of the Ghaznavid Empire. The city was captured by Nialtigin, the rebellious Muslim Governor of Multan, in 1034, although his forces were expelled by Malik Ayaz in 1036.[53]

With the support of Sultan Ibrahim Ghaznavi, Malik Ayaz rebuilt and repopulated the city, which had been devastated after the Ghaznavid invasion. Ayaz erected city walls and a masonry fort built in 1037–1040 on the ruins of the previous one,[54] which had been demolished during the Ghaznavid invasion. A confederation of Hindu princes then unsuccessfully laid siege to Lahore in 1043-44 during Ayaz' rule.[47] The city became a cultural and academic centre, renowned for poetry under Malik Ayaz' reign.[55][56]

Lahore was formally made the eastern capital of the Ghaznavid empire in 1152,[22] under the reign of Khusrau Shah.[57] The city then became the sole capital of the Ghaznavid empire in 1163 after the fall of Ghazni.[58] Under their patronage, poets and scholars from Kashgar, Bukhara, Samarkand, Baghdad, Nishapur, Amol and Ghazni congregated in Lahore.[59] The entire city of Lahore during the medieval Ghaznavid era was probably located west of the modern Shah Alami Bazaar, and north of the Bhatti Gate.[22]

Mamluk

In 1186, the Ghurid ruler Muhammad of Ghor captured Lahore in third successive attempt after imprisoning the last Ghaznavid ruler Khusrau Malik[47] ending Ghaznavid rule over Lahore. Lahore was made an important establishment of the Mamluk Dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate following the assassination of Muhammad of Ghor in 1206. Under the reign of Mamluk sultan Qutb ud-Din Aibak, Lahore attracted poets and scholars from Turkestan, Greater Khorasan, Persia, and Mesopotamia. Lahore at this time had more poets writing in Persian than any city in Persia or Khorasan.[60][61]

Following the death of Aibak, Lahore came to be disputed among Ghurid officers. The city first came under the control of the Governor of Multan, Nasir ad-Din Qabacha, before being briefly captured by the sultan of the Mamluks in Delhi, Iltutmish, in 1217.[47]

In an alliance with local Khokhars in 1223, Jalal al-Din Mangburni of the Khwarazmian dynasty of modern-day Uzbekistan captured Lahore after fleeing Genghis Khan's invasion of Khwarazm.[47] Jalal ad-Din's then fled from Lahore to capture the city of Uch Sharif after Iltutmish's armies re-captured Lahore in 1228.[47]

The threat of Mongol invasions and political instability in Lahore caused future Sultans to regard Delhi as a safer capital for medieval Islamic India,[62] though Delhi had before been considered a forward base, while Lahore had been widely considered to be the centre of Islamic culture in the north-eastern Punjab.[62]

Lahore came under progressively weaker central rule under Iltutmish's descendants in Delhi - to the point that governors in the city acted with great autonomy.[47] Under the rule of Kabir Khan Ayaz, Lahore was virtually independent from the Delhi Sultanate.[47] Lahore was sacked and ruined by the Mongol army in 1241.[63] Lahore governor Malik Ikhtyaruddin Qaraqash fled the Mongols,[64] while the Mongols held the city for a few years under the rule of the Mongol chief Toghrul.[62]

In 1266, Sultan Balban reconquered Lahore, but in 1287 under the Mongol ruler Temür Khan,[62] the Mongols again overran northern Punjab. Because of Mongol invasions, Lahore region had become a city on a frontier, with the region's administrative centre shifted south to Dipalpur.[47] The Mongols again invaded northern Punjab in 1298, though their advance was eventually stopped by Ulugh Khan, brother of Sultan Alauddin Khalji of Delhi.[62] The Mongols again attacked Lahore in 1305.[65]

Tughluq

Lahore briefly flourished again under the reign of Ghiyath al-Din Tughlaq (Ghazi Malik) of the Tughluq dynasty between 1320 and 1325, though the city was again sacked in 1329, by Tarmashirin of the Central Asian Chagatai Khanate, and then again by the Mongol chief Hülechü.[47] Khokhars seized Lahore in 1342,[66] but the city was retaken by Ghazi Malik's son, Muhammad bin Tughluq.[47] The weakened city then fell into obscurity and was captured once more by the Khokhars in 1394.[53] By the time Tamerlane captured the city in 1398 from Shayka Khokhar, he did not loot it because it was no more wealthy.[44]

Late Sultanates

 
The Neevin Mosque is one of Lahore's few remaining medieval era buildings.

Mongol conqueror Timur gave control of the Lahore region to Khizr Khan, Governor of Multan, who later established the Sayyid dynasty in 1414 – the fourth dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate.[67] Lahore was briefly occupied by the Timurid Governor of Kabul in 1432–33.[62] Lahore began to be incurred upon yet again the Khokhar tribe, and so the city was granted to Bahlul Lodi in 1441 by the Sayyid dynasty in Delhi, though Lodi would then displace the Sayyids in 1451 by establishing himself upon the throne of Delhi.[47]

Bahlul Lodi installed his cousin, Tatar Khan, to be governor of the city, though Tatar Khan died in battle with Sikandar Lodi in 1485.[68] Governorship of Lahore was transferred by Sikandar Lodi to Umar Khan Sarwani, who quickly left the management of this city to his son Said Khan Sarwani. Said Khan was removed from power in 1500 by Sikandar Lodi, and Lahore came under the governorship of Daulat Khan Lodi, son of Tatar Khan and former employer of Guru Nanak – founder of the Sikh faith.[68]

Mughals

 
Grave of Nur Jahan
 
Lahore's Wazir Khan Mosque is considered to be the most ornately decorated Mughal-era mosque.[69]
 
The Begum Shahi Mosque was completed in 1614 in honour of Jahangir's mother, Mariam-uz-Zamani.

Early Mughal

Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, captured and sacked Lahore and Dipalpur, although he retreated after the Lodi nobles backed away from assisting him.[70][47] The city became a refuge to Humayun and his cousin Kamran Mirza when Sher Shah Suri rose in power on the Gangetic Plains, displacing Mughal power. Sher Shah Suri continued to rise in power, and seized Lahore in 1540, though Humayun reconquered Lahore in February 1555.[47] The establishment of Mughal rule eventually led to the most prosperous era of Lahore's history.[47] Lahore's prosperity and central position has yielded more Mughal-era monuments in Lahore than either Delhi or Agra.[71]

By the time of the rule of the Mughal empire's greatest emperors, a majority of Lahore's residents did not live within the walled city itself but instead lived in suburbs that had spread outside the city's walls.[22] Only 9 of the 36 urban quarters around Lahore, known as guzars, were located within the city's walls during the Akbar period.[22] During this period, Lahore was closely tied to smaller market towns known as qasbahs, such as Kasur and Eminabad, as well as Amritsar, and Batala in modern-day India, which in turn, linked to supply chains in villages surrounding each qasbah.[22]

Akbar

Beginning in 1584, Lahore became the Mughal capital when Akbar began re-fortifying the city's ruined citadel, laying the foundations for the revival of the Lahore Fort.[22] Akbar made Lahore one of his original twelve subah provinces,[22] and in 1585–86 relegated governorship of the city and subah to Bhagwant Das, brother of Mariam-uz-Zamani, who was commonly known as Jodhabhai.[72]

Akbar also rebuilt the city's walls, and extended their perimeter east of the Shah Alami bazaar to encompass the sparsely populated Rarra Maidan.[22] The Akbari Mandi grain market was set up during this era, and continues to function until the present-day.[22] Akbar also established the Dharampura neighbourhood in the early 1580s, which survives today.[73] The earliest of Lahore's many havelis date from the Akbari era.[22] Lahore's Mughal monuments were built under Akbar's reign of several emperors,[22] and Lahore reached its cultural zenith during this period, with dozens of mosques, tombs, shrines, and urban infrastructure developed during this period.

Jahangir

During the reign of Emperor Jahangir in the early 17th century, Lahore's bazaars were noted to be vibrant, frequented by foreigners, and stocked with a wide array of goods.[22] In 1606, Jehangir's rebel son Khusrau Mirza laid siege to Lahore after obtaining the blessings of the Sikh Guru Arjan Dev.[74] Jehangir quickly defeated his son at Bhairowal, and the roots of Mughal-Sikh animosity grew.[74] Sikh Guru Arjan Dev was executed in Lahore in 1606 for his involvement in the rebellion.[75] Emperor Jahangir chose to be buried in Lahore, and his tomb was built in Lahore's Shahdara Bagh suburb in 1637 by his wife Nur Jahan, whose tomb is also nearby.

Shah Jahan

Jahangir's son, Shah Jahan reigned between 1628 and 1658 and was born in Lahore in 1592. He renovated large portions of the Lahore Fort with luxurious white marble and erected the iconic Naulakha Pavilion in 1633.[76] Shah Jahan lavished Lahore with some of its most celebrated and iconic monuments, such as the Shahi Hammam in 1635, and both the Shalimar Gardens and the extravagantly decorated Wazir Khan Mosque in 1641. The population of pre-modern Lahore probably reached its zenith during his reign, with suburban districts home to perhaps 6 times as many compared to within the Walled City.[22]

Aurangzeb

 
The iconic Alamgiri Gate of the Lahore Fort was built in 1674, and faces Aurangzeb's Badshahi Mosque.
 
Wazir Khan Mosque painting by William Carpenter, 1866.

Shah Jahan's son, and last of the great Mughal Emperors, Aurangzeb, further contributed to the development of Lahore. Aurangzeb built the Alamgiri Bund embankment along the Ravi River in 1662 in order to prevent its shifting course from threatening the city's walls.[22] The area near the embankment grew into a fashionable locality, with several pleasure gardens laid near the band by Lahore's gentry.[22] The largest of Lahore's Mughal monuments was raised during his reign, the Badshahi Mosque in 1673, as well as the iconic Alamgiri gate of the Lahore Fort in 1674.[77]

Late Mughal

 
The Sunehri Mosque was built in the Walled City of Lahore in the early 18th century, when the Mughal Empire was in decline.

Civil wars regarding succession to the Mughal throne following Aurangzeb's death in 1707 lead to weakening control over Lahore from Delhi, and a prolonged period of decline in Lahore.[78] Mughal preoccupation with the Marathas in the Deccan eventually resulted in Lahore being governed by a series of governors who pledged nominal allegiance to the ever weaker Mughal emperors in Delhi.[22]

Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah I died en route to Lahore as part of a campaign in 1711 to subdue Sikh rebels under the leadership of Banda Singh Bahadur.[47] His sons fought a battle outside Lahore in 1712 for succession to the Mughal crown, with Jahandar winning the throne.[47] Sikh rebels were defeated during the reign of Farrukhsiyar when Abd as-Samad and Zakariyya Khan suppressed them.[47]

Nader Shah's brief invasion of the Mughal Empire in early 1739 wrested control away from Zakariya Khan Bahadur. Though Khan was able to win back control after the Persian armies had left,[47] Nader Shah's invasion shifted trade routes away from Lahore, and south towards Kandahar instead.[22] Indus ports near the Arabian Sea that served Lahore also silted up during this time, reducing the city's importance even further.[22]

Struggles between Zakariyya Khan's sons following his death in 1745 further weakened Muslim control over Lahore, thus leaving the city in a power vacuum, and vulnerable to foreign marauders.[79]

Durrani Invasions

Ahmad Shah Durrani, the founder of the Afghan Durrani Empire, captured Lahore in January 1748,[47] Following Ahmed Shah Durrani's quick retreat, the Mughals entrusted Lahore to Mu’īn al-Mulk Mir Mannu.[47] Ahmad Shah Durrani again invaded in 1751, forcing Mir Mannu into signing a treaty that submitted Lahore to Afghan rule.[47] The Mughal Wazīr Ghazi Din Imad al-Mulk would seize Lahore in 1756, provoking Ahmad Shah Durrani to again invade in 1757, after which he placed the city under the rule of his son, Timur Shah Durrani.[47]

Durrani rule was interrupted when Lahore was briefly captured by Marathas in 1758 during their campaigns against the Afghans, under Raghunathrao, who drove out the Afghans,[80] while a combined Sikh-Maratha defeated an Afghan assault in the 1759 Battle of Lahore.[81] Following the Third Battle of Panipat, Ahmad Shah Durrani defeated the Marathas and recaptured Lahore, Sikh forces quickly occupied the city after the Durranis withdrew from the city in 1765.[47] The Durranis invaded two more times in 1797 and 1798 respectively under Shah Zaman, but the Sikhs re-occupied the city after both invasions.[47]

Sikh

 
The Tomb of Asif Khan was one of several monuments plundered for its precious building materials during the Sikh period.[78][82]

Early

Expanding Sikh Misls secured control over Lahore in 1767, when the Bhangi Misl state captured the city.[83] In 1780, The city was divided among three rulers, Gujjar Singh, Lahna Singh, and Sobha Singh. Instability resulting from this arrangement allowed nearby Amritsar to establish itself as the area's primary commercial centre in place of Lahore.[22]

Ahmad Shah Durrani's grandson, Zaman Shah, invaded Lahore in 1796, and again in 1798–9.[47] Ranjit Singh negotiated with the Afghans for the post of subahdar to control Lahore following the second invasion.[47]

By the end of the 18th century, the city's population drastically declined, with its remaining resident's living within the city walls, while the extramural suburbs lay abandoned, forcing travellers to pass through abandoned and ruined suburbs for a few miles before reaching the city's gates.[22]

Sikh Empire

 
Lahore's Hazuri Bagh is at the centre of an ensemble of Mughal and Sikh era monuments, including the Badshahi Mosque, Lahore Fort, Roshnai Gate, and the Samadhi of Ranjit Singh.
 
The marble Hazuri Bagh Baradari was built in 1818 to celebrate Ranjit Singh's acquisition of the Koh-i-Noor diamond.[84]

In the aftermath of Zaman Shah’s 1799 invasion of Punjab, Ranjit Singh, of nearby Gujranwala, began to consolidate his position. Singh was able to seize control of the region after a series of battles with the Sikh Bhangi Misl chiefs who had seized Lahore in 1780.[47][85] His army marched to Anarkali, where according to legend, the gatekeeper of the Lohari Gate, Mukham Din Chaudhry, opened the gates allowing Ranjit Singh's army to enter Lahore.[78] After capturing the Lahore, Sikh soldiers immediately began plundering Muslim areas of the city until their actions were reined in by Ranjit Singh.[86]

Ranjit Singh's rule restored some of Lahore's lost grandeur, but at the expense of destroying the remaining Mughal architecture for its building materials.[22] He established a mint in the city in 1800,[78] and moved into the Mughal palace at the Lahore Fort after repurposing it for his own use in governing the Sikh Empire.[87] In 1801, he established the Gurdwara Janam Asthan Guru Ram Das to mark the site where Guru Ram Das was born in 1534.

Lahore became the empire's administrative capital, though the nearby economic centre of Amritsar had also been established as the empire's spiritual capital by 1802.[22] By 1812 Singh had mostly refurbished the city's defences by adding a second circuit of outer walls surrounding Akbar's original walls, with the two separated by a moat. Singh also partially restored Shah Jahan's decaying Shalimar Gardens[88] and built the Hazuri Bagh Baradari in 1818 to celebrate his capture of the Koh-i-Noor diamond from Shuja Shah Durrani in 1813.[84] He erected the Gurdwara Dera Sahib to mark the site of Guru Arjan Dev's 1606 death. The Sikh royal court also endowed religious architecture in the city, including a number of Sikh gurdwaras, Hindu temples, and havelis.[89][90]

While much of Lahore's Mughal era fabric lay in ruins by the time of his arrival, Ranjit Singh's rule saw the re-establishment of Lahore's glory – though Mughal monuments suffered during the Sikh period. Singh's armies plundered most of Lahore's most precious Mughal monuments, and stripped the white marble from several monuments to send to different parts of the Sikh Empire during his reign.[91] Monuments plundered for decorative materials include the Tomb of Asif Khan, the Tomb of Nur Jahan, and the Shalimar Gardens.[92][78] Ranjit Singh's army also desecrated the Badshahi Mosque by converting it into an ammunition depot and a stable for horses.[93] The Sunehri Mosque in the Walled City of Lahore was also converted to a gurdwara,[94] while the Mosque of Mariyam Zamani Begum was repurposed into a gunpowder factory.[95]

Late

The Sikh royal court, or the Lahore Durbar, underwent a quick succession of rulers after the death of Ranjit Singh. His son Kharak Singh died soon after taking the throne on 6 November 1840, while the next appointed successor to the throne, Nau Nihal Singh, died in an accident at Lahore's Hazuri Bagh on 6 November 1840, the same day Kharak Singh died.[78] Maharaja Sher Singh was then selected as Maharajah, though his claim to the throne was quickly challenged by Chand Kaur, widow of Kharak Singh and mother of Nau Nihal Singh, who quickly seized the throne.[78] Sher Singh raised an army that attacked Chand Kaur's forces in Lahore on 14 January 1841. His soldiers mounted weaponry on the minarets of the Badshahi Mosque in order to target Chand Kaur's forces in the Lahore Fort, destroying the fort's historic Diwan-e-Aam.[93] Kaur quickly ceded the throne, but Sher Sing was then assassinated in 1843 in Lahore's Chah Miran neighbourhood along with his Wazir Dhiyan Singh.[84] Dhyan Singh's son, Hira Singh, sought to avenge his father's death by laying siege to Lahore in order to capture his father's assassins. The siege resulted in the capture of his father's murderer, Ajit Singh.[78] Duleep Singh was then crowned Maharajah, with Hira Singh as his Wazir, but his power would be weakened by the continued infighting among Sikh nobles,[78] as well as confrontations against the British during the two Anglo-Sikh Wars

After the conclusion of the two Anglo-Sikh wars, the Sikh Empire fell into disarray, resulting in the fall of the Lahore Durbar, and commencement of British rule after they captured Lahore and the wider Punjab Region.[78]

British colonial period

 
Map of the Old City and environs.
 
The Shah Alami area of Lahore's Walled City in 1890

The British East India Company seized control of Lahore in February 1846 from the collapsing Sikh state and occupied the rest of Punjab in 1848.[22] Following the defeat of the Sikhs at the Battle of Gujrat, British troops formally deposed Maharaja Duleep Singh in Lahore that same year.[22] Punjab was then annexed to the British Indian Empire in 1849.[22]

At the commencement of British rule, Lahore was estimated to have a population of 120,000.[96] Prior to annexation by the British, Lahore's environs consisted mostly of the Walled City surrounded by plains interrupted by settlements to the south and east, such as Mozang and Qila Gujar Singh, which have since been engulfed by modern Lahore. The plains between the settlements also contained the remains of Mughal gardens, tombs, and Sikh-era military structures.[97]

The British viewed Lahore's Walled City as a bed of potential social discontent and disease epidemics, and so largely left the inner city alone, while focusing development efforts in Lahore's suburban areas, and Punjab's fertile countryside.[98] The British instead laid out their capital city in an area south of the Walled City that would first come to be known as "Donald's Town" before being renamed "Civil Station."[99]

Under early British rule, formerly prominent Mughal-era monuments that were scattered throughout Civil Station were also re-purposed and sometimes desecrated – including the Tomb of Anarkali, which the British had initially converted to clerical offices before re-purposing it as an Anglican church in 1851.[100] The 17th century Dai Anga Mosque was converted into railway administration offices during this time, the tomb of Nawab Bahadur Khan was converted into a storehouse, and the tomb of Mir Mannu was used as a wine shop.[101] The British also used older structures to house municipal offices, such as the Civil Secretariat, Public Works Department, and Accountant General's Office.[102]

 
Having been constructed in the immediate aftermath of the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny, the design of the Lahore Railway Station was highly militarised in order to defend the structure from any further potential uprisings against British rule.

The British built the Lahore Railway Station just outside the Walled City shortly after the Mutiny of 1857, and so built the station in the style of a medieval castle to ward off any potential future uprisings, with thick walls, turrets, and holes to direct gun and cannon fire for the defence of the structure.[103] Lahore's most prominent government institutions and commercial enterprises came to be concentrated in Civil Station in a half-mile wide area flanking The Mall, where unlike in Lahore's military zone, the British and locals were allowed to mix.[104] The Mall continues to serve as the epicentre of Lahore's civil administration, as well as one of its most fashionable commercial areas. The British also laid the spacious Lahore Cantonment to the southeast of the Walled City at the former village of Mian Mir, where unlike around The Mall, laws did exist against the mixing of different races.

Lahore was visited on 9 February 1870 by Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh – a visit in which he received delegations from the Dogras of Jammu, Maharajas of Patiala, the Nawab of Bahawalpur, and other rulers from various Punjabi states.[105] During the visit, he visited several of Lahore's major sights.[105] British authorities built several important structures around the time of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887 in the distinct Indo-Saracenic style. The Lahore Museum and Mayo School of Industrial Arts were both established around this in this style.[106]

The British carried out a census of Lahore in 1901, and counted 20,691 houses in the Walled City.[107] An estimated 200,000 people lived in Lahore at this time.[96] Lahore's posh Model Town was established as a "garden town" suburb in 1921, while Krishan Nagar locality was laid in the 1930s near The Mall and Walled City.

 
The Mall, Lahore's pre-independence commercial core, features many examples of colonial architecture.

Lahore played an important role in the independence movements of both India[108] and Pakistan. The Declaration of the Independence of India was moved by Jawaharlal Nehru and passed unanimously at midnight on 31 December 1929 at Lahore's Bradlaugh Hall.[109] The Indian Swaraj flag was adopted this time as well. Lahore's jail was used by the British to imprison independence activists such as Jatin Das, and was also where Bhagat Singh was hanged in 1931.[110] Under the leadership of Muhammad Ali Jinnah The All India Muslim League passed the Lahore Resolution in 1940, demanding the creation of Pakistan as a separate homeland for the Muslims of India.[111]

Sir Ganga Ram is considered the 'Father of Modern Lahore'.[112][113][114][115][116][117][118][119]

Partition

The 1941 census showed that city of Lahore had a population of 671,659, of which was 64.5% Muslim, with the remainder 35% being Hindu and Sikh, alongside a small Christian community.[24][120] The population figure was disputed by Hindus and Sikhs before the Boundary Commission that would draw the Radcliffe Line to demarcate the border of the two new states based on religious demography.[24] In a bid to have Lahore awarded to India, they argued that the city was only 54% Muslim, and that Hindu and Sikh domination of the city's economy and educational institutions should trump Muslim demography.[24] Two-thirds of shops, and 80% of Lahore's factories belonged to the Hindu and Sikh community.[24] Kuldip Nayyar claimed that Cyril Radcliffe in 1971 had told him that he originally had planned to give Lahore to the new Dominion of India,[121][122][123] but decided to place it within the Dominion of Pakistan, which he saw as lacking a major city as he had already awarded Calcutta to India.[124][121][122]

As tensions grew over the city's uncertain fate, Lahore experienced Partition's worst riots.[24] Carnage ensued in which all three religious groups were both victims and perpetrators.[125] Early riots in March and April 1947 destroyed 6,000 of Lahore 82,000 homes.[24] Violence continued to rise throughout the summer, despite the presence of armoured British personnel.[24] Hindus and Sikhs began to leave the city en masse as their hopes that the Boundary Commission to award the city to India came to be regarded as increasingly unlikely. By late August 1947, 66% of Hindus and Sikhs had left the city.[24] The Shah Alami Bazaar, once a largely Hindu quarter of the Walled City, was entirely burnt down during subsequent rioting.[126]

When Pakistan's independence was declared on 14 August 1947, the Radcliffe Line had not yet been announced, and so cries of Long live Pakistan and God is greatest were heard intermittently with Long live Hindustan throughout the night.[24] On 17 August 1947, Lahore was awarded to Pakistan on the basis of its Muslim majority in the 1941 census and was made capital of the Punjab province in the new state of Pakistan. The city's location near the Indian border meant that it received large numbers of refugees fleeing eastern Punjab and northern India, though it was able to accommodate them given the large stock of abandoned Hindu and Sikh properties that could be re-distributed to newly arrived refugees.[24]

Modern

 
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and President Ayub Khan travel by car in Lahore, 1962

Partition left Lahore with a much-weakened economy, and a stymied social and cultural scene that had previously been invigorated by the city's Hindus and Sikhs.[24] Industrial production dropped to one-third of pre-Partition levels by the end of the 1940s, and only 27% of its manufacturing units were operating by 1950, and usually well-below capacity.[24] Capital flight further weakened the city's economy while Karachi industrialized and became more prosperous.[24]

The city's weakened economy, and proximity to the Indian border, meant that the city was deemed unsuitable to be the Pakistani capital after independence. Karachi was therefore chosen to be capital on account of its relative tranquillity during the Partition period, stronger economy, and better infrastructure.[24]

 
Sections of the Walled City of Lahore have been under restoration since 2012 in conjunction with the Agha Khan Trust for Culture.

After independence, Lahore slowly regained its significance as an economic and cultural centre of western Punjab. Reconstruction began in 1949 of the Shah Alami Bazaar, the former commercial heart of the Walled City until it was destroyed in the 1947 riots.[126] The Tomb of Allama Iqbal was built in 1951 to honour the philosopher-poet who provided the spiritual inspiration for the Pakistan movement.[24] In 1955, Lahore was selected to be the capital of all West Pakistan during the single-unit period that lasted until 1970.[24] Shortly afterwards, Lahore's iconic Minar-e-Pakistan was completed in 1968 to mark the spot where the Pakistan Resolution was passed.[24] With support from the United Nations, the government was able to rebuild Lahore, and most scars from the communal violence of Partition were ameliorated.

The second Islamic Summit Conference was held in the city in 1974.[127] In retaliation for the destruction of the Babri Masjid in India, riots erupted in 1992 in which several non-Muslim monuments were targeted, including the tomb of Maharaja Sher Singh,[84] and the former Jain temple near the Mall. In 1996, the International Cricket Council Cricket World Cup final match was held at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.[128]

The Walled City of Lahore restoration project began in 2009, when the Punjab government restored the Royal Trail from Akbari Gate to the Lahore Fort with money from the World Bank.[129]

Geography

 
Lahore as seen from International Space Station. River Ravi flows from North to West.
Lahore
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
23
 
 
18
6
 
 
29
 
 
20
9
 
 
41
 
 
26
11
 
 
20
 
 
29
14
 
 
22
 
 
31
17
 
 
36
 
 
34
19
 
 
202
 
 
36
20
 
 
164
 
 
35
20
 
 
61
 
 
33
19
 
 
12
 
 
29
14
 
 
4
 
 
24
12
 
 
14
 
 
20
9
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source: Hong Kong Observatory[130]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
0.9
 
 
64
43
 
 
1.1
 
 
68
48
 
 
1.6
 
 
78
52
 
 
0.8
 
 
83
58
 
 
0.9
 
 
88
62
 
 
1.4
 
 
93
67
 
 
8
 
 
96
68
 
 
6.5
 
 
96
68
 
 
2.4
 
 
92
65
 
 
0.5
 
 
84
57
 
 
0.2
 
 
75
53
 
 
0.6
 
 
67
48
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches

Lying between 31°15′—31°45′ N and 74°01′—74°39′ E, Lahore is bounded on the north and west by the Sheikhupura District, on the east by Wagah, and on the south by Kasur District. The Ravi River flows on the northern side of Lahore. Lahore city covers a total land area of 404 square kilometres (156 sq mi). Lahore is in the north-eastern portion of the country.

Climate

Lahore has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSh), not receiving enough rainfall to feature the humid subtropical climate. The hottest month is June, where temperatures routinely exceed 45 °C (113 °F). The monsoon season starts in late July, and the wettest months are July and August,[130] with heavy rainfalls and evening thunderstorms with the possibility of cloudbursts and flash floods. The coolest month is January, with dense fog.[131]

The city's record high temperature was 50.4 °C (122.7 °F), recorded on 5 June 2003.[132] 48 °C (118 °F) was recorded on 10 June 2007.[133][134] At the time the meteorological office recorded this official temperature in the shade, it reported a heat index in direct sunlight of 55 °C (131 °F).[135] The highest rainfall in a 24-hour period is 221 millimetres (8.7 in), recorded on 13 August 2008.[136]

Climate data for Lahore (1961–1990), extremes (1931–2018)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 27.8
(82.0)
33.3
(91.9)
37.8
(100.0)
46.1
(115.0)
48.3
(118.9)
50.3
(122.5)
46.1
(115.0)
42.8
(109.0)
41.7
(107.1)
40.6
(105.1)
35.0
(95.0)
30.0
(86.0)
50.3
(122.5)
Average high °C (°F) 19.8
(67.6)
22.0
(71.6)
27.1
(80.8)
33.9
(93.0)
38.6
(101.5)
40.4
(104.7)
36.1
(97.0)
35.0
(95.0)
35.0
(95.0)
32.9
(91.2)
27.4
(81.3)
21.6
(70.9)
30.8
(87.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) 12.8
(55.0)
15.4
(59.7)
20.5
(68.9)
26.8
(80.2)
31.2
(88.2)
33.9
(93.0)
31.5
(88.7)
30.7
(87.3)
29.7
(85.5)
25.6
(78.1)
19.5
(67.1)
14.2
(57.6)
24.3
(75.8)
Average low °C (°F) 5.9
(42.6)
8.9
(48.0)
14.0
(57.2)
19.6
(67.3)
23.7
(74.7)
27.4
(81.3)
26.9
(80.4)
26.4
(79.5)
24.4
(75.9)
18.2
(64.8)
11.6
(52.9)
6.8
(44.2)
17.8
(64.0)
Record low °C (°F) −2.2
(28.0)
0.0
(32.0)
2.8
(37.0)
10.0
(50.0)
14.0
(57.2)
18.0
(64.4)
20.0
(68.0)
19.0
(66.2)
16.7
(62.1)
8.3
(46.9)
1.7
(35.1)
−1.1
(30.0)
−2.2
(28.0)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 34.0
(1.34)
31.6
(1.24)
98.2
(3.87)
19.7
(0.78)
22.4
(0.88)
122.3
(4.81)
214.1
(8.43)
204.9
(8.07)
61.1
(2.41)
12.4
(0.49)
4.2
(0.17)
13.9
(0.55)
838.8
(33.04)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 218.8 215.0 245.8 276.6 308.3 269.0 227.5 234.9 265.6 290.0 259.6 222.9 3,034
Source 1: NOAA (1961-1990) [137]
Source 2: PMD[138]


Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1881138,878—    
1891159,947+15.2%
1901186,884+16.8%
1911228,687+22.4%
1921281,781+23.2%
1931400,075+42.0%
1941671,659+67.9%
19511,130,000+68.2%
19611,630,000+44.2%
19722,198,890[139]+34.9%
19812,988,486[139]+35.9%
19985,209,088[139]+74.3%
201711,126,285[139]+113.6%

Population

The results of the 2017 Census determined the population to be at 11,126,285,[9] with an annual growth rate of 4.07% since 1998.[140] Gender-wise, 52.35% of the population are male, 47.64% are female, and 0.01% are transgender.[140] Lahore is a young city with over 40% of its inhabitants below the age of 15.[141]

Ethnic Groups

According to the official census statistics, 80.9% of Lahore’s population are Punjabis, 12.6% Urdu-speaking people, 2.7% Pashtuns, 1.02% Saraikis and 2.78% are of other ethnicities. [142][143]

Religion

Religion in Lahore District 2017[144][145]
Religion Percent
Islam
94.7%
Christianity
5.14%
Hinduism
0.024%
Others
0.136%

The city has a Muslim majority (94.7%), Christian (5.14%) minority population, Hindu (0.024%). [146] There is also a small but longstanding Zoroastrian community. Additionally, Lahore contains some of Sikhism's holiest sites, and is a major Sikh pilgrimage site.[147]

According to the 1998 census, 94% of Lahore's population is Muslim, up from 60% in 1941. Other religions include Christians (5.80% of the total population, though they form around 9.0% of the rural population) and small numbers of Ahmadis, Baháʼís, Hindus, Parsis and Sikhs. Lahore's first church was built during the reign of Emperor Akbar in the late 16th century, which was then leveled by Shah Jahan in 1632.[148]

There is a small number of Hindus living in Lahore. The Shri Krishna mandir and the Valmiki Mandir are the only two functional temples in Lahore.[149]

Languages

Languages by number of speakers in the Lahore district[150]

  Punjabi (80.94%)
  Urdu (12.62%)
  Other (6.44%)

The Punjabi language is the most-widely spoken native language in Lahore with 80% of Lahore counting it as their first language according to the 2017 Census,[151] Lahore is the largest Punjabi-speaking city in the world.

Urdu and English are used as official languages and as mediums of instruction and media administration. However, Punjabi is also taught at graduation level and used in theaters, films and newspapers from Lahore.[152][153] Several Lahore-based prominent educational leaders, researchers and social commentators have demanded that the Punjabi language should be declared as the medium of instruction at the primary level and be used officially in the Punjab Assembly, Lahore.[154][155]

Cityscape

Old City

 
Cityscape of Lahore
 
The area around the Wazir Khan Mosque exemplifies the Walled City's urban form

Lahore's modern cityscape consists of the historic Walled City of Lahore in the northern part of the city, which contains several world and national heritage sites. Lahore's urban planning was not based on geometric design but was instead built piecemeal, with small cul-de-sacs, katrahs and galis developed in the context of neighbouring buildings.[22] Though certain neighbourhoods were named for particular religious or ethnic communities, the neighbourhoods themselves typically were diverse and were not dominated by the namesake group.[22]

Lahore's urban typology is similar to other ancient cities in South Asia, such as Peshawar, Multan and Delhi - all of which were founded near a major river, and included an old walled city, as well as a royal citadel.

By the end of the Sikh rule, most of Lahore's massive haveli compounds had been occupied by settlers. New neighbourhoods occasionally grew up entirely within the confines of an old Mughal haveli, such as the Mohallah Pathan Wali, which grew within the ruins of a haveli of the same name that was built by Mian Khan.[22] By 1831, all Mughal Havelis in the Walled City had been encroached upon by the surrounding neighbourhood,[22] leading to the modern-day absence of any Mughal Havelis in Lahore.

A total of thirteen gates once surrounded the historic walled city. Some of the remaining gates include the Raushnai Gate, Masti Gate, Yakki Gate, Kashmiri Gate, Khizri Gate, Shah Burj Gate, Akbari Gate and Lahori Gate. Southeast of the walled city is the spacious British-era Lahore Cantonment.

Architecture

 
Built in 2012, Grand Jamia Mosque in Southern Lahore is a blend of Mughal and modern architecture.

Lahore is home to numerous monuments from the Mughal Dynasty, Sikh Empire, and the British Indian Raj. The architectural style of the Walled City of Lahore has traditionally been influenced by Mughal and Sikh styles.[156]

Sir Ganga Ram is considered the 'Father of Modern Lahore'.[112][113][114][115][116][117][118][119]

The leafy suburbs to the south of the Old City, as well as the Cantonment southwest of the Old City, were largely developed under British colonial rule, and feature colonial-era buildings built alongside leafy avenues.

Sikh period

By the arrival of the Sikh Empire, Lahore had decayed from its former glory as the Mughal capital. Rebuilding efforts under Ranjit Singh and his successors were influenced by Mughal practices, and Lahore was known as the 'City of Gardens' during the Ranjit Singh period.[157][158] Later British maps of the area surrounding Lahore dating from the mid-19th century show many walled private gardens which were confiscated from the Muslim noble families bearing the names of prominent Sikh nobles – a pattern of patronage which was inherited from the Mughals.

While much of Lahore's Mughal era fabric lay in ruins by the time of his arrival, Ranjit Singh's army's plundered most of Lahore's most precious Mughal monuments, and stripped the white marble from several monuments to send to different parts of the Sikh Empire.[91] Monuments plundered of their marble include the Tomb of Asif Khan, Tomb of Nur Jahan, the Shalimar Gardens were plundered of much of its marble and costly agate.[92][78] The Sikh state also demolished a number of shrines and monuments laying outside the city's walls.[159]

Sikh rule left Lahore with several monuments, and a heavily altered Lahore Fort. Ranjit Singh's rule had restored Lahore to much of its last grandeur,[22] and the city was left with a large number of religious monuments from this period. Several havelis were built during this era, though only a few still remain.[22]

British period

 
A syncretic architectural style that blends Islamic, Hindu, and Western motifs took root during the colonial era, as shown at Aitchison College.
 
Much of old Lahore features colonial-era buildings, such as the Tollinton Market.

As the capital of British Punjab, British colonialists made a lasting architectural impression on the city. Structures were built predominantly in the Indo-Gothic style – a syncretic architectural style that blends elements of Victorian and Islamic architecture, or in the distinct Indo-Saracenic style. The British also built neoclassical Montgomery Hall, which today serves as the Quaid-e-Azam Library.[160]

Lawrence Gardens were also laid near Civil Station, and were paid for by donations solicited from both Lahore's European community, as well as from wealthy locals. The gardens featured over 600 species of plants, and were tended to by a horticulturist sent from London's Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.[161]

The British authorities built several important structures around the time of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887 in the distinct Indo-Saracenic style. The Lahore Museum and Mayo School of Industrial Arts were both established around this in this style.[106] Other prominent examples of the Indo-Saracenic style in Lahore include Lahore's prestigious Aitchison College, the Punjab Chief Court (today the Lahore High Court), Lahore Museum and University of the Punjab. Many of Lahore's most important buildings were designed by Sir Ganga Ram, who is sometimes called the "Father of modern Lahore."[162]

Parks and gardens

 
Lahore's Bagh-e-Jinnah was laid in 1862.

Lahore is also known as the City of Gardens due to large number of gardens. The Shahdara Bagh was one of the earliest Mughal gardens laid in 15th century. It contains tomb of Jahangir. The Shalimar Gardens were laid out during the reign of Shah Jahan and were designed to mimic the Islamic paradise of the afterlife described in the Qur'an. The gardens follow the familiar charbagh layout of four squares, with three descending terraces. In 1818, Hazuri Bagh was built during reign of Ranjit Singh to celebrate his capture of the Koh-i-Noor diamond from Shuja Shah Durrani.

The Lawrence Garden was established in 1862 and was originally named after Sir John Lawrence, late 19th-century British Viceroy to India. The Circular Garden, which surrounds on the Walled City on three sides, was established by 1892.[78] The former parade ground adjacent to Badshahi Mosque was also renamed during British era as Minto Park, which after restoration was re-established as Iqbal Park.

The many other gardens and parks in the city include Hazuri Bagh, Iqbal Park, Mochi Bagh, Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, Model Town Park, Race Course Park, Nasir Bagh Lahore, Jallo Park, Lahore Zoo Safari Park, and Changa Manga, a man-made forest near Lahore in the Kasur district. Another example is the Bagh-e-Jinnah, a 141-acre (57 ha) botanical garden that houses entertainment and sports facilities as well as a library.[163][164]

Economy

As of 2008, the city's gross domestic product (GDP) by purchasing power parity (PPP) was estimated at $40 billion with a projected average growth rate of 5.6 percent. This is at par with Pakistan's economic hub, Karachi, with Lahore (having half the population) fostering an economy that is 51% of the size of Karachi's ($78 billion in 2008).[165] The contribution of Lahore to the national economy is estimated to be 11.5% and 19% to the provincial economy of Punjab.[166] As a whole Punjab has $115 billion economy making it first and to date only Pakistani Subdivision of economy more than $100 billion at the rank 144.[165] Lahore's GDP is projected to be $102 billion by 2025, with a slightly higher growth rate of 5.6% per annum, as compared to Karachi's 5.5%.[165][167]

A major industrial agglomeration with about 9,000 industrial units, Lahore has shifted in recent decades from manufacturing to service industries.[168] Some 42% of its work force is employed in finance, banking, real estate, community, cultural, and social services.[168] The city is Pakistan's largest software & hardware producing centre,[168] and hosts a growing computer-assembly industry.[168] The city has always been a centre for publications where 80% of Pakistan's books are published, and it remains the foremost centre of literary, educational and cultural activity in Pakistan.[25]

The Lahore Expo Centre is one of the biggest projects in the history of the city and was inaugurated on 22 May 2010.[169] Defense Raya Golf Resort, also under construction, will be Pakistan's and Asia's largest golf course. The project is the result of a partnership between DHA Lahore and BRDB Malaysia. The rapid development of large projects such as these in the city is expected to boost the economy of the country.[170] Ferozepur Road of the Central business districts of Lahore contains high-rises and skyscrapers including Kayre International Hotel and Arfa Software Technology Park.

Transport

Public transportation

Lahore's main public transportation system is operated by the Lahore Transport Company (LTC) and Punjab Mass Transit Authority (PMTA). The backbone of its public transport network is the PMTA's Lahore Metrobus and the Orange Line of the Lahore Metro train. LTC and PMTA also operates an extensive network of buses, providing bus service to many parts of the city and acting as a feeder system for the Metrobus. The Orange Line metro spans 27.1 km around the city, and operates at a speed of 80 km/h (50 mph).

Metro Bus

The Lahore Metrobus, is a bus rapid transit service operating in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.[171] Lahore Metrobus service is integrated with Lahore Transport Company's local bus service to operate as one urban transport system, providing a connected transit service across Lahore District with connections to neighboring suburban communities.

Metro Train

 
The Orange Line is Pakistan's first metro rail line.

Orange Line

The Orange Line Metro Train is an automated rapid transit system in Lahore.[172][173] The Orange line is the first of the three proposed rail lines proposed for the Lahore Metro. As of 2020, it is the primary metro rail line in the city. The line spans 27.1 km (16.8 mi) with 25.4 km (15.8 mi) elevated and 1.72 km (1.1 mi) underground[174] and has a cost of 251.06 billion Rupees($1.6 billion). The line consists of 26 subway stations (Ali Town Station to Dera Gujran Station) and is designed to carry over 250,000 passengers daily. CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive rolled out the first of 27 trains for the metro on 16 May 2017.[175] The train has speed up to 80 km/hour. For improved durability, its bogies are heat-resistant, can manage unstable voltage, and feature energy saving air-conditioning.[176] Successful initial test trials were run in mid 2018,[177] and commercial operations began on 25 October 2020.[178]

Blue Line

The Blue Line is a proposed 24 kilometres (15 mi) line from Chauburji to College Road, Township. Along the way, it will connect places like Mozang Chungi, Shadman Chowk, Jail Road, Mian Boulevard Gulberg, Mian Boulevard Garden Town and Faisal Town.[179]

Purple Line

The Purple Line is a proposed 19 km long train. It will connect Bhaati Chowk with the Allama Iqbal International Airport. Along the way it will connect places like Brandreth Road, Railway Station, Allama Iqbal Road, Dharampura and Ghazi Road.[179]

Taxi and Rickshaw

Ride sharing services such as Uber and Careem are available in the city. They need to be booked in advance by apps or by calling their number. Motorcycle rides are also available in the city which have been introduced by private companies. These motorcycles also need to be booked in advance by apps or by calling their number.

Auto rickshaws play an important role of public transport in Lahore. There are 246,458 auto rickshaws, often simply called autos, in the city. Motorcycle rickshaws, usually called "chand gari" (moon car) or "chingchi" (after the Chinese company Jinan Qingqi Motorcycle Co. Ltd who first introduced these to the market) are also a very common means of domestic travel, though they are less common and cheaper than auto rickshaws. Chingchi rickshaw's provide a shared ride experience for multiple passengers and fares, whereas Autorick shaws cater to only one passenger or group for a fare. Since 2002, all auto rickshaws have been required to use CNG as fuel.[180]

Urban (LOV) Wagon / Mini Bus

Medium-sized vans/wagons or LOVs (Low Occupancy Vehicle) run on routes throughout the city. They function like buses, and operate on many routes throughout the city.[181]

Intercity transportation

Railways

Lahore Junction Station serves as the main railway station for Lahore, and serves as a major hub for all Pakistan Railways services in northern Pakistan. It includes services to Peshawar and national capital Islamabad-Rawalpindi, and long-distance services to Karachi and Quetta. Lahore Cantonment Station also operates a few trains.

Buses

Lahore Badami Bagh Bus Terminal (known colloquially as Lari Adda) serves as a hub for intercity bus services in Lahore, served by multiple bus companies providing a comprehensive network of services in Punjab and neighbouring provinces. Lahore Jinnah Bus Terminal is also a major bus stand in Southern Lahore. Apart from these stations, multiple privately owned bus transportation companies operate from Band Road (referred to colloquially as Chowk Yateem Khana), offering intercity transport at varying fares and comfort level.

Airports

 
Allama Iqbal International Airport

Pakistan's third busiest airport, Allama Iqbal International Airport (IATA: LHE), straddles the city's eastern boundary. The new passenger terminal was opened in 2003, replacing the old terminal which now serves as a VIP and Hajj lounge. The airport was named after the national poet-philosopher, Muhammad Iqbal.[182] and is a secondary hub for the national flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines.[183] Walton Airport in Askari provides general aviation facilities. In addition, Sialkot International Airport (IATA: SKT) and Faisalabad International Airport (IATA: LYP) also serve as alternate airports for the Lahore area in addition to serving their respective cities.

Allama Iqbal International Airport connects Lahore with many cities worldwide (including domestic destinations) by both passenger and cargo flight including Ras al Khaimah, Guangzhou (begins 28 August 2018),[184] Ürümqi,[185] Abu Dhabi, Barcelona,[186] Beijing–Capital, Copenhagen, Dammam, Dera Ghazi Khan, Doha, Dubai–International, Islamabad, Jeddah, Karachi, Kuala Lumpur–International, London–Heathrow, Manchester, Medina, Milan–Malpensa, Multan, Muscat, Oslo–Gardermoen, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Peshawar, Quetta, Rahim Yar Khan, Riyadh, Salalah,[187] Tokyo–Narita, Toronto–Pearson, Mashhad, Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, and Tashkent.[188]

Roads

 
The Azadi Chowk is located near the Badshahi Mosque.

There are a number of municipal, provincial and federal roads that serve Lahore.

Government

Metropolitan Corporation

Under Punjab Local Government Act 2013, Lahore is a metropolitan area and under the authority of the Metropolitan Corporation Lahore.[189] The district is divided into 9 zones, each with its own elected Deputy Mayor. The Metropolitan Corporation Lahore is a body of those 9 deputies, as well as the city's mayor – all of whom are elected in popular elections. The Metropolitan Corporation approves zoning and land use, urban design and planning, environmental protection laws, as well as provide municipal services.

Mayor

As per the Punjab Local Government Act 2013, the Mayor of Lahore is the elected head of the Metropolitan Corporation of Lahore. The mayor is directly elected in municipal elections every four years alongside 9 deputy town mayors. Mubashir Javed of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) was elected mayor of Lahore in 2016. The mayor is responsible for the administration of government services, the composition of councils and committees overseeing Lahore City District departments and serves as the chairperson for the meeting of the Lahore Council. The mayor also functions to help devise long-term development plans in consultation with other stakeholders and bodies to improve the condition, livability, and sustainability of urban areas.

Neighbourhoods

Lahore District is a subdivision of the Punjab, and is further divided into 9 administrative zones.[190] Each town in turn consists of a group of union councils, which total to 274.[191]

Politics

The 2015 Local Government elections for Union Councils in Lahore yielded the following results:[192]

  PML(N) (84.5%)
  Independents (9.9%)
  PTI (4.4%)
  PPP (0.4%)
MCL/Zones
Parties
UC seats
Pakistan Muslim League (N) 229
Independents 27
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf 12
Pakistan Peoples Party 1
Awaiting results *5
Total 274

Festivals

 
Lahore Canal during the spring Basant festival

The people of Lahore celebrate many festivals and events throughout the year, including Islamic, traditional Punjabi, Christian, and national holidays and festivals.

Many people decorate their houses and light candles to illuminate the streets and houses during public holidays; roads and businesses may be lit for days. Many of Lahore's dozens of Sufi shrines hold annual festivals called urs to honour their respective saints. For example, the mausoleum of Ali Hujwiri at the Data Darbar shrine has an annual urs that attracts up to one million visitors per year.[193] The popular Mela Chiraghan festival in Lahore takes place at the shrine of Madho Lal Hussain, while other large urs take place at the shrines of Bibi Pak Daman, and at the Shrine of Mian Mir.[194] Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha are celebrated in the city with public buildings and shopping centers decorated in lights. Lahoris also commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Husain at Karbala during massive processions that take place during the first ten days of the month of Muharram.[195]

Basant is a traditional Punjabi festival that marks the coming of spring. Basant celebrations in Pakistan are centred in Lahore, and people from all over the country and from abroad come to the city for the annual festivities. Kite-flying competitions traditionally take place on city rooftops during Basant, while the Lahore Canal is decorated with floating lanterns. Courts have banned kite-flying because of casualties and power installation losses. The ban was lifted for two days in 2007, then immediately reimposed when 11 people were killed by celebratory gunfire, sharp kite-strings, electrocution, and falls related to the competition.[196]

Lahore's churches are elaborately decorated for Christmas and Easter celebrations.[197] Shopping centers and public buildings also install Christmas installations to celebrate the holiday, even though Christians only constitute 3% of the total population of Lahore in 2016.[146][198]

Tourism

Lahore remains a major tourist destination in Pakistan. The Walled City of Lahore was renovated in 2014 and is popular due to the presence of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.[199] Among the most popular sights are the Lahore Fort, adjacent to the Walled City, and home to the Sheesh Mahal, the Alamgiri Gate, the Naulakha pavilion, and the Moti Masjid. The fort along with the adjoining Shalimar Gardens has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981.[200]

The city is home to several ancient religious sites including prominent Hindu temples, the Krishna Temple and Valmiki Mandir. The Samadhi of Ranjit Singh, also located near the Walled City, houses the funerary urns of the Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The most prominent religious building is the Badshahi Mosque, constructed in 1673; it was the largest mosque in the world upon construction. Another popular sight is the Wazir Khan Mosque,[201] known for its extensive faience tile work and constructed in 1635.[202]

Cuisine

Religious sites

Other well-known religious sites in the city are:

Museums

Tombs

Shrines

  • Bibi Pak Daman
  • Ali Hujwiri
  • Mian Mir
  • Madho Lal Hussain
  • Khawaja Tahir Bandgi
  • Ghazi Ilm Din Shaheed
  • Sheikh Musa Ahangar
  • Khawaja Mehmud
  • Nizam-ud-Din
  • Siraj-ud-Din Gilani
  • peer makki
  • Baba Shah Jamal

Samadhis

Havelis

There are many havelis inside the Walled City of Lahore, some in good condition while others need urgent attention. Many of these havelis are fine examples of Mughal and Sikh Architecture. Some of the havelis inside the Walled City include:

  • Chuna Mandi Havelis
  • Dina Nath Ki Haveli
  • Haveli Barood Khana
  • Haveli Mian Khan (Rang Mehal)
  • Haveli of Nau Nihal Singh
  • Haveli Shergharian (near Lal Khou)
  • Haveli Sir Wajid Ali Shah (near Nisar Haveli)
  • Lal Haveli beside Mochi Bagh
  • Mubarak Begum Haveli Bhatti Gate
  • Mubarak Haveli – Chowk Nawab Sahib, Mochi/Akbari Gate
  • Mughal Haveli (residence of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh)
  • Nisar Haveli
  • Salman Sirhindi ki Haveli

Other landmarks

Historic neighbourhoods

Education

 

Lahore is known as Pakistan's educational capital,[citation needed] with more colleges and universities than any other city in Pakistan. Lahore is Pakistan's largest producer of professionals in the fields of science, technology, IT, law, engineering, medicine, nuclear sciences, pharmacology, telecommunication, biotechnology and microelectronics, nanotechnology and the only future hyper high-tech center of Pakistan.[203] Most of the reputable universities are public, but in recent years there has also been an upsurge in the number of private universities. It has the only AACSB accredited business school in Pakistan, namely, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). The literacy rate of Lahore is 74%. Lahore hosts some of Pakistan's oldest and best educational institutes:

Notable people

Some people born in Lahore:

Sports

Lahore has successfully hosted many international sports events including the finals of the 1990 Men's Hockey World Cup and the 1996 Cricket World Cup. The headquarters of all major sports governing bodies are located here in Lahore including Cricket, Hockey, Rugby, Football etc. and also has the head office of Pakistan Olympic Association.

Gaddafi Stadium is a Test cricket ground in Lahore. It was completed in 1959 and later in the 1990s, renovations were carried out by Pakistani architect Nayyar Ali Dada.

Lahore is home to several golf courses. The Lahore Gymkhana Golf Course, the Lahore Garrison Golf and Country Club, the Royal Palm Golf Club and newly built Defence Raya Golf & Country Club are well maintained Golf Courses in Lahore. In nearby Raiwind Road, a 9 holes course, Lake City, opened in 2011. The newly opened Oasis Golf and Aqua Resort is another addition to the city. It is a state-of-the-art facility featuring golf, water parks, and leisure activities such as horse riding, archery and more. The Lahore Marathon is part of an annual package of six international marathons being sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. More than 20,000 athletes from Pakistan and all over the world participate in this event. It was first held on 30 January 2005, and again on 29 January 2006. More than 22,000 people participated in the 2006 race. The third marathon was held on 14 January 2007.[204][failed verification] Plans exist to build Pakistan's first sports city in Lahore, on the bank of the Ravi River.[205][better source needed]

Professional sports teams from Lahore

Twin towns and sister cities

The following international cities have been declared twin towns and sister cities of Lahore.

Awards

In 1966, the Government of Pakistan awarded a special flag, the Hilal-i-istaqlal to Lahore (also to Sargodha and Sialkot) for showing severe resistance to the enemy during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 as these cities were targets of the Indian aggression.[213] Every year on Defence Day (6 September), this flag is hoisted in these cities in recognition of the will, courage and perseverance of their people.[214]

See also

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  97. ^ Glover, William (January 2007). Making Lahore Modern, Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City. Univ of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-5022-4. On the eve of annexation, Lahore's suburbs were made up of a flat, debris-strewn plain interrupted by a small number of populous abadis, the deserted cantonment and barracks of the former Sikh infantry (which, according to one British large buildings in various states of disrepair.
  98. ^ Glover, William (January 2007). Making Lahore Modern, Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City. Univ of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-5022-4. The inner city, on the other hand, remained problematic. Seen as a potential hotbed of disease and social instability, and notoriously difficult to observe and fathom, the inner districts of the city remained stubbornly resistant to colonial intervention. Throughout the British period of occupation in Punjab, for reasons we will explore more fully, the inner districts of its largest cities were almost entirely left alone. 5 The colonial state made its most significant investments in suburban tracts outside of cities... It should not surprise us that the main focus of imperial attention in Punjab was its fertile countryside rather than cities like Lahore.
  99. ^ Glover, William (January 2007). Making Lahore Modern, Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City. Univ of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-5022-4. .
  100. ^ Glover, William (January 2007). Making Lahore Modern, Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City. Univ of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-5022-4. What is more striking than the fact that Punjab's new rulers (cost-effectively) appropriated the symbolically charged buildings of their predecessors is how long some of those appropriations lasted. The conversion of the Mughal-era tomb of Sharif un-Nissa, a noblewoman during Shah Jahan's reign, popularly known as Anarkali, was one such case (Figure 1.2). This Muslim tomb was first used as offices and residences for the clerical staff of Punjab's governing board. In 1851, however, the tomb was converted into the Anglican church
  101. ^ Glover, William (January 2007). Making Lahore Modern, Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City. Univ of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-5022-4. the mosque of Dai Anga, Emperor Shah Jahan's wet nurse, which the British converted first into a residence and later into the office of the railway traffic manager. Nearby was the tomb of Nawab Bahadur Khan, a highly placed member of Akbar's court, which the railway used as a storehouse... manager. Nearby was the tomb of Nawab Bahadur Khan, a highly placed member of Akbar's court, which the railway used as a storehouse. That same tomb had been acquired earlier by the railway from the army, who had used it as a theater for entertaining officers. The railway provided another nearby tomb free of charge to the Church Missionary Society, who used it for Sunday services. The tomb of Mir Mannu, an eighteenth-century Mughal viceroy of Punjab who had brutally persecuted the Sikhs while he was in power, escaped demolition by the railway but was converted nevertheless into a private wine merchant's shop
  102. ^ Glover, William (January 2007). Making Lahore Modern, Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City. Univ of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-5022-4. with an abundance of abandoned large structures scattered throughout the civil station on nazul (state administered) property, the colonial government often chose to house major institutions in converted buildings rather than to build anew. These institutions included the Civil Secretariat, which, as we have seen, was located in Ventura's former house; the Public Works from Ranjit Singh's period; and the Accountant General's office, headquartered in a converted seventeenth century mosque near the tomb of Shah Chiragh, just off Mall Road. In
  103. ^ Glover, William (January 2007). Making Lahore Modern, Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City. Univ of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-5022-4. The Lahore station, built during a time when securing British civilians and troops against a future "native" uprising was foremost in the government's mind, fortified medieval castle, complete with turrets and crenellated towers, battered flanking walls, and loopholes for directing rifle and cannon fire along the main avenues of approach from the city
  104. ^ Glover, William (January 2007). Making Lahore Modern, Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City. Univ of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-5022-4. We should remember that outside of colonial military cantonments, where rules encouraging racial separation were partially formalized in the residential districts of India's colonial cities. Wherever government institutions, commercial enterprises, and places of public congregation were concentrated, mixing among races and social classes was both legally accommodated and necessary. In Lahore these kinds of activities were concentrated in a half-mile-wide zone stretching along Mall Road from the Civil Secretariat, near Anarkali's tomb, at one end to the botanical gardens at the other (see.
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  107. ^ Glover, William (January 2007). Making Lahore Modern, Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City. Univ of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-5022-4. According to the 1901 census, therefore, the inner city of Lahore contained exactly 20,691 "houses"
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lahore, this, article, about, city, pakistan, other, uses, disambiguation, ɔːr, punjabi, لہور, ˈlɔ, ːɾə, urdu, لاہور, laːˈɦɔːɾ, listen, second, most, populous, city, pakistan, after, karachi, 26th, most, populous, city, world, with, population, over, million, . This article is about the city in Pakistan For other uses see Lahore disambiguation Lahore l e ˈ h ɔːr le HOR Punjabi لہور ˈlɔ ːɾe Urdu لاہور laːˈɦɔːɾ listen is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world with a population of over 13 million It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city Lahore is one of Pakistan s major industrial and economic hubs with an estimated GDP PPP of 84 billion as of 2019 12 13 It is the largest city as well as the historic capital and cultural centre of the wider Punjab region 14 15 16 17 and is one of Pakistan s most socially liberal 18 progressive 19 and cosmopolitan cities 20 It is situated in the north east of the country close to the International border with India Lahore لہورلاہورCityClockwise from the top Badshahi Mosque Wazir Khan Mosque Naulakha Pavilion Lahore Museum Shalimar Gardens Minar e Pakistan Lahore Fort Greater Iqbal Park SealEmblemNickname s The Heart of Pakistan 1 Paris of the East 2 City of Gardens 3 City of Literature by UNESCO 4 LahoreLocation within PakistanShow map of LahoreLahoreLocation within PunjabShow map of Punjab PakistanLahoreLahore Pakistan Show map of PakistanLahoreLahore Asia Show map of AsiaCoordinates 31 32 59 N 74 20 37 E 31 54972 N 74 34361 E 31 54972 74 34361 Coordinates 31 32 59 N 74 20 37 E 31 54972 N 74 34361 E 31 54972 74 34361CountryPakistanProvincePunjabDivisionLahoreDistrictLahoreZones10Government TypeMetropolitan corporation MayorNone Vacant 5 Deputy Mayors9 Zonal Mayors CommissionerMuhammad Usman 6 Deputy CommissionerUmar Sher Chatha 7 Area 8 Total1 772 km2 684 sq mi Rank2ndElevation217 m 712 ft Population 2017 9 Total11 126 285 Rank2nd Pakistan 26th World Density6 300 km2 16 000 sq mi Demonym s Lahori 10 LahoriteTime zoneUTC 5 PKT Postal code54000Dialing code042 11 GDP PPP 84 billion 2019 12 13 Per capita 7 550Websitelahore wbr punjab wbr gov wbr pkLahore s origins reach into antiquity The city has been inhabited for at least two millennia although it rose to prominence in the 10th century 21 Lahore was the capital of multiple empires throughout its history including the Hindu Shahis Ghaznavids and Delhi Sultanate in the medieval era Lahore reached the height of its splendor under the Mughal Empire between the late 16th and early 18th century and served as its capital city for many years The city was captured by the forces of the Afsharid ruler Nader Shah in 1739 Although the Mughal authority was re established it fell into a period of decay while being contested among the Afghans and the Sikhs between 1748 and 1798 Lahore eventually became the capital of the Sikh Empire in the early 19th century regaining some of its lost grandeur 22 Lahore was annexed to the British Raj in 1849 and became the capital of British Punjab 23 Lahore was central to the independence movements of both India and Pakistan with the city being the site of both the declaration of Indian Independence and the resolution calling for the establishment of Pakistan It experienced some of the worst riotings during the Partition period preceding Pakistan s independence 24 Following the success of the Pakistan Movement and the subsequent partition of British India in 1947 Lahore was declared the capital of Pakistan s Punjab province Lahore exerts a strong cultural influence over Pakistan 14 A UNESCO City of Literature and major center for Pakistan s publishing industry Lahore remains the foremost center of Pakistan s literary scene The city is also a major centre of education in Pakistan 25 with some of Pakistan s leading universities based in the city 26 For many years Lahore was home to Pakistan s film industry Lollywood though in recent years most filming has shifted to Karachi Lahore is a major centre of Qawwali music 27 The city also hosts much of Pakistan s tourist industry 27 28 with major attractions including the Walled City the famous Badshahi and Wazir Khan mosques as well as several Sikh and Sufi shrines Lahore is also home to the Lahore Fort and Shalimar Gardens both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites 28 Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2 1 Origins 2 2 Medieval era 2 2 1 Ghaznavid 2 2 2 Mamluk 2 2 3 Tughluq 2 2 4 Late Sultanates 2 3 Mughals 2 3 1 Early Mughal 2 3 2 Akbar 2 3 3 Jahangir 2 3 4 Shah Jahan 2 3 5 Aurangzeb 2 3 6 Late Mughal 2 4 Durrani Invasions 2 5 Sikh 2 5 1 Early 2 5 2 Sikh Empire 2 5 3 Late 2 6 British colonial period 2 7 Partition 2 8 Modern 3 Geography 3 1 Climate 4 Demographics 4 1 Population 4 2 Ethnic Groups 4 3 Religion 4 4 Languages 5 Cityscape 5 1 Old City 5 2 Architecture 5 2 1 Sikh period 5 2 2 British period 5 3 Parks and gardens 6 Economy 7 Transport 7 1 Public transportation 7 1 1 Metro Bus 7 2 Metro Train 7 2 1 Orange Line 7 2 2 Blue Line 7 2 3 Purple Line 7 3 Taxi and Rickshaw 7 4 Urban LOV Wagon Mini Bus 7 5 Intercity transportation 7 5 1 Railways 7 5 2 Buses 7 6 Airports 7 7 Roads 8 Government 8 1 Metropolitan Corporation 8 1 1 Mayor 8 2 Neighbourhoods 8 3 Politics 9 Festivals 10 Tourism 10 1 Cuisine 10 2 Religious sites 10 3 Museums 10 4 Tombs 10 5 Shrines 10 6 Samadhis 10 7 Havelis 10 8 Other landmarks 10 9 Historic neighbourhoods 11 Education 12 Notable people 13 Sports 14 Twin towns and sister cities 15 Awards 16 See also 17 References 17 1 Bibliography 18 External linksEtymology EditMain article Etymology of Lahore The origin of Lahore s name is unclear Lahore s name has been variously recorded by early Muslim historians as Luhawar Luhar and Rahwar 29 The Iranian polymath and geographer Abu Rayhan Al Biruni referred to the city as Luhawar in his 11th century work Qanun 29 while the poet Amir Khusrow who lived during the Delhi Sultanate period recorded the city s name as Lahanur 30 Yaqut al Hamawi records the city s name as Lawhur mentioning that it was famously known as Lahawar 31 Persian historian Firishta mentions the city as Alahwar in his work al Ahwar being another variation 32 33 One theory suggests that Lahore s name is a corruption of the word Ravawar as R to L shifts are common in languages derived from Sanskrit 34 Ravawar is the simplified pronunciation of the name Iravatyawar a name possibly derived from the Ravi River known as the Iravati River in the Vedas 34 35 Another theory suggests the city s name may derive from the word Lohar meaning blacksmith 36 According to an apocryphal Hindu legend 37 38 Lahore s name derives from Lavpur or Lavapuri City of Lav 39 and is said to have been founded by Prince Lav 40 the son of Sita and Rama The same account attributes the founding of nearby Kasur to his twin brother Kusha 41 though it was actually established in the 16th century 42 History EditThis section may require copy editing for awkward phrases April 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Main article History of Lahore For a chronological guide see Timeline of Lahore Origins Edit Main article Origins of Lahore The Lava Temple at the Lahore Fort dates from the Sikh period 43 and is dedicated to the Hindu deity Lava No definitive records of Lahore s earliest history exist and Lahore s ambiguous early history has given rise to various theories about its establishment and history Hindu legend states that Keneksen the founder of the Great Suryavansha dynasty migrated out from the city 44 Early records of Lahore are scant but Alexander the Great s historians make no mention of any city near Lahore s location during his invasion in 326 BCE suggesting the city had not been founded by that point or was unimportant 45 Ptolemy mentions in his Geographia a city called Labokla situated near the Chenab and Ravi Rivers which may have been in reference to ancient Lahore or an abandoned predecessor of the city 46 Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang gave a vivid description of a large and prosperous unnamed city when he visited the region in 630 CE during his tour of India that may have been Lahore 47 Xuanzang described the city which was then under Taank rule as a great Brahmin city The first document that mentions Lahore by name is the Hudud al Alam The Regions of the World written in 982 CE 48 in which Lahore is mentioned as a town which had impressive temples large markets and huge orchards 49 50 Lahore previously a town first emerged as a notable city in 11th century during the era of great sufi saint Ali al Hajvery 51 Few other references to Lahore remain from before its capture by the Ghaznavid Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni in the 11th century Lahore appears to have served as the capital of north east Punjab during this time under Anandapala of the Kabul Shahi empire who had moved the capital there from Waihind 52 The capital would later be moved to Sialkot following Ghaznavid incursions 47 Medieval era Edit Main article Early Muslim period in Lahore Ghaznavid Edit The Data Darbar shrine one of Pakistan s most important was built to commemorate the patron saint of Lahore Ali Hujwiri who lived in the city during the Ghaznavid era in the 11th century Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni captured Lahore somewhere in 1020 1027 Under Ghaznavid rule Lahore emerged effectively as the empire s second capital 47 In 1021 Sultan Mahmud appointed Malik Ayaz to the Throne of Lahore a governorship of the Ghaznavid Empire The city was captured by Nialtigin the rebellious Muslim Governor of Multan in 1034 although his forces were expelled by Malik Ayaz in 1036 53 With the support of Sultan Ibrahim Ghaznavi Malik Ayaz rebuilt and repopulated the city which had been devastated after the Ghaznavid invasion Ayaz erected city walls and a masonry fort built in 1037 1040 on the ruins of the previous one 54 which had been demolished during the Ghaznavid invasion A confederation of Hindu princes then unsuccessfully laid siege to Lahore in 1043 44 during Ayaz rule 47 The city became a cultural and academic centre renowned for poetry under Malik Ayaz reign 55 56 Lahore was formally made the eastern capital of the Ghaznavid empire in 1152 22 under the reign of Khusrau Shah 57 The city then became the sole capital of the Ghaznavid empire in 1163 after the fall of Ghazni 58 Under their patronage poets and scholars from Kashgar Bukhara Samarkand Baghdad Nishapur Amol and Ghazni congregated in Lahore 59 The entire city of Lahore during the medieval Ghaznavid era was probably located west of the modern Shah Alami Bazaar and north of the Bhatti Gate 22 Mamluk Edit In 1186 the Ghurid ruler Muhammad of Ghor captured Lahore in third successive attempt after imprisoning the last Ghaznavid ruler Khusrau Malik 47 ending Ghaznavid rule over Lahore Lahore was made an important establishment of the Mamluk Dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate following the assassination of Muhammad of Ghor in 1206 Under the reign of Mamluk sultan Qutb ud Din Aibak Lahore attracted poets and scholars from Turkestan Greater Khorasan Persia and Mesopotamia Lahore at this time had more poets writing in Persian than any city in Persia or Khorasan 60 61 Following the death of Aibak Lahore came to be disputed among Ghurid officers The city first came under the control of the Governor of Multan Nasir ad Din Qabacha before being briefly captured by the sultan of the Mamluks in Delhi Iltutmish in 1217 47 In an alliance with local Khokhars in 1223 Jalal al Din Mangburni of the Khwarazmian dynasty of modern day Uzbekistan captured Lahore after fleeing Genghis Khan s invasion of Khwarazm 47 Jalal ad Din s then fled from Lahore to capture the city of Uch Sharif after Iltutmish s armies re captured Lahore in 1228 47 The threat of Mongol invasions and political instability in Lahore caused future Sultans to regard Delhi as a safer capital for medieval Islamic India 62 though Delhi had before been considered a forward base while Lahore had been widely considered to be the centre of Islamic culture in the north eastern Punjab 62 Lahore came under progressively weaker central rule under Iltutmish s descendants in Delhi to the point that governors in the city acted with great autonomy 47 Under the rule of Kabir Khan Ayaz Lahore was virtually independent from the Delhi Sultanate 47 Lahore was sacked and ruined by the Mongol army in 1241 63 Lahore governor Malik Ikhtyaruddin Qaraqash fled the Mongols 64 while the Mongols held the city for a few years under the rule of the Mongol chief Toghrul 62 In 1266 Sultan Balban reconquered Lahore but in 1287 under the Mongol ruler Temur Khan 62 the Mongols again overran northern Punjab Because of Mongol invasions Lahore region had become a city on a frontier with the region s administrative centre shifted south to Dipalpur 47 The Mongols again invaded northern Punjab in 1298 though their advance was eventually stopped by Ulugh Khan brother of Sultan Alauddin Khalji of Delhi 62 The Mongols again attacked Lahore in 1305 65 Tughluq Edit Lahore briefly flourished again under the reign of Ghiyath al Din Tughlaq Ghazi Malik of the Tughluq dynasty between 1320 and 1325 though the city was again sacked in 1329 by Tarmashirin of the Central Asian Chagatai Khanate and then again by the Mongol chief Hulechu 47 Khokhars seized Lahore in 1342 66 but the city was retaken by Ghazi Malik s son Muhammad bin Tughluq 47 The weakened city then fell into obscurity and was captured once more by the Khokhars in 1394 53 By the time Tamerlane captured the city in 1398 from Shayka Khokhar he did not loot it because it was no more wealthy 44 Late Sultanates Edit The Neevin Mosque is one of Lahore s few remaining medieval era buildings Mongol conqueror Timur gave control of the Lahore region to Khizr Khan Governor of Multan who later established the Sayyid dynasty in 1414 the fourth dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate 67 Lahore was briefly occupied by the Timurid Governor of Kabul in 1432 33 62 Lahore began to be incurred upon yet again the Khokhar tribe and so the city was granted to Bahlul Lodi in 1441 by the Sayyid dynasty in Delhi though Lodi would then displace the Sayyids in 1451 by establishing himself upon the throne of Delhi 47 Bahlul Lodi installed his cousin Tatar Khan to be governor of the city though Tatar Khan died in battle with Sikandar Lodi in 1485 68 Governorship of Lahore was transferred by Sikandar Lodi to Umar Khan Sarwani who quickly left the management of this city to his son Said Khan Sarwani Said Khan was removed from power in 1500 by Sikandar Lodi and Lahore came under the governorship of Daulat Khan Lodi son of Tatar Khan and former employer of Guru Nanak founder of the Sikh faith 68 Mughals Edit Main articles Subah of Lahore and Mughal period in Lahore Badshahi Mosque Lahore Fort Tomb of Jahangir Shahi Hammam Grave of Nur Jahan Lahore s Wazir Khan Mosque is considered to be the most ornately decorated Mughal era mosque 69 The Begum Shahi Mosque was completed in 1614 in honour of Jahangir s mother Mariam uz Zamani Early Mughal Edit Babur the founder of the Mughal Empire captured and sacked Lahore and Dipalpur although he retreated after the Lodi nobles backed away from assisting him 70 47 The city became a refuge to Humayun and his cousin Kamran Mirza when Sher Shah Suri rose in power on the Gangetic Plains displacing Mughal power Sher Shah Suri continued to rise in power and seized Lahore in 1540 though Humayun reconquered Lahore in February 1555 47 The establishment of Mughal rule eventually led to the most prosperous era of Lahore s history 47 Lahore s prosperity and central position has yielded more Mughal era monuments in Lahore than either Delhi or Agra 71 By the time of the rule of the Mughal empire s greatest emperors a majority of Lahore s residents did not live within the walled city itself but instead lived in suburbs that had spread outside the city s walls 22 Only 9 of the 36 urban quarters around Lahore known as guzars were located within the city s walls during the Akbar period 22 During this period Lahore was closely tied to smaller market towns known as qasbahs such as Kasur and Eminabad as well as Amritsar and Batala in modern day India which in turn linked to supply chains in villages surrounding each qasbah 22 Akbar Edit Beginning in 1584 Lahore became the Mughal capital when Akbar began re fortifying the city s ruined citadel laying the foundations for the revival of the Lahore Fort 22 Akbar made Lahore one of his original twelve subah provinces 22 and in 1585 86 relegated governorship of the city and subah to Bhagwant Das brother of Mariam uz Zamani who was commonly known as Jodhabhai 72 Akbar also rebuilt the city s walls and extended their perimeter east of the Shah Alami bazaar to encompass the sparsely populated Rarra Maidan 22 The Akbari Mandi grain market was set up during this era and continues to function until the present day 22 Akbar also established the Dharampura neighbourhood in the early 1580s which survives today 73 The earliest of Lahore s many havelis date from the Akbari era 22 Lahore s Mughal monuments were built under Akbar s reign of several emperors 22 and Lahore reached its cultural zenith during this period with dozens of mosques tombs shrines and urban infrastructure developed during this period Jahangir Edit During the reign of Emperor Jahangir in the early 17th century Lahore s bazaars were noted to be vibrant frequented by foreigners and stocked with a wide array of goods 22 In 1606 Jehangir s rebel son Khusrau Mirza laid siege to Lahore after obtaining the blessings of the Sikh Guru Arjan Dev 74 Jehangir quickly defeated his son at Bhairowal and the roots of Mughal Sikh animosity grew 74 Sikh Guru Arjan Dev was executed in Lahore in 1606 for his involvement in the rebellion 75 Emperor Jahangir chose to be buried in Lahore and his tomb was built in Lahore s Shahdara Bagh suburb in 1637 by his wife Nur Jahan whose tomb is also nearby Shah Jahan Edit Jahangir s son Shah Jahan reigned between 1628 and 1658 and was born in Lahore in 1592 He renovated large portions of the Lahore Fort with luxurious white marble and erected the iconic Naulakha Pavilion in 1633 76 Shah Jahan lavished Lahore with some of its most celebrated and iconic monuments such as the Shahi Hammam in 1635 and both the Shalimar Gardens and the extravagantly decorated Wazir Khan Mosque in 1641 The population of pre modern Lahore probably reached its zenith during his reign with suburban districts home to perhaps 6 times as many compared to within the Walled City 22 Aurangzeb Edit The iconic Alamgiri Gate of the Lahore Fort was built in 1674 and faces Aurangzeb s Badshahi Mosque Wazir Khan Mosque painting by William Carpenter 1866 Shah Jahan s son and last of the great Mughal Emperors Aurangzeb further contributed to the development of Lahore Aurangzeb built the Alamgiri Bund embankment along the Ravi River in 1662 in order to prevent its shifting course from threatening the city s walls 22 The area near the embankment grew into a fashionable locality with several pleasure gardens laid near the band by Lahore s gentry 22 The largest of Lahore s Mughal monuments was raised during his reign the Badshahi Mosque in 1673 as well as the iconic Alamgiri gate of the Lahore Fort in 1674 77 Late Mughal Edit The Sunehri Mosque was built in the Walled City of Lahore in the early 18th century when the Mughal Empire was in decline Civil wars regarding succession to the Mughal throne following Aurangzeb s death in 1707 lead to weakening control over Lahore from Delhi and a prolonged period of decline in Lahore 78 Mughal preoccupation with the Marathas in the Deccan eventually resulted in Lahore being governed by a series of governors who pledged nominal allegiance to the ever weaker Mughal emperors in Delhi 22 Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah I died en route to Lahore as part of a campaign in 1711 to subdue Sikh rebels under the leadership of Banda Singh Bahadur 47 His sons fought a battle outside Lahore in 1712 for succession to the Mughal crown with Jahandar winning the throne 47 Sikh rebels were defeated during the reign of Farrukhsiyar when Abd as Samad and Zakariyya Khan suppressed them 47 Nader Shah s brief invasion of the Mughal Empire in early 1739 wrested control away from Zakariya Khan Bahadur Though Khan was able to win back control after the Persian armies had left 47 Nader Shah s invasion shifted trade routes away from Lahore and south towards Kandahar instead 22 Indus ports near the Arabian Sea that served Lahore also silted up during this time reducing the city s importance even further 22 Struggles between Zakariyya Khan s sons following his death in 1745 further weakened Muslim control over Lahore thus leaving the city in a power vacuum and vulnerable to foreign marauders 79 Durrani Invasions Edit Ahmad Shah Durrani the founder of the Afghan Durrani Empire captured Lahore in January 1748 47 Following Ahmed Shah Durrani s quick retreat the Mughals entrusted Lahore to Mu in al Mulk Mir Mannu 47 Ahmad Shah Durrani again invaded in 1751 forcing Mir Mannu into signing a treaty that submitted Lahore to Afghan rule 47 The Mughal Wazir Ghazi Din Imad al Mulk would seize Lahore in 1756 provoking Ahmad Shah Durrani to again invade in 1757 after which he placed the city under the rule of his son Timur Shah Durrani 47 Durrani rule was interrupted when Lahore was briefly captured by Marathas in 1758 during their campaigns against the Afghans under Raghunathrao who drove out the Afghans 80 while a combined Sikh Maratha defeated an Afghan assault in the 1759 Battle of Lahore 81 Following the Third Battle of Panipat Ahmad Shah Durrani defeated the Marathas and recaptured Lahore Sikh forces quickly occupied the city after the Durranis withdrew from the city in 1765 47 The Durranis invaded two more times in 1797 and 1798 respectively under Shah Zaman but the Sikhs re occupied the city after both invasions 47 Sikh Edit Main article Sikh period in Lahore Samadhi of Ranjit Singh Gurdwara Dera Sahib Haveli of Nau Nihal Singh Hazuri Bagh Gurdwara Janam Asthan Guru Ram Das The Tomb of Asif Khan was one of several monuments plundered for its precious building materials during the Sikh period 78 82 Early Edit Expanding Sikh Misls secured control over Lahore in 1767 when the Bhangi Misl state captured the city 83 In 1780 The city was divided among three rulers Gujjar Singh Lahna Singh and Sobha Singh Instability resulting from this arrangement allowed nearby Amritsar to establish itself as the area s primary commercial centre in place of Lahore 22 Ahmad Shah Durrani s grandson Zaman Shah invaded Lahore in 1796 and again in 1798 9 47 Ranjit Singh negotiated with the Afghans for the post of subahdar to control Lahore following the second invasion 47 By the end of the 18th century the city s population drastically declined with its remaining resident s living within the city walls while the extramural suburbs lay abandoned forcing travellers to pass through abandoned and ruined suburbs for a few miles before reaching the city s gates 22 Sikh Empire Edit Lahore s Hazuri Bagh is at the centre of an ensemble of Mughal and Sikh era monuments including the Badshahi Mosque Lahore Fort Roshnai Gate and the Samadhi of Ranjit Singh The marble Hazuri Bagh Baradari was built in 1818 to celebrate Ranjit Singh s acquisition of the Koh i Noor diamond 84 In the aftermath of Zaman Shah s 1799 invasion of Punjab Ranjit Singh of nearby Gujranwala began to consolidate his position Singh was able to seize control of the region after a series of battles with the Sikh Bhangi Misl chiefs who had seized Lahore in 1780 47 85 His army marched to Anarkali where according to legend the gatekeeper of the Lohari Gate Mukham Din Chaudhry opened the gates allowing Ranjit Singh s army to enter Lahore 78 After capturing the Lahore Sikh soldiers immediately began plundering Muslim areas of the city until their actions were reined in by Ranjit Singh 86 Ranjit Singh s rule restored some of Lahore s lost grandeur but at the expense of destroying the remaining Mughal architecture for its building materials 22 He established a mint in the city in 1800 78 and moved into the Mughal palace at the Lahore Fort after repurposing it for his own use in governing the Sikh Empire 87 In 1801 he established the Gurdwara Janam Asthan Guru Ram Das to mark the site where Guru Ram Das was born in 1534 Lahore became the empire s administrative capital though the nearby economic centre of Amritsar had also been established as the empire s spiritual capital by 1802 22 By 1812 Singh had mostly refurbished the city s defences by adding a second circuit of outer walls surrounding Akbar s original walls with the two separated by a moat Singh also partially restored Shah Jahan s decaying Shalimar Gardens 88 and built the Hazuri Bagh Baradari in 1818 to celebrate his capture of the Koh i Noor diamond from Shuja Shah Durrani in 1813 84 He erected the Gurdwara Dera Sahib to mark the site of Guru Arjan Dev s 1606 death The Sikh royal court also endowed religious architecture in the city including a number of Sikh gurdwaras Hindu temples and havelis 89 90 While much of Lahore s Mughal era fabric lay in ruins by the time of his arrival Ranjit Singh s rule saw the re establishment of Lahore s glory though Mughal monuments suffered during the Sikh period Singh s armies plundered most of Lahore s most precious Mughal monuments and stripped the white marble from several monuments to send to different parts of the Sikh Empire during his reign 91 Monuments plundered for decorative materials include the Tomb of Asif Khan the Tomb of Nur Jahan and the Shalimar Gardens 92 78 Ranjit Singh s army also desecrated the Badshahi Mosque by converting it into an ammunition depot and a stable for horses 93 The Sunehri Mosque in the Walled City of Lahore was also converted to a gurdwara 94 while the Mosque of Mariyam Zamani Begum was repurposed into a gunpowder factory 95 Late Edit The Sikh royal court or the Lahore Durbar underwent a quick succession of rulers after the death of Ranjit Singh His son Kharak Singh died soon after taking the throne on 6 November 1840 while the next appointed successor to the throne Nau Nihal Singh died in an accident at Lahore s Hazuri Bagh on 6 November 1840 the same day Kharak Singh died 78 Maharaja Sher Singh was then selected as Maharajah though his claim to the throne was quickly challenged by Chand Kaur widow of Kharak Singh and mother of Nau Nihal Singh who quickly seized the throne 78 Sher Singh raised an army that attacked Chand Kaur s forces in Lahore on 14 January 1841 His soldiers mounted weaponry on the minarets of the Badshahi Mosque in order to target Chand Kaur s forces in the Lahore Fort destroying the fort s historic Diwan e Aam 93 Kaur quickly ceded the throne but Sher Sing was then assassinated in 1843 in Lahore s Chah Miran neighbourhood along with his Wazir Dhiyan Singh 84 Dhyan Singh s son Hira Singh sought to avenge his father s death by laying siege to Lahore in order to capture his father s assassins The siege resulted in the capture of his father s murderer Ajit Singh 78 Duleep Singh was then crowned Maharajah with Hira Singh as his Wazir but his power would be weakened by the continued infighting among Sikh nobles 78 as well as confrontations against the British during the two Anglo Sikh WarsAfter the conclusion of the two Anglo Sikh wars the Sikh Empire fell into disarray resulting in the fall of the Lahore Durbar and commencement of British rule after they captured Lahore and the wider Punjab Region 78 British colonial period Edit University of the Punjab Government College University Lahore Museum Lahore High Court King Edward Medical University Map of the Old City and environs The Shah Alami area of Lahore s Walled City in 1890 The British East India Company seized control of Lahore in February 1846 from the collapsing Sikh state and occupied the rest of Punjab in 1848 22 Following the defeat of the Sikhs at the Battle of Gujrat British troops formally deposed Maharaja Duleep Singh in Lahore that same year 22 Punjab was then annexed to the British Indian Empire in 1849 22 At the commencement of British rule Lahore was estimated to have a population of 120 000 96 Prior to annexation by the British Lahore s environs consisted mostly of the Walled City surrounded by plains interrupted by settlements to the south and east such as Mozang and Qila Gujar Singh which have since been engulfed by modern Lahore The plains between the settlements also contained the remains of Mughal gardens tombs and Sikh era military structures 97 The British viewed Lahore s Walled City as a bed of potential social discontent and disease epidemics and so largely left the inner city alone while focusing development efforts in Lahore s suburban areas and Punjab s fertile countryside 98 The British instead laid out their capital city in an area south of the Walled City that would first come to be known as Donald s Town before being renamed Civil Station 99 Under early British rule formerly prominent Mughal era monuments that were scattered throughout Civil Station were also re purposed and sometimes desecrated including the Tomb of Anarkali which the British had initially converted to clerical offices before re purposing it as an Anglican church in 1851 100 The 17th century Dai Anga Mosque was converted into railway administration offices during this time the tomb of Nawab Bahadur Khan was converted into a storehouse and the tomb of Mir Mannu was used as a wine shop 101 The British also used older structures to house municipal offices such as the Civil Secretariat Public Works Department and Accountant General s Office 102 Having been constructed in the immediate aftermath of the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny the design of the Lahore Railway Station was highly militarised in order to defend the structure from any further potential uprisings against British rule The British built the Lahore Railway Station just outside the Walled City shortly after the Mutiny of 1857 and so built the station in the style of a medieval castle to ward off any potential future uprisings with thick walls turrets and holes to direct gun and cannon fire for the defence of the structure 103 Lahore s most prominent government institutions and commercial enterprises came to be concentrated in Civil Station in a half mile wide area flanking The Mall where unlike in Lahore s military zone the British and locals were allowed to mix 104 The Mall continues to serve as the epicentre of Lahore s civil administration as well as one of its most fashionable commercial areas The British also laid the spacious Lahore Cantonment to the southeast of the Walled City at the former village of Mian Mir where unlike around The Mall laws did exist against the mixing of different races Lahore was visited on 9 February 1870 by Prince Alfred Duke of Edinburgh a visit in which he received delegations from the Dogras of Jammu Maharajas of Patiala the Nawab of Bahawalpur and other rulers from various Punjabi states 105 During the visit he visited several of Lahore s major sights 105 British authorities built several important structures around the time of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887 in the distinct Indo Saracenic style The Lahore Museum and Mayo School of Industrial Arts were both established around this in this style 106 The British carried out a census of Lahore in 1901 and counted 20 691 houses in the Walled City 107 An estimated 200 000 people lived in Lahore at this time 96 Lahore s posh Model Town was established as a garden town suburb in 1921 while Krishan Nagar locality was laid in the 1930s near The Mall and Walled City The Mall Lahore s pre independence commercial core features many examples of colonial architecture Lahore played an important role in the independence movements of both India 108 and Pakistan The Declaration of the Independence of India was moved by Jawaharlal Nehru and passed unanimously at midnight on 31 December 1929 at Lahore s Bradlaugh Hall 109 The Indian Swaraj flag was adopted this time as well Lahore s jail was used by the British to imprison independence activists such as Jatin Das and was also where Bhagat Singh was hanged in 1931 110 Under the leadership of Muhammad Ali Jinnah The All India Muslim League passed the Lahore Resolution in 1940 demanding the creation of Pakistan as a separate homeland for the Muslims of India 111 Sir Ganga Ram is considered the Father of Modern Lahore 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 Partition Edit The 1941 census showed that city of Lahore had a population of 671 659 of which was 64 5 Muslim with the remainder 35 being Hindu and Sikh alongside a small Christian community 24 120 The population figure was disputed by Hindus and Sikhs before the Boundary Commission that would draw the Radcliffe Line to demarcate the border of the two new states based on religious demography 24 In a bid to have Lahore awarded to India they argued that the city was only 54 Muslim and that Hindu and Sikh domination of the city s economy and educational institutions should trump Muslim demography 24 Two thirds of shops and 80 of Lahore s factories belonged to the Hindu and Sikh community 24 Kuldip Nayyar claimed that Cyril Radcliffe in 1971 had told him that he originally had planned to give Lahore to the new Dominion of India 121 122 123 but decided to place it within the Dominion of Pakistan which he saw as lacking a major city as he had already awarded Calcutta to India 124 121 122 As tensions grew over the city s uncertain fate Lahore experienced Partition s worst riots 24 Carnage ensued in which all three religious groups were both victims and perpetrators 125 Early riots in March and April 1947 destroyed 6 000 of Lahore 82 000 homes 24 Violence continued to rise throughout the summer despite the presence of armoured British personnel 24 Hindus and Sikhs began to leave the city en masse as their hopes that the Boundary Commission to award the city to India came to be regarded as increasingly unlikely By late August 1947 66 of Hindus and Sikhs had left the city 24 The Shah Alami Bazaar once a largely Hindu quarter of the Walled City was entirely burnt down during subsequent rioting 126 When Pakistan s independence was declared on 14 August 1947 the Radcliffe Line had not yet been announced and so cries of Long live Pakistan and God is greatest were heard intermittently with Long live Hindustan throughout the night 24 On 17 August 1947 Lahore was awarded to Pakistan on the basis of its Muslim majority in the 1941 census and was made capital of the Punjab province in the new state of Pakistan The city s location near the Indian border meant that it received large numbers of refugees fleeing eastern Punjab and northern India though it was able to accommodate them given the large stock of abandoned Hindu and Sikh properties that could be re distributed to newly arrived refugees 24 Modern Edit Islamic Summit Minar Minar e Pakistan Grand Jamia Mosque Provincial Assembly of the Punjab WAPDA House Arfa Karim tower in Lahore First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and President Ayub Khan travel by car in Lahore 1962 Partition left Lahore with a much weakened economy and a stymied social and cultural scene that had previously been invigorated by the city s Hindus and Sikhs 24 Industrial production dropped to one third of pre Partition levels by the end of the 1940s and only 27 of its manufacturing units were operating by 1950 and usually well below capacity 24 Capital flight further weakened the city s economy while Karachi industrialized and became more prosperous 24 The city s weakened economy and proximity to the Indian border meant that the city was deemed unsuitable to be the Pakistani capital after independence Karachi was therefore chosen to be capital on account of its relative tranquillity during the Partition period stronger economy and better infrastructure 24 Sections of the Walled City of Lahore have been under restoration since 2012 in conjunction with the Agha Khan Trust for Culture After independence Lahore slowly regained its significance as an economic and cultural centre of western Punjab Reconstruction began in 1949 of the Shah Alami Bazaar the former commercial heart of the Walled City until it was destroyed in the 1947 riots 126 The Tomb of Allama Iqbal was built in 1951 to honour the philosopher poet who provided the spiritual inspiration for the Pakistan movement 24 In 1955 Lahore was selected to be the capital of all West Pakistan during the single unit period that lasted until 1970 24 Shortly afterwards Lahore s iconic Minar e Pakistan was completed in 1968 to mark the spot where the Pakistan Resolution was passed 24 With support from the United Nations the government was able to rebuild Lahore and most scars from the communal violence of Partition were ameliorated The second Islamic Summit Conference was held in the city in 1974 127 In retaliation for the destruction of the Babri Masjid in India riots erupted in 1992 in which several non Muslim monuments were targeted including the tomb of Maharaja Sher Singh 84 and the former Jain temple near the Mall In 1996 the International Cricket Council Cricket World Cup final match was held at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore 128 The Walled City of Lahore restoration project began in 2009 when the Punjab government restored the Royal Trail from Akbari Gate to the Lahore Fort with money from the World Bank 129 Geography Edit Lahore as seen from International Space Station River Ravi flows from North to West LahoreClimate chart explanation J F M A M J J A S O N D 23 18 6 29 20 9 41 26 11 20 29 14 22 31 17 36 34 19 202 36 20 164 35 20 61 33 19 12 29 14 4 24 12 14 20 9Average max and min temperatures in CPrecipitation totals in mmSource Hong Kong Observatory 130 Imperial conversionJFMAMJJASOND 0 9 64 43 1 1 68 48 1 6 78 52 0 8 83 58 0 9 88 62 1 4 93 67 8 96 68 6 5 96 68 2 4 92 65 0 5 84 57 0 2 75 53 0 6 67 48Average max and min temperatures in FPrecipitation totals in inchesMain article Geography of Lahore Lying between 31 15 31 45 N and 74 01 74 39 E Lahore is bounded on the north and west by the Sheikhupura District on the east by Wagah and on the south by Kasur District The Ravi River flows on the northern side of Lahore Lahore city covers a total land area of 404 square kilometres 156 sq mi Lahore is in the north eastern portion of the country Climate Edit Main article Climate of Lahore Lahore has a semi arid climate Koppen climate classification BSh not receiving enough rainfall to feature the humid subtropical climate The hottest month is June where temperatures routinely exceed 45 C 113 F The monsoon season starts in late July and the wettest months are July and August 130 with heavy rainfalls and evening thunderstorms with the possibility of cloudbursts and flash floods The coolest month is January with dense fog 131 The city s record high temperature was 50 4 C 122 7 F recorded on 5 June 2003 132 48 C 118 F was recorded on 10 June 2007 133 134 At the time the meteorological office recorded this official temperature in the shade it reported a heat index in direct sunlight of 55 C 131 F 135 The highest rainfall in a 24 hour period is 221 millimetres 8 7 in recorded on 13 August 2008 136 Climate data for Lahore 1961 1990 extremes 1931 2018 Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high C F 27 8 82 0 33 3 91 9 37 8 100 0 46 1 115 0 48 3 118 9 50 3 122 5 46 1 115 0 42 8 109 0 41 7 107 1 40 6 105 1 35 0 95 0 30 0 86 0 50 3 122 5 Average high C F 19 8 67 6 22 0 71 6 27 1 80 8 33 9 93 0 38 6 101 5 40 4 104 7 36 1 97 0 35 0 95 0 35 0 95 0 32 9 91 2 27 4 81 3 21 6 70 9 30 8 87 4 Daily mean C F 12 8 55 0 15 4 59 7 20 5 68 9 26 8 80 2 31 2 88 2 33 9 93 0 31 5 88 7 30 7 87 3 29 7 85 5 25 6 78 1 19 5 67 1 14 2 57 6 24 3 75 8 Average low C F 5 9 42 6 8 9 48 0 14 0 57 2 19 6 67 3 23 7 74 7 27 4 81 3 26 9 80 4 26 4 79 5 24 4 75 9 18 2 64 8 11 6 52 9 6 8 44 2 17 8 64 0 Record low C F 2 2 28 0 0 0 32 0 2 8 37 0 10 0 50 0 14 0 57 2 18 0 64 4 20 0 68 0 19 0 66 2 16 7 62 1 8 3 46 9 1 7 35 1 1 1 30 0 2 2 28 0 Average rainfall mm inches 34 0 1 34 31 6 1 24 98 2 3 87 19 7 0 78 22 4 0 88 122 3 4 81 214 1 8 43 204 9 8 07 61 1 2 41 12 4 0 49 4 2 0 17 13 9 0 55 838 8 33 04 Mean monthly sunshine hours 218 8 215 0 245 8 276 6 308 3 269 0 227 5 234 9 265 6 290 0 259 6 222 9 3 034Source 1 NOAA 1961 1990 137 Source 2 PMD 138 Demographics EditHistorical populationYearPop 1881138 878 1891159 947 15 2 1901186 884 16 8 1911228 687 22 4 1921281 781 23 2 1931400 075 42 0 1941671 659 67 9 19511 130 000 68 2 19611 630 000 44 2 19722 198 890 139 34 9 19812 988 486 139 35 9 19985 209 088 139 74 3 201711 126 285 139 113 6 Population Edit The results of the 2017 Census determined the population to be at 11 126 285 9 with an annual growth rate of 4 07 since 1998 140 Gender wise 52 35 of the population are male 47 64 are female and 0 01 are transgender 140 Lahore is a young city with over 40 of its inhabitants below the age of 15 141 Ethnic Groups Edit According to the official census statistics 80 9 of Lahore s population are Punjabis 12 6 Urdu speaking people 2 7 Pashtuns 1 02 Saraikis and 2 78 are of other ethnicities 142 143 Religion Edit Main article Religion in Lahore Religion in Lahore District 2017 144 145 Religion PercentIslam 94 7 Christianity 5 14 Hinduism 0 024 Others 0 136 The city has a Muslim majority 94 7 Christian 5 14 minority population Hindu 0 024 146 There is also a small but longstanding Zoroastrian community Additionally Lahore contains some of Sikhism s holiest sites and is a major Sikh pilgrimage site 147 According to the 1998 census 94 of Lahore s population is Muslim up from 60 in 1941 Other religions include Christians 5 80 of the total population though they form around 9 0 of the rural population and small numbers of Ahmadis Bahaʼis Hindus Parsis and Sikhs Lahore s first church was built during the reign of Emperor Akbar in the late 16th century which was then leveled by Shah Jahan in 1632 148 There is a small number of Hindus living in Lahore The Shri Krishna mandir and the Valmiki Mandir are the only two functional temples in Lahore 149 Languages Edit Languages by number of speakers in the Lahore district 150 Punjabi 80 94 Urdu 12 62 Other 6 44 The Punjabi language is the most widely spoken native language in Lahore with 80 of Lahore counting it as their first language according to the 2017 Census 151 Lahore is the largest Punjabi speaking city in the world Urdu and English are used as official languages and as mediums of instruction and media administration However Punjabi is also taught at graduation level and used in theaters films and newspapers from Lahore 152 153 Several Lahore based prominent educational leaders researchers and social commentators have demanded that the Punjabi language should be declared as the medium of instruction at the primary level and be used officially in the Punjab Assembly Lahore 154 155 Cityscape EditOld City Edit Cityscape of Lahore The area around the Wazir Khan Mosque exemplifies the Walled City s urban form Lahore s modern cityscape consists of the historic Walled City of Lahore in the northern part of the city which contains several world and national heritage sites Lahore s urban planning was not based on geometric design but was instead built piecemeal with small cul de sacs katrahs and galis developed in the context of neighbouring buildings 22 Though certain neighbourhoods were named for particular religious or ethnic communities the neighbourhoods themselves typically were diverse and were not dominated by the namesake group 22 Lahore s urban typology is similar to other ancient cities in South Asia such as Peshawar Multan and Delhi all of which were founded near a major river and included an old walled city as well as a royal citadel By the end of the Sikh rule most of Lahore s massive haveli compounds had been occupied by settlers New neighbourhoods occasionally grew up entirely within the confines of an old Mughal haveli such as the Mohallah Pathan Wali which grew within the ruins of a haveli of the same name that was built by Mian Khan 22 By 1831 all Mughal Havelis in the Walled City had been encroached upon by the surrounding neighbourhood 22 leading to the modern day absence of any Mughal Havelis in Lahore A total of thirteen gates once surrounded the historic walled city Some of the remaining gates include the Raushnai Gate Masti Gate Yakki Gate Kashmiri Gate Khizri Gate Shah Burj Gate Akbari Gate and Lahori Gate Southeast of the walled city is the spacious British era Lahore Cantonment Architecture Edit Further information Architecture of Lahore Built in 2012 Grand Jamia Mosque in Southern Lahore is a blend of Mughal and modern architecture Lahore is home to numerous monuments from the Mughal Dynasty Sikh Empire and the British Indian Raj The architectural style of the Walled City of Lahore has traditionally been influenced by Mughal and Sikh styles 156 Sir Ganga Ram is considered the Father of Modern Lahore 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 The leafy suburbs to the south of the Old City as well as the Cantonment southwest of the Old City were largely developed under British colonial rule and feature colonial era buildings built alongside leafy avenues Sikh period Edit By the arrival of the Sikh Empire Lahore had decayed from its former glory as the Mughal capital Rebuilding efforts under Ranjit Singh and his successors were influenced by Mughal practices and Lahore was known as the City of Gardens during the Ranjit Singh period 157 158 Later British maps of the area surrounding Lahore dating from the mid 19th century show many walled private gardens which were confiscated from the Muslim noble families bearing the names of prominent Sikh nobles a pattern of patronage which was inherited from the Mughals While much of Lahore s Mughal era fabric lay in ruins by the time of his arrival Ranjit Singh s army s plundered most of Lahore s most precious Mughal monuments and stripped the white marble from several monuments to send to different parts of the Sikh Empire 91 Monuments plundered of their marble include the Tomb of Asif Khan Tomb of Nur Jahan the Shalimar Gardens were plundered of much of its marble and costly agate 92 78 The Sikh state also demolished a number of shrines and monuments laying outside the city s walls 159 Sikh rule left Lahore with several monuments and a heavily altered Lahore Fort Ranjit Singh s rule had restored Lahore to much of its last grandeur 22 and the city was left with a large number of religious monuments from this period Several havelis were built during this era though only a few still remain 22 British period Edit A syncretic architectural style that blends Islamic Hindu and Western motifs took root during the colonial era as shown at Aitchison College Much of old Lahore features colonial era buildings such as the Tollinton Market As the capital of British Punjab British colonialists made a lasting architectural impression on the city Structures were built predominantly in the Indo Gothic style a syncretic architectural style that blends elements of Victorian and Islamic architecture or in the distinct Indo Saracenic style The British also built neoclassical Montgomery Hall which today serves as the Quaid e Azam Library 160 Lawrence Gardens were also laid near Civil Station and were paid for by donations solicited from both Lahore s European community as well as from wealthy locals The gardens featured over 600 species of plants and were tended to by a horticulturist sent from London s Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew 161 The British authorities built several important structures around the time of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887 in the distinct Indo Saracenic style The Lahore Museum and Mayo School of Industrial Arts were both established around this in this style 106 Other prominent examples of the Indo Saracenic style in Lahore include Lahore s prestigious Aitchison College the Punjab Chief Court today the Lahore High Court Lahore Museum and University of the Punjab Many of Lahore s most important buildings were designed by Sir Ganga Ram who is sometimes called the Father of modern Lahore 162 Parks and gardens Edit Main article List of parks and gardens in Lahore Lahore s Bagh e Jinnah was laid in 1862 Lahore is also known as the City of Gardens due to large number of gardens The Shahdara Bagh was one of the earliest Mughal gardens laid in 15th century It contains tomb of Jahangir The Shalimar Gardens were laid out during the reign of Shah Jahan and were designed to mimic the Islamic paradise of the afterlife described in the Qur an The gardens follow the familiar charbagh layout of four squares with three descending terraces In 1818 Hazuri Bagh was built during reign of Ranjit Singh to celebrate his capture of the Koh i Noor diamond from Shuja Shah Durrani The Lawrence Garden was established in 1862 and was originally named after Sir John Lawrence late 19th century British Viceroy to India The Circular Garden which surrounds on the Walled City on three sides was established by 1892 78 The former parade ground adjacent to Badshahi Mosque was also renamed during British era as Minto Park which after restoration was re established as Iqbal Park The many other gardens and parks in the city include Hazuri Bagh Iqbal Park Mochi Bagh Gulshan e Iqbal Park Model Town Park Race Course Park Nasir Bagh Lahore Jallo Park Lahore Zoo Safari Park and Changa Manga a man made forest near Lahore in the Kasur district Another example is the Bagh e Jinnah a 141 acre 57 ha botanical garden that houses entertainment and sports facilities as well as a library 163 164 Economy EditMain article Economy of Lahore Expo Centre Lahore PIA Head Office Emporium Mall MCB headquartersAs of 2008 update the city s gross domestic product GDP by purchasing power parity PPP was estimated at 40 billion with a projected average growth rate of 5 6 percent This is at par with Pakistan s economic hub Karachi with Lahore having half the population fostering an economy that is 51 of the size of Karachi s 78 billion in 2008 165 The contribution of Lahore to the national economy is estimated to be 11 5 and 19 to the provincial economy of Punjab 166 As a whole Punjab has 115 billion economy making it first and to date only Pakistani Subdivision of economy more than 100 billion at the rank 144 165 Lahore s GDP is projected to be 102 billion by 2025 with a slightly higher growth rate of 5 6 per annum as compared to Karachi s 5 5 165 167 A major industrial agglomeration with about 9 000 industrial units Lahore has shifted in recent decades from manufacturing to service industries 168 Some 42 of its work force is employed in finance banking real estate community cultural and social services 168 The city is Pakistan s largest software amp hardware producing centre 168 and hosts a growing computer assembly industry 168 The city has always been a centre for publications where 80 of Pakistan s books are published and it remains the foremost centre of literary educational and cultural activity in Pakistan 25 The Lahore Expo Centre is one of the biggest projects in the history of the city and was inaugurated on 22 May 2010 169 Defense Raya Golf Resort also under construction will be Pakistan s and Asia s largest golf course The project is the result of a partnership between DHA Lahore and BRDB Malaysia The rapid development of large projects such as these in the city is expected to boost the economy of the country 170 Ferozepur Road of the Central business districts of Lahore contains high rises and skyscrapers including Kayre International Hotel and Arfa Software Technology Park Transport Edit Kalma Underpass Public transportation Edit Further information List of bus routes in Lahore Lahore Metrobus Lahore s main public transportation system is operated by the Lahore Transport Company LTC and Punjab Mass Transit Authority PMTA The backbone of its public transport network is the PMTA s Lahore Metrobus and the Orange Line of the Lahore Metro train LTC and PMTA also operates an extensive network of buses providing bus service to many parts of the city and acting as a feeder system for the Metrobus The Orange Line metro spans 27 1 km around the city and operates at a speed of 80 km h 50 mph Metro Bus Edit The Lahore Metrobus is a bus rapid transit service operating in Lahore Punjab Pakistan 171 Lahore Metrobus service is integrated with Lahore Transport Company s local bus service to operate as one urban transport system providing a connected transit service across Lahore District with connections to neighboring suburban communities Metro Train Edit The Orange Line is Pakistan s first metro rail line Orange Line Edit Main article Orange Line Lahore Metro The Orange Line Metro Train is an automated rapid transit system in Lahore 172 173 The Orange line is the first of the three proposed rail lines proposed for the Lahore Metro As of 2020 it is the primary metro rail line in the city The line spans 27 1 km 16 8 mi with 25 4 km 15 8 mi elevated and 1 72 km 1 1 mi underground 174 and has a cost of 251 06 billion Rupees 1 6 billion The line consists of 26 subway stations Ali Town Station to Dera Gujran Station and is designed to carry over 250 000 passengers daily CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive rolled out the first of 27 trains for the metro on 16 May 2017 175 The train has speed up to 80 km hour For improved durability its bogies are heat resistant can manage unstable voltage and feature energy saving air conditioning 176 Successful initial test trials were run in mid 2018 177 and commercial operations began on 25 October 2020 178 Blue Line Edit The Blue Line is a proposed 24 kilometres 15 mi line from Chauburji to College Road Township Along the way it will connect places like Mozang Chungi Shadman Chowk Jail Road Mian Boulevard Gulberg Mian Boulevard Garden Town and Faisal Town 179 Purple Line Edit The Purple Line is a proposed 19 km long train It will connect Bhaati Chowk with the Allama Iqbal International Airport Along the way it will connect places like Brandreth Road Railway Station Allama Iqbal Road Dharampura and Ghazi Road 179 Taxi and Rickshaw Edit Ride sharing services such as Uber and Careem are available in the city They need to be booked in advance by apps or by calling their number Motorcycle rides are also available in the city which have been introduced by private companies These motorcycles also need to be booked in advance by apps or by calling their number Auto rickshaws play an important role of public transport in Lahore There are 246 458 auto rickshaws often simply called autos in the city Motorcycle rickshaws usually called chand gari moon car or chingchi after the Chinese company Jinan Qingqi Motorcycle Co Ltd who first introduced these to the market are also a very common means of domestic travel though they are less common and cheaper than auto rickshaws Chingchi rickshaw s provide a shared ride experience for multiple passengers and fares whereas Autorick shaws cater to only one passenger or group for a fare Since 2002 all auto rickshaws have been required to use CNG as fuel 180 Urban LOV Wagon Mini Bus Edit Medium sized vans wagons or LOVs Low Occupancy Vehicle run on routes throughout the city They function like buses and operate on many routes throughout the city 181 Intercity transportation Edit Railways Edit Lahore Junction Station serves as the main railway station for Lahore and serves as a major hub for all Pakistan Railways services in northern Pakistan It includes services to Peshawar and national capital Islamabad Rawalpindi and long distance services to Karachi and Quetta Lahore Cantonment Station also operates a few trains Buses Edit Lahore Badami Bagh Bus Terminal known colloquially as Lari Adda serves as a hub for intercity bus services in Lahore served by multiple bus companies providing a comprehensive network of services in Punjab and neighbouring provinces Lahore Jinnah Bus Terminal is also a major bus stand in Southern Lahore Apart from these stations multiple privately owned bus transportation companies operate from Band Road referred to colloquially as Chowk Yateem Khana offering intercity transport at varying fares and comfort level Airports Edit Further information Allama Iqbal International Airport and Walton Airport Allama Iqbal International Airport Pakistan s third busiest airport Allama Iqbal International Airport IATA LHE straddles the city s eastern boundary The new passenger terminal was opened in 2003 replacing the old terminal which now serves as a VIP and Hajj lounge The airport was named after the national poet philosopher Muhammad Iqbal 182 and is a secondary hub for the national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines 183 Walton Airport in Askari provides general aviation facilities In addition Sialkot International Airport IATA SKT and Faisalabad International Airport IATA LYP also serve as alternate airports for the Lahore area in addition to serving their respective cities Allama Iqbal International Airport connects Lahore with many cities worldwide including domestic destinations by both passenger and cargo flight including Ras al Khaimah Guangzhou begins 28 August 2018 184 Urumqi 185 Abu Dhabi Barcelona 186 Beijing Capital Copenhagen Dammam Dera Ghazi Khan Doha Dubai International Islamabad Jeddah Karachi Kuala Lumpur International London Heathrow Manchester Medina Milan Malpensa Multan Muscat Oslo Gardermoen Paris Charles de Gaulle Peshawar Quetta Rahim Yar Khan Riyadh Salalah 187 Tokyo Narita Toronto Pearson Mashhad Bangkok Suvarnabhumi and Tashkent 188 Roads Edit See also List of streets in Lahore The Azadi Chowk is located near the Badshahi Mosque Lahore Ring Road There are a number of municipal provincial and federal roads that serve Lahore Municipal roads Canal Road serves as the major north south artery Provincial highways Lahore Ring Road Lahore Kasur Road Ferozepur Road Lahore Raiwind Road Raiwind Road Lahore Sharaqpur Road Sagianwala Bypass Road Lahore Wagah Road Grand Trunk Road G T Road Federal highways M 2 motorway M 3 motorway M 11 motorway N 5 National Highway Multan Road N 60 National Highway Sargodha Lahore road Government EditMetropolitan Corporation Edit Under Punjab Local Government Act 2013 Lahore is a metropolitan area and under the authority of the Metropolitan Corporation Lahore 189 The district is divided into 9 zones each with its own elected Deputy Mayor The Metropolitan Corporation Lahore is a body of those 9 deputies as well as the city s mayor all of whom are elected in popular elections The Metropolitan Corporation approves zoning and land use urban design and planning environmental protection laws as well as provide municipal services Mayor Edit Main article Mayor of Lahore As per the Punjab Local Government Act 2013 the Mayor of Lahore is the elected head of the Metropolitan Corporation of Lahore The mayor is directly elected in municipal elections every four years alongside 9 deputy town mayors Mubashir Javed of the Pakistan Muslim League N was elected mayor of Lahore in 2016 The mayor is responsible for the administration of government services the composition of councils and committees overseeing Lahore City District departments and serves as the chairperson for the meeting of the Lahore Council The mayor also functions to help devise long term development plans in consultation with other stakeholders and bodies to improve the condition livability and sustainability of urban areas Neighbourhoods Edit Further information List of zones in Lahore Lahore District is a subdivision of the Punjab and is further divided into 9 administrative zones 190 Each town in turn consists of a group of union councils which total to 274 191 Tehsils of Lahore DistrictRavi Shalimar Wagha Aziz Bhatti Data Gunj Buksh Gulberg Samanabad Iqbal Nishtar A Cantonment Politics Edit The 2015 Local Government elections for Union Councils in Lahore yielded the following results 192 PML N 84 5 Independents 9 9 PTI 4 4 PPP 0 4 MCL ZonesParties UC seatsPakistan Muslim League N 229Independents 27Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf 12Pakistan Peoples Party 1Awaiting results 5Total 274Festivals Edit Lahore Canal during the spring Basant festival The people of Lahore celebrate many festivals and events throughout the year including Islamic traditional Punjabi Christian and national holidays and festivals Many people decorate their houses and light candles to illuminate the streets and houses during public holidays roads and businesses may be lit for days Many of Lahore s dozens of Sufi shrines hold annual festivals called urs to honour their respective saints For example the mausoleum of Ali Hujwiri at the Data Darbar shrine has an annual urs that attracts up to one million visitors per year 193 The popular Mela Chiraghan festival in Lahore takes place at the shrine of Madho Lal Hussain while other large urs take place at the shrines of Bibi Pak Daman and at the Shrine of Mian Mir 194 Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Adha are celebrated in the city with public buildings and shopping centers decorated in lights Lahoris also commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Husain at Karbala during massive processions that take place during the first ten days of the month of Muharram 195 Basant is a traditional Punjabi festival that marks the coming of spring Basant celebrations in Pakistan are centred in Lahore and people from all over the country and from abroad come to the city for the annual festivities Kite flying competitions traditionally take place on city rooftops during Basant while the Lahore Canal is decorated with floating lanterns Courts have banned kite flying because of casualties and power installation losses The ban was lifted for two days in 2007 then immediately reimposed when 11 people were killed by celebratory gunfire sharp kite strings electrocution and falls related to the competition 196 Lahore s churches are elaborately decorated for Christmas and Easter celebrations 197 Shopping centers and public buildings also install Christmas installations to celebrate the holiday even though Christians only constitute 3 of the total population of Lahore in 2016 146 198 Tourism EditMain article Tourism in Lahore Wazir Khan Mosque Badshahi Mosque Lahore Fort Shahi Qila Minar e Pakistan at night Shalimar GardensLahore remains a major tourist destination in Pakistan The Walled City of Lahore was renovated in 2014 and is popular due to the presence of UNESCO World Heritage Sites 199 Among the most popular sights are the Lahore Fort adjacent to the Walled City and home to the Sheesh Mahal the Alamgiri Gate the Naulakha pavilion and the Moti Masjid The fort along with the adjoining Shalimar Gardens has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981 200 The city is home to several ancient religious sites including prominent Hindu temples the Krishna Temple and Valmiki Mandir The Samadhi of Ranjit Singh also located near the Walled City houses the funerary urns of the Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh The most prominent religious building is the Badshahi Mosque constructed in 1673 it was the largest mosque in the world upon construction Another popular sight is the Wazir Khan Mosque 201 known for its extensive faience tile work and constructed in 1635 202 Cuisine Edit Main article Lahori cuisine Religious sites Edit Other well known religious sites in the city are Badshahi Mosque Dai Anga Mosque Darbar Madho Lal Hussain Data Darbar Complex Grand Jamia Mosque Lahore Gurdwara Dera Sahib Gurdwara Janam Asthan Guru Ram Das Krishna Mandir Lahore Lava Temple Lohari Gate Mosque Masjid of Mariyam Zamani Masjid Shuhada Moti Masjid Lahore Fort Muhammad Saleh Kamboh Mosque Neevin Mosque Oonchi Mosque Sacred Heart Cathedral Lahore Shab Bhar Mosque Shaheed Ganj Mosque St Andrew s Presbyterian Church Suneri Mosque Valmiki Temple Wazir Khan MosqueeMuseums Edit Army Museum Lahore Fakir Khana Islamic Summit Minar Javed Manzil Lahore Museum National History Museum National Museum of Science and Technology Shakir Ali Museum Tollinton Market Lahore City Heritage MuseumTombs Edit Tomb of Ali Mardan Khan Tomb of Allama Iqbal Tomb of Anarkali Tomb of Asif Khan Tomb of Dai Anga Tomb of Jani Khan Tomb of Jahangir Tomb of Nadira Begum Tomb of Nur Jahan Tomb of Dai Anga Buddhu s Tomb Cypress Tomb or Sarowala Maqbara Tomb of Zeb un Nissa Begum Tomb of Gul Begum Tomb of Malik Ayaz Kuri Bagh Mai Dai Mian Khan Nusrat Khan Prince Pervez Qutb ud din Aibak Saleh Kamboh Mir Niamat Khan Rasul Shahyun Zafar Jang KokaltashShrines Edit Bibi Pak Daman Ali Hujwiri Mian Mir Madho Lal Hussain Khawaja Tahir Bandgi Ghazi Ilm Din Shaheed Sheikh Musa Ahangar Khawaja Mehmud Nizam ud Din Siraj ud Din Gilani peer makki Baba Shah JamalSamadhis Edit Bhai Vasti Ram Ranjit Singh Samadhi of Bhai Mani Singh Sir Ganga Ram Bhai Taru Singh Havelis Edit There are many havelis inside the Walled City of Lahore some in good condition while others need urgent attention Many of these havelis are fine examples of Mughal and Sikh Architecture Some of the havelis inside the Walled City include Chuna Mandi Havelis Dina Nath Ki Haveli Haveli Barood Khana Haveli Mian Khan Rang Mehal Haveli of Nau Nihal Singh Haveli Shergharian near Lal Khou Haveli Sir Wajid Ali Shah near Nisar Haveli Lal Haveli beside Mochi Bagh Mubarak Begum Haveli Bhatti Gate Mubarak Haveli Chowk Nawab Sahib Mochi Akbari Gate Mughal Haveli residence of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh Nisar Haveli Salman Sirhindi ki HaveliOther landmarks Edit Shahi HammamHistoric neighbourhoods Edit Anarkali Badami Bagh Baghbanpura Begampura Mughalpura Shahdara Bagh Walled City of LahoreEducation EditMain article Education in Lahore See also List of educational institutions in Lahore List of special schools in Lahore and List of libraries in Lahore King Edward Medical University Government College University University of the Punjab Old Campus University of Engineering and Technology Main Block Lahore is known as Pakistan s educational capital citation needed with more colleges and universities than any other city in Pakistan Lahore is Pakistan s largest producer of professionals in the fields of science technology IT law engineering medicine nuclear sciences pharmacology telecommunication biotechnology and microelectronics nanotechnology and the only future hyper high tech center of Pakistan 203 Most of the reputable universities are public but in recent years there has also been an upsurge in the number of private universities It has the only AACSB accredited business school in Pakistan namely Lahore University of Management Sciences LUMS The literacy rate of Lahore is 74 Lahore hosts some of Pakistan s oldest and best educational institutes Aitchison College established in 1886 Beaconhouse National University established in 2003 Central Model School established in 1883 Crescent Model Higher Secondary School established in 1968 College of Home Economics established in 1955 College of Statistical and Actuarial Sciences established in 1950 Convent of Jesus and Mary established in 1867 Dayal Singh College established in1910 De Montmorency College of Dentistry established in 1929 Don Bosco High School established in 1956 Fatima Jinnah Medical University established in 1948 Forman Christian College established n 1864 Garrison College for Boys established in 2014 Government College University Lahore established in 1864 Hailey College of Commerce established in 1927 Islamia College established in 1892 Jamia Ashrafia established in 1947 King Edward Medical University established in 1860 Kinnaird College for Women University established in 1913 Lady Maclagan Training College established in 1933 Lady Willingdon Nursing School established in 1933 Lahore College for Women University established in 1922 Lahore Garrison University Lahore Grammar School established in 1979 Lahore Medical and Dental College established in 1997 Lahore School of Economics established in 1993 Lahore University of Management Sciences established in 1986 M A O College established in 1933 Muslim Model High School established in 1890 National College of Arts established in 1875 Oriental College established in 1876 Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design established in 1994 PakTurk International Schools and Colleges established in 2006 Queen Mary College established in 1908 Sacred Heart High School established in 1906 St Anthony s High School established in 1892 St Francis High School established in 1842 University College Lahore established in 1994 University College of Pharmacy established in 1944 University Law College established in 1868 University of Central Punjab established in 2002 University of Education established in 2002 University of Engineering and Technology Lahore established in 1921 University of Health Sciences Lahore established in 2002 University of Lahore established in 1999 University of Management and Technology Lahore established in 2002 University of the Punjab established in 1882 University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences established in 1882Notable people EditSome people born in Lahore Syed Mohammad Taqweem Ahsan born 1959 journalist John O Bayley 1925 2015 writer Kabir Bedi born 1946 actor Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar 1910 1995 astrophysicist Javed Iqbal Unmayr 1956 2001 serial killer Shah Jahan 1592 1666 emperor Shekhar Kapur born 1945 filmmaker Surinder Kaur 1929 2006 singer and songwriterSports EditMain article List of sports venues in Lahore Sports venues Pakistan playing against Argentina in 2005 Gaddafi Stadium is one of the largest stadiums of Pakistan with a capacity of 27 000 spectators Gymkhana ClubLahore has successfully hosted many international sports events including the finals of the 1990 Men s Hockey World Cup and the 1996 Cricket World Cup The headquarters of all major sports governing bodies are located here in Lahore including Cricket Hockey Rugby Football etc and also has the head office of Pakistan Olympic Association Gaddafi Stadium is a Test cricket ground in Lahore It was completed in 1959 and later in the 1990s renovations were carried out by Pakistani architect Nayyar Ali Dada Lahore is home to several golf courses The Lahore Gymkhana Golf Course the Lahore Garrison Golf and Country Club the Royal Palm Golf Club and newly built Defence Raya Golf amp Country Club are well maintained Golf Courses in Lahore In nearby Raiwind Road a 9 holes course Lake City opened in 2011 The newly opened Oasis Golf and Aqua Resort is another addition to the city It is a state of the art facility featuring golf water parks and leisure activities such as horse riding archery and more The Lahore Marathon is part of an annual package of six international marathons being sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank across Asia Africa and the Middle East More than 20 000 athletes from Pakistan and all over the world participate in this event It was first held on 30 January 2005 and again on 29 January 2006 More than 22 000 people participated in the 2006 race The third marathon was held on 14 January 2007 204 failed verification Plans exist to build Pakistan s first sports city in Lahore on the bank of the Ravi River 205 better source needed Professional sports teams from LahoreClub League Sport Venue EstablishedLahore Qalandars Abu Dhabi T20 Trophy Cricket Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium 2018Lahore Qalandars Pakistan Super League Cricket Gaddafi Stadium 2015Lahore Lions National T20 League National One day Championship Cricket Gaddafi Stadium 2004Lahore Eagles National T20 League National One day Championship Cricket Gaddafi Stadium 2006WAPDA F C Pakistan Premier League Football Punjab Stadium 1983Twin towns and sister cities EditMain article List of twin towns and sister cities in Pakistan The following international cities have been declared twin towns and sister cities of Lahore Istanbul Turkey 1975 206 Sariwon North Korea 1988 206 Xi an Shaanxi China 1992 206 Kortrijk Belgium 1993 206 Fez Morocco 1994 206 Bukhara Uzbekistan 1995 207 Samarkand Uzbekistan 1995 206 Isfahan Iran 2004 206 Mashad Iran 2006 206 Glasgow Scotland 2006 208 Chicago Illinois United States 2007 209 Belgrade Serbia 2007 206 Krakow Poland 2007 207 Coimbra Portugal 2007 207 Dushanbe Tajikistan 2008 207 Cordoba Spain 2008 210 Bogota Colombia 2009 211 Amol Iran 2010 211 Rio de Janeiro Brazil 2015 212 Awards EditIn 1966 the Government of Pakistan awarded a special flag the Hilal i istaqlal to Lahore also to Sargodha and Sialkot for showing severe resistance to the enemy during the Indo Pakistani War of 1965 as these cities were targets of the Indian aggression 213 Every year on Defence Day 6 September this flag is hoisted in these cities in recognition of the will courage and perseverance of their people 214 See also Edit Pakistan portal Lahore Fashion Week Lahore Knowledge Park Lahore Literary Festival Lahore Railway Station Lahori cuisine List of cemeteries in Lahore List of cities proper by population List of films set in Lahore List of hospitals in Lahore List of largest cities in Organisation of Islamic Cooperation member countries List of metropolitan areas in Asia List of people from Lahore List of streets in Lahore List of tallest buildings in Lahore List of towns in Lahore List of urban areas by population Lahori chaddar Sikh period in Lahore Transport in Lahore Walled City of LahoreReferences Edit Landing in the heart of Pakistan The Express Tribune 9 August 2015 Smith Oliver 12 June 2018 Paris of the East Athens of the North The cities with ideas above their station The Telegraph Archived from the original on 10 January 2022 via www telegraph co uk The City of Lights vs City of Gardens 12 January 2018 Unesco confers City of Literature title on Lahore 4 February 2021 Local govts term ends today Dawn newspaper 31 December 2021 Retrieved 5 January 2022 10 containers carrying 8m masks reach City The News International newspaper 14 January 2022 Retrieved 20 January 2022 DC Lahore vows to establish Land Record Center at LCCI Business Recorder newspaper 25 December 2021 Retrieved 5 January 2022 Punjab Portal Government of Punjab Archived from the original on 25 June 2014 Retrieved 7 July 2014 a b Population of Major Cities Census 2017 pdf PDF Pakistan Bureau of Statistics Archived from the original PDF on 29 August 2017 Retrieved 30 August 2017 A Lahori for life The News International newspaper 12 December 2021 Retrieved 6 January 2022 National Dialing Codes Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited Archived from the original on 3 September 2014 Retrieved 28 August 2014 a b Pakistan 4 Top Cities The Business Year 16 October 2020 Retrieved 25 November 2021 a b http finance gov pk bare URL a b Lahore Cantonment globalsecurity org History 22 April 2008 Archived from the original on 29 December 2008 Retrieved 16 September 2011 Shelley Fred 16 December 2014 The World s Population An Encyclopedia of Critical Issues Crises and Ever Growing Countries ABC CLIO p 356 ISBN 978 1 61069 506 0 Lahore is the historic center of the Punjab region of the northwestern portion of the Indian subcontinent Usha Masson Luther 1990 Historical Routes of North West Indian Subcontinent Lahore to Delhi 1550s 1850s A D Network Analysis Through DCNC micro Methodology Sagar Publications Diminishing Conflicts in Asia and the Pacific Why Some Subside and Others Don t Routledge 2013 ISBN 978 0 415 67031 9 Retrieved 8 April 2017 Lahore perhaps Pakistan s most liberal city Craig Tim 9 May 2015 The Taliban once ruled Pakistan s Swat Valley Now peace has returned The Washington Post ISSN 0190 8286 Retrieved 11 February 2018 We now want to dress like the people of Punjab said Abid Ibrahim 19 referring to the eastern province that includes Lahore often referred to as Pakistan s most progressive city Lahore attack Pakistan PM Sharif demands swift action on terror BBC 28 March 2016 Retrieved 19 August 2016 Lahore is one of Pakistan s most liberal and wealthy cities It is Mr Sharif s political powerbase and has seen relatively few terror attacks in recent years Dawn Pakistan The shroud over Lahore s antiquity a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af Glover William January 2007 Making Lahore Modern Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City Univ of Minnesota Press ISBN 978 0 8166 5022 4 Rising Lahore and reviving Pakistan The Express Tribune The Express Tribune 21 July 2013 Retrieved 16 June 2016 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Kudaisya Gyanesh Yong Tan Tai 2004 The Aftermath of Partition in South Asia Routledge ISBN 978 1134440481 Retrieved 28 December 2017 a b Leading News Resource of Pakistan Daily Times 4 March 2005 Archived from the original on 12 February 2008 Retrieved 16 September 2011 Zaidi S Akbar 15 October 2012 Lahore s domination Dawn Pakistan Retrieved 16 June 2016 a b Windsor Antonia 22 November 2006 Out of the rubble The Guardian London Retrieved 27 March 2010 a b Lahore Pakistan Lonely Planet Retrieved 16 June 2016 a b Latif Syad Muhammad 1892 Lahore Its History Architectural Remains and Antiquities With an Account of Its Modern Institutions Inhabitants Their Trade Customs amp c Printed at the New Imperial Press Suvorova Anna 22 July 2004 Muslim Saints of South Asia The Eleventh to Fifteenth Centuries Routledge ISBN 1134370059 al Hamawi Yaqut Mu jam al Buldan Retrieved 14 March 2020 Briggs J trans Mohammad Kasim Firishta History of the Rise of the Mahomedan Power in India Till the Year A D 1612 Volume VI Wink 2002 p 121 a b Journal of Central Asia Centre for the Study of the Civilizations of Central Asia Quaid i Azam University 1978 Boltz William G Shapiro Michael C 1 January 1991 Studies in the Historical Phonology of Asian Languages John Benjamins Publishing ISBN 9027235740 Journal of Asian Civilisations Taxila Institute of Asian Civilisations 2001 Gazetteer of the Ferozpur District 1883 1883 Haroon Khalid How old is Lahore The clues lie in a blend of historical fact and expedient legend Dawn A legend subsequently grew that connected the history of the city with Valmiki s Ramayana According to this narrative Valmiki lived on a mound on the banks of the Ravi when he hosted Ram s consort Sita after she was banished from Ayodhya It is here that she gave birth Lav and Kush the princes of Ayodhya who later founded the twin cities of Lahore and Kasur Annual bibliography of Indian history and Indology Volume 4 Bombay Historical Society 1946 p 257 Retrieved 29 May 2009 Baqir Muhammad 1985 Lahore past and present B R Pub Corp pp 19 20 Retrieved 29 May 2009 Nadiem Ihsan N 2005 Punjab land history people Al Faisal Nashran p 111 ISBN 9789695032831 Retrieved 29 May 2009 Nadiem Ihsan H 2005 Punjab Land History People ISBN 9789695034347 Zamir Sufia 14 January 2018 HERITAGE THE LONELY LITTLE TEMPLE DAWN COM Retrieved 27 April 2020 a b Neville p xii Latif Syad Muhammad 1892 Lahore Its History Architectural Remains and Antiquities With an Account of Its Modern Institutions Inhabitants Their Trade Customs amp c Printed at the New Imperial Press Charles Umpherston Aitchison 2002 Lord Lawrence and the Reconstruction of India Under the British Rule Genesis Publishing Pvt Ltd p 54 ISBN 9788177551730 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad Bosworth C Edmund 2007 Historic Cities of the Islamic World Brill ISBN 978 9047423836 Retrieved 26 December 2017 Unknown author from Jōzjan 1937 Hudud al Alam The Regions of the World A Persian Geography 372 A H 982 A D Translated by V Minorsky London Oxford University Press a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a last has generic name help Al Hind the Slave Kings and the Islamic Conquest 11th 13th Centuries By Andre Wink Dawn Pakistan The shroud over Lahore s antiquity Dawn Pakistan 22 August 2004 Retrieved 15 March 2011 Amjad Yaḥya 1989 Tariḵẖ i Pakistan qadim daur zamanah yi ma qabl az tariḵẖ Pakistan ki sarzamin par aj se paune do kaṛoṛ sal pahle in Urdu Sang i Mil Pablikeshanz Al Hind the Slave Kings and the Islamic Conquest 11th 13th Centuries By Andre Wink PAGE 235 a b Imperial Gazetteer of India v 16 p 106 Retrieved 27 December 2017 Andrew Petersen 1996 Dictionary of Islamic Architecture Routledge p 159 ISBN 978 0 415 06084 4 GC University Lahore Gcu edu pk Archived from the original on 8 September 2012 Retrieved 15 March 2011 James L Wescoat Joachim Wolschke Bulmahn 1 January 1996 Mughal Gardens Sources Places Representations and Prospects Dumbarton Oaks p 149 ISBN 978 0 88402 235 0 Encyclopedia of Chronology Historical and Biographical Longmans Green and Company 1872 p 590 Retrieved 26 December 2017 lahore 1152 Lahore Encyclopaedia Britannica Ikram S M 1964 Muslim Civilization in India New York USA Columbia University Press Once upon a time Apnaorg com Retrieved 15 March 2011 Mikaberidze Alexander Conflict and Conquest in the Islamic World A Historical Encyclopedia 2 volumes A Historical Encyclopedia ABC CLIO 22 July 2011 ISBN 978 1 59884 337 8 pp 269 270 a b c d e f Jackson Peter 16 October 2003 The Delhi Sultanate A Political and Military History Cambridge University Press ISBN 0521543290 Retrieved 27 December 2017 Sadasivan Balaji 14 August 2018 The Dancing Girl A History of Early India Institute of Southeast Asian Studies ISBN 9789814311670 via Google Books isbn 8190891804 Google Search books google com Neville p xiii Imperial Gazetteer of India v 16 p 107 Retrieved 27 December 2017 Ahmed Farooqui Salma 2011 A Comprehensive History of Medieval India Twelfth to the Mid Eighteenth Century Pearson India ISBN 9788131732021 a b Dhillon Dalbir Singh 1988 Sikhism Origin and Development Atlantic Publishers amp Distributors Retrieved 27 December 2017 Masson Vadim Mikhaĭlovich 2003 History of Civilizations of Central Asia Development in contrast from the sixteenth to the mid nineteenth century UNESCO ISBN 9789231038761 Iqtidar Alam Khan 2008 Historical Dictionary of Medieval India Scarecrow Press p 32 ISBN 978 0 8108 5503 8 Short Cuts The Economist 19 March 2016 Retrieved 19 August 2016 For centuries Lahore was the heart of Mughal Hindustan known to visitors as the City of Gardens Today it has a greater profusion of treasures from the Mughal period the peak of which was in the 17th century than India s Delhi or Agra even if Lahore s are less photographed Chandra Satish 2005 Medieval India From Sultanat to the Mughals Part II Har Anand Publications ISBN 8124110662 Retrieved 27 December 2017 Latif Syad Muhammad 2003 Agra historical and descriptive with an account of Akbar and his court and of the modern city of Agra Asian Educational Services ISBN 8120617096 Retrieved 27 December 2017 a b Holt P M 1977 The Cambridge History of Islam Volume 2A The Indian Sub Continent South East Asia Africa and the Muslim West Cambridge University Press ISBN 0521291372 Retrieved 27 December 2017 Pashaura Singh 2006 Life and Work of Guru Arjan History Memory and Biography in the Sikh Tradition Oxford University Press pp 23 217 218 ISBN 978 0 19 567921 2 International council on monuments and sites PDF UNESCO Retrieved 13 April 2015 Lahore Fort Alamgiri Gate Asian Historical Architecture Retrieved 28 December 2017 a b c d e f g h i j k l Latif Syad Muhammad 1892 Lahore Its History Architectural Remains and Antiquities Oxford University New Imperial Press Axworthy Michael 2010 Sword of Persia Nader Shah from Tribal Warrior to Conquering Tyrant I B Tauris p 195 ISBN 978 0 85773 347 4 Roy Kaushik 2004 India s Historic Battles From Alexander the Great to Kargil Permanent Black India pp 80 1 ISBN 978 81 7824 109 8 Mehta J L 2005 Advanced study in the history of modern India 1707 1813 Sterling Publishers Pvt Ltd p 260 ISBN 978 1 932705 54 6 Retrieved 23 September 2010 Tomb of Asif Khan PDF Global Heritage Fund Retrieved 13 September 2017 Pakistani Sikhs reopen temple after 73 years archived from the original on 11 December 2021 retrieved 21 January 2020 a b c d Bansal Bobby 2015 Remnants of the Sikh Empire Historical Sikh Monuments in India amp Pakistan Hay House Inc ISBN 978 9384544935 Kakshi S R Pathak Rashmi Pathak S R Bakshi R 1 January 2007 Punjab Through the Ages Sarup amp Sons pp 272 274 ISBN 978 81 7625 738 1 Retrieved 12 June 2010 Singh Bhagata 1990 Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his times Sehgal Publishers Service K S Duggal 1989 Ranjit Singh A Secular Sikh Sovereign Exoticindiaart com ISBN 8170172446 Retrieved 3 September 2015 Pakistan Lahore Hindukush Karakuram Tours amp Treks Retrieved 1 February 2019 Kartar Singh Duggal 1 January 2001 Maharaja Ranjit Singh The Last to Lay Arms Abhinav Publications pp 125 126 ISBN 978 81 7017 410 3 Masson Charles 1842 Narrative of Various Journeys in Balochistan Afghanistan and the Panjab 3 v London Richard Bentley 1 37 a b Sidhwa Bapsi 2005 City of Sin and Splendour Writings on Lahore Penguin Books India ISBN 978 0 14 303166 6 a b Marshall Sir John Hubert 1906 Archaeological Survey of India Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing a b Sidhwa Bapsi 14 August 2018 City of Sin and Splendour Writings on Lahore Penguin Books India ISBN 9780143031666 via Google Books The Panjab Past and Present Vol 22 Department of Punjab Historical Studies Punjab University 1988 Retrieved 28 August 2016 Soomro Farooq 13 May 2015 A visual delight Maryam Zamani and Wazir Khan Mosques Dawn Retrieved 29 August 2016 a b Glover William January 2007 Making Lahore Modern Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City Univ of Minnesota Press ISBN 978 0 8166 5022 4 By the turn of the twentieth century Lahore s population had nearly doubled from what it had been when the province was first annexed growing from an estimated 120 000 people in 1849 to over 200 000 in 1901 Glover William January 2007 Making Lahore Modern Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City Univ of Minnesota Press ISBN 978 0 8166 5022 4 On the eve of annexation Lahore s suburbs were made up of a flat debris strewn plain interrupted by a small number of populous abadis the deserted cantonment and barracks of the former Sikh infantry which according to one British large buildings in various states of disrepair Glover William January 2007 Making Lahore Modern Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City Univ of Minnesota Press ISBN 978 0 8166 5022 4 The inner city on the other hand remained problematic Seen as a potential hotbed of disease and social instability and notoriously difficult to observe and fathom the inner districts of the city remained stubbornly resistant to colonial intervention Throughout the British period of occupation in Punjab for reasons we will explore more fully the inner districts of its largest cities were almost entirely left alone 5 The colonial state made its most significant investments in suburban tracts outside of cities It should not surprise us that the main focus of imperial attention in Punjab was its fertile countryside rather than cities like Lahore Glover William January 2007 Making Lahore Modern Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City Univ of Minnesota Press ISBN 978 0 8166 5022 4 Glover William January 2007 Making Lahore Modern Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City Univ of Minnesota Press ISBN 978 0 8166 5022 4 What is more striking than the fact that Punjab s new rulers cost effectively appropriated the symbolically charged buildings of their predecessors is how long some of those appropriations lasted The conversion of the Mughal era tomb of Sharif un Nissa a noblewoman during Shah Jahan s reign popularly known as Anarkali was one such case Figure 1 2 This Muslim tomb was first used as offices and residences for the clerical staff of Punjab s governing board In 1851 however the tomb was converted into the Anglican church Glover William January 2007 Making Lahore Modern Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City Univ of Minnesota Press ISBN 978 0 8166 5022 4 the mosque of Dai Anga Emperor Shah Jahan s wet nurse which the British converted first into a residence and later into the office of the railway traffic manager Nearby was the tomb of Nawab Bahadur Khan a highly placed member of Akbar s court which the railway used as a storehouse manager Nearby was the tomb of Nawab Bahadur Khan a highly placed member of Akbar s court which the railway used as a storehouse That same tomb had been acquired earlier by the railway from the army who had used it as a theater for entertaining officers The railway provided another nearby tomb free of charge to the Church Missionary Society who used it for Sunday services The tomb of Mir Mannu an eighteenth century Mughal viceroy of Punjab who had brutally persecuted the Sikhs while he was in power escaped demolition by the railway but was converted nevertheless into a private wine merchant s shop Glover William January 2007 Making Lahore Modern Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City Univ of Minnesota Press ISBN 978 0 8166 5022 4 with an abundance of abandoned large structures scattered throughout the civil station on nazul state administered property the colonial government often chose to house major institutions in converted buildings rather than to build anew These institutions included the Civil Secretariat which as we have seen was located in Ventura s former house the Public Works from Ranjit Singh s period and the Accountant General s office headquartered in a converted seventeenth century mosque near the tomb of Shah Chiragh just off Mall Road In Glover William January 2007 Making Lahore Modern Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City Univ of Minnesota Press ISBN 978 0 8166 5022 4 The Lahore station built during a time when securing British civilians and troops against a future native uprising was foremost in the government s mind fortified medieval castle complete with turrets and crenellated towers battered flanking walls and loopholes for directing rifle and cannon fire along the main avenues of approach from the city Glover William January 2007 Making Lahore Modern Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City Univ of Minnesota Press ISBN 978 0 8166 5022 4 We should remember that outside of colonial military cantonments where rules encouraging racial separation were partially formalized in the residential districts of India s colonial cities Wherever government institutions commercial enterprises and places of public congregation were concentrated mixing among races and social classes was both legally accommodated and necessary In Lahore these kinds of activities were concentrated in a half mile wide zone stretching along Mall Road from the Civil Secretariat near Anarkali s tomb at one end to the botanical gardens at the other see a b Muḥammad Laṭif Saiyid Khan Bahadur 1891 History of the Panjab from the Remotest Antiquity to the Present Time Calcutta Central Press Company limited a b Glover William January 2007 Making Lahore Modern Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City Univ of Minnesota Press ISBN 978 0 8166 5022 4 As a gesture of loyalty Punjab s Princes Chiefs merchants men of local note and the public generally formed a subscription to erect the Victoria Jubilee Institute for the Promotion and Diffusion of Technical and Agricultural Education and Science in Lahore a complex that eventually formed the nucleus of the city s museum and the Mayo School of Art completed in 1894 Glover William January 2007 Making Lahore Modern Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City Univ of Minnesota Press ISBN 978 0 8166 5022 4 According to the 1901 census therefore the inner city of Lahore contained exactly 20 691 houses Glover William January 2007 Making Lahore Modern Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City Univ of Minnesota Press ISBN 978 0 8166 5022 4 We should remember that outside of colonial military cantonments where rules encouraging racial separation were partially formalized in the residential districts of India s colonial cities Wherever government institutions commercial enterprises and places of public congregation were concentrated mixing among races and social classes was both legally accommodated and necessary In Lahore these kinds of activities were concentrated in a half mile wide zone stretching along Mall Road from the Civil Secretariat near Anarkali s tomb at one end to the botanical gardens at the other Republic Day The Tribune Retrieved 15 March 2011 A memorial will be built to Bhagat Singh says the governor of Lahore Daily Times Pakistan 2 September 2007 Story of Pakistan Lahore Resolution 1940 Jin Technologies Retrieved 19 September 2007 a b Khaled Ahmed 2001 Pakistan behind the ideological mask facts about great men we don t want to know Vanguard ISBN 978 969 402 353 3 a b Khalid Haroon 25 April 2018 Lahore owes Hindu philanthropist Ganga Ram more than it would care to admit DAWN News Archived from the original on 15 November 2021 Retrieved 27 February 2022 a b Special Reports 4 September 2015 Father of Modern Lahore remembered The Milli Gazette Archived from the original on 27 February 2022 Retrieved 27 February 2022 a b Siraj M A 21 May 2021 Pakistan reopens Samadhi of Ganga Ram iconic engineer philanthropist who rebuilt Lahore The Siasat Daily Archived from the original on 15 September 2021 Retrieved 27 February 2022 a b Luqman Tariq 15 November 2018 Sir Ganga Ram The Father of Modern Lahore our Khadim Ala Punjab blogspot com Archived from the original on 27 February 2022 Retrieved 27 February 2022 a b Sharma Unnati 27 January 2021 Sir Ganga Ram s descendant Kesha Ram celebrates US senate seat in salwar kameez to show the way ThePrint Archived from the original on 27 February 2022 Retrieved 27 February 2022 a b Mazhar Abbas 18 July 2021 A hard call II The News International Archived from the original on 26 February 2022 Retrieved 27 February 2022 a b U S Consulate General Lahore USCGLahore 26 January 2021 DYK the father of modern Lahore Sir Ganga Ram s great granddaughter Kesha Ram has become the State Senator of Vermont USA She was sworn in on January 6 and wore shalwar kameez during the swearing in ceremony Good luck for your endeavors Kesha KeshaRam Wikipedia Tweet Archived from the original on 17 January 2022 Retrieved 27 February 2022 via Twitter Ahmed Khalid 3 June 2017 The City that wanted to know Indian Express Retrieved 28 December 2017 a b Dabas Maninder 17 August 2017 Here s How Radcliffe Line Was Drawn On This Day And Lahore Could Not Become A Part of India The Times of India a b Kuldip Nayar 24 August 2018 I nearly gave you Lahore When Kuldip Nayar asked Cyril Radcliffe about deciding Indo Pak border Scroll in Scroll in Kaul Pyarelal 1991 Crisis in Kashmir Suman Publications p 42 Under Radcliffe Award Lahore was to have gone to India and not to Pakistan The Arbitrator Radcliffe announced to the representatives of India and Pakistan that Lahore had fallen to the lot of India Nayar Kuldip 24 September 2006 Line of Division Real and Imagined The Tribune Fiddian Qasmiyeh Elena Loescher Gil Long Katy Sigona Nando 2014 The Oxford Handbook of Refugee and Forced Migration Studies OUP Oxford ISBN 978 0191645884 Retrieved 28 December 2017 a b de Jonge Rene 1989 Urban planning in Lahore a confrontation with real development Peter Groote ISBN 9789036701839 Retrieved 11 October 2017 Second Islamic Summit Conference Oic oci org Archived from the original on 14 October 2006 Retrieved 15 March 2011 Political History and Administrative History of the Punjab PDF Lahore History of Lahore thelahorecity com Retrieved 11 September 2016 a b Climatological Normals of Lahore Hong Kong Observatory Archived from the original on 26 December 2018 Retrieved 6 May 2010 Smoke not smog 6 November 2016 Archived from the original on 18 September 2017 Retrieved 18 September 2017 Quetta Pakmet com pk Archived from the original on 16 July 2011 Retrieved 15 March 2011 Highest temperature in 78 years Four die as city sizzles at 48o C Daily Times 10 June 2007 Retrieved 15 March 2011 Heatwave to persist for 4 5 days The Dawn 10 June 2007 Lahore Extremes 1881 2022 Pakistan Meteorological Department Retrieved 20 November 2022 Pakmet com pk Pakistan s Biggest Property Website PakMet Archived from the original on 16 July 2011 Lahore Climate Normals 1961 1990 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved 16 January 2013 Extremes of Lahore Pakistan Meteorological Department Retrieved 2 February 2015 a b c d Pakistan Provinces and Major Cities Population Statistics Maps Charts Weather and Web Information citypopulation de a b District Wise Population by Sex and Rural Urban Census 2017 pdf PDF Pakistan Bureau of Statistics Archived from the original PDF on 29 August 2017 Retrieved 30 August 2017 Lahore Population 2018 18 October 2017 Retrieved 31 July 2018 Lahore District Pakistan Population Statistics Charts Map and Location www citypopulation de Retrieved 20 July 2022 Lahore District 2017 Pakistan Census PDF Pakistan Bureau of Statistics http pakgeotagging blogspot in 2014 10 partition of punjab in 2017 html dead link https www pbs gov pk sites default files population 2017 results 05309 pdf dead link a b Largest Christian Community of Pakistan resides in Lahore District christiansinpakistan com Archived from the original on 18 September 2016 Retrieved 11 September 2016 Sikh pilgrims from India arrive in Lahore Dawn Pakistan 21 November 2015 Retrieved 23 September 2016 Chaudhry Nazir Ahmad 2000 Lahore Sang e Meel Publications ISBN 969351047X Sehyr Mirza 31 October 2014 Lahore s only functional Hindu temple Persecution amidst lights Retrieved 14 November 2020 PBC 2017 Statistics PDF LAHORE DISTRICT POPULATION BY MOTHER TONGUE SEX AND RURAL URBAN PDF Pakistan Bureau of Statistics University of the Punjab 2015 B A Two Year Pass Course Examinations University of the Punjab Examinations pu edu pk Archived from the original on 8 February 2017 Retrieved 13 January 2017 Department of Punjabi University of the Punjab 2015 Archived from the original on 27 November 2016 Supreme Court s Urdu verdict No language can be imposed from above The Nation 15 September 2015 Archived from the original on 16 September 2015 Retrieved 15 September 2015 Two member SC bench refers Punjabi language case to CJP Business Recorder 14 September 2015 Archived from the original on 21 October 2015 Retrieved 15 September 2015 Architecture of Lahore Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia Wikimedia Foundation Inc Web 19 August 2016 The Nation newspaper Published 23 September 2010 Retrieved 27 February 2017 http lahore city history com places hazori bagh Archived 21 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine Hazuri Bagh Baradari in Lahore on Lahore City History website Retrieved 27 February 2017 Latif Syad Muhammad 1892 Lahore Its History Architectural Remains and Antiquities Oxford University New Imperial Press page 87 Glover William January 2007 Making Lahore Modern Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City Univ of Minnesota Press ISBN 978 0 8166 5022 4 Montgomery Hall faced inward toward the main avenue of what would become a and reading room a teak dance and rinking floor skating rink and room for the Gymkhana Club Lawrence Hall was devoted to the white community in Lahore the spaces and program of Montgomery Hall allowed for racial interaction between British civilians and officials and the elites of Lahori society Glover William January 2007 Making Lahore Modern Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City Univ of Minnesota Press ISBN 978 0 8166 5022 4 Like Lawrence and Montgomery Halls moreover the garden s major elements were all financed through a combination of provincial municipal and private funds from both British carefully isolated space of controlled cultural interaction underwritten by elite collaboration Both the botanical garden and the zoo in Lawrence Gardens drafted a controlled display of exotic nature to the garden s overall didactic program The botanical garden exhibited over six hundred species of plants trees and shrubs all carefully tended by a horticulturist sent out from the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew Gill Anjum Father of modern Lahore remembered on anniversary Daily Times Pakistan 12 July 2004 Archived 3 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine Lawrence Gardens Archived 6 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine at Garden Visit website Retrieved on 27 March 2007 Bagh E Jinnah Lawrence Gardens 12 February 2015 Archived from the original on 31 July 2018 Retrieved 31 July 2018 a b c Global city GDP rankings 2008 2025 PricewaterhouseCoopers Archived from the original on 13 May 2013 Retrieved 12 February 2010 Lahore s Shahbaz growth rate Express Tribune 29 September 2017 Retrieved 8 November 2017 Richest cities in the world in 2020 by GDP City Mayors 11 March 2007 Retrieved 6 July 2009 a b c d Asian Development Bank Rapid Mass Transit System Project PDF Archived from the original PDF on 16 August 2010 Retrieved 1 January 2009 Expo Centre Lahore LahoreExpo Archived from the original on 2 July 2011 Retrieved 1 July 2011 Defence Raya Golf Resort Lahore By D H A Lahore Homespakistan com Retrieved 6 June 2014 Metro Bus Lahore Pakistan Rapid Bus Transport pakvisit com Retrieved 9 June 2018 Good news on track Lahore to get Pakistan s first metro train Express Tribune Lahore 23 March 2014 Retrieved on 20 October 2014 Development agenda Lahore metro train gets green signal The Express Tribune 14 May 2015 Norinco Technical Proposal PDF January 2016 p 12 Archived from the original PDF on 2 February 2017 Retrieved 25 January 2017 First Orange Line Metro train rolls out The Express Tribune The Express Tribune 16 May 2017 Retrieved 16 May 2017 Lahore opens Pakistan s first metro line International Railway Journal 26 October 2020 Retrieved 30 March 2021 Orange Line Metro train runs on trial basis in Lahore thenews com pk Retrieved 1 March 2018 Punjab CM inaugurates Lahore s much delayed Orange Line Metro Train Daily Pakistan 25 October 2020 Retrieved 25 October 2020 a b Lahore Rapid Mass Transit Rail Railway Technology www railway technology com Retrieved 30 March 2021 2020 Ultimate Guide To Lahore Visit Lahore 29 May 2020 Retrieved 16 July 2020 Urban LOV Wagon Mini Bus Routes amp Fares Lahore Transport Company ltc gop pk Archived from the original on 9 June 2019 Retrieved 9 June 2019 History of Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore lahoreairport com pk Retrieved 9 June 2016 Pakistan International Airlines Archived from the original on 23 January 2011 Retrieved 3 October 2015 China Southern adds Guangzhou Lahore route from Aug 2018 Liu Jim 18 March 2018 China Southern adds plans Lahore launch from late June 2018 Routesonline Retrieved 18 March 2018 PIA advertisement promoting Barcelona resumption Archived from the original on 14 October 2016 Pakistan International W16 International route additions Uzbek Airways resumes flight from Tashkent to Lahore 5 April 2017 Metropolitan Corporation Lahore lahore gop pk Archived from the original on 20 February 2020 Retrieved 24 September 2017 City District Governments National Reconstruction Bureau Government of Pakistan Archived from the original on 5 October 2009 Retrieved 18 February 2009 City District National Reconstruction Bureau Government of Pakistan Archived from the original on 13 October 2008 Retrieved 18 February 2009 LG polls results a nightmare for PTI thenews com pk Retrieved 31 August 2016 Linus Strothman 2016 Tschacher Torsten Dandekar Deepra eds Islam Sufism and Everyday Politics of Belonging in South Asia Routledge ISBN 9781317435969 Retrieved 12 September 2017 Devotees throng Lahore shrine for Mian Mir Sahab s Urs SAMAA Samaa TV 7 November 2019 span, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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