MULTAN

One of the oldest cities in South Asia, the history of this city spans back to the Indus Valley Civilisation which existed from 3300 - 1300 BCE. In ancient texts, Multan is referred to as Mulasthana. It once had a strong Hindu population, where it became a centre of worship for the Hindu sun god - Surya. Under the Maurya and Gupta empires, the city flourished with a predominantly buddhist population.

In the 8th Century, the Umayyad Caliphate - under Muhammad bin Qasim conquered the region and introduced Islam to Multan. In the following centuries, the Ghazanvid Empire, Delhi Sultanate, and Mughal Empire ruled; each of them also upheld the religion of Islam. During the 16th -18th Centuries, under the Mughal rule, Multan saw some of the greatest architectural developments in all of Punjab.

By the mid 1700s, the decline of the Mughal empire led to the rise of the Punjabi confederacy. Although it was not governed by a specific Misl, the confederacy still impacted the city. In 1818, Ranjit Singh’s forces began a campaign to seize Multan and join it to the Punjabi- Sikh empire. Following a lengthy siege and battle against the ruler of Multan, Nawab Muzzafar Khan Sadozai, Ranjit Singh was victorious and Multan was incorporated into the Sikh empire.

Ranjit Singh’s death in 1839, the Sikh empire weakened and began to conflict with the British East India Company. Following the second Anglo-Sikh war, the British defeated the Sikh and incorporated Multan to British India.

The British decided to leave India in 1947, by separating it into two countries - Pakistan and India. This was a transformative time for all of Punjab as it lied in the centre of the partition line and many of the large cities had diverse populations who had different wishes. The muslims generally wanted freedom and an independent country, and other religious groups had varying opinions. Multan was no different and saw great turbulence. Eventually, Multan became part of Pakistan and is currently the 5th Largest Pakistani Punjabi City.

Until our paths cross in Rawalpindi - Trish Saab