Origins of Lahore
Encyclopedia
A legend based on oral traditions holds that Lahore
, known in ancient times as Lavapuri
),
was founded by Prince Lava
,
the son of Rama
, while Kasur
was founded by his twin brother Prince Kusha
.
To this day, Lahore Fort
has a vacant temple dedicated to Lava (also pronounced Loh, hence Loh-awar or "The Fort of Loh") it is also believed that the buddhist-nation of Laos
is derived from this name.
The oldest authentic document about Lahore was written anonymously in 982. It is called Hudud-i-Alam
(The Regions of the World). In 1927 it was translated into English
by Vladimir Fedorovich Minorsky
and published in Lahore. In this document, Lahore is referred to as a small shehr (city) with "impressive temples, large markets and huge orchards." It refers to "two major markets around which dwellings exist," and it also mentions "the mud walls that enclose these two dwellings to make it one." The original document is currently held in the British Museum
. Lahore was called by different names throughout history. To date there is no conclusive evidence as to when it was founded. Some historians trace the history of the city as far back as 4000 years ago. However, historically, it has been proved that Lahore is at least 2,000 years old. Lying on the main trade and invasion routes to South Asia, Lahore has been ruled and plundered by a number of dynasties and hordes.
In 1680's Guru Gobind Singh, a religious scholar and poet and last guru of Sikhism
, told that lahore was made by Sons of Luv and kasur was made by sons of Kusha. Referred Bachitar Natak.
It was about the time referred to by Colonel Tod as the probable period of Prince Kenekson’s migration from Lahore, namely, the middle of the 2nd century that Claudius Ptolemeus, surnamed Ptolemy, the celebrated astronomer and geographer, wrote his geography, which was used as a text-book by succeeding ages. He flourished in Alexandria in 139 AD; and there is evidence of his having been alive in 161 AD. In his geography he mentions a city called Labokla, situated on the route between the Indus River
and Pataliputra (Patna
), in a tract of country called Kasperia (Kashmir
), described as extending along the rivers Bidastes (Jhelum River
), Sandabal or Chandra Bhaga (Chenab River
), and Adris (Ravi River
). This place, from its name and locality, Wilford would identify with Lahore. With this inference General Cunningham agrees, identifying Lahore with the Labokla of Ptolemy, and taking the first two syllables, Labo, to represent the name of Lava (or Lov), the son of Rama. The identification was, according to the same authority, first made in Kiepert’s Map of India according to Ptolemy, which accompanied Lassen’s ‘Indische Alterthums Kunde.’
, noticing the traditions of Cabul
in his travels writes of the foundation of Lahore, “In Cabul itself there are not exactly traditions of Alexander, but both Heart and Lahore are said to have been founded by the slaves of that conqueror, whom they call a prophet. Their names were Heri (the old name of Heart) and Lahore. Candahar
is said to be an older city than either of these.” But the entire absence of the name of Lahore, or any city with a name approaching it, which may be fairly identified with it, in the writings of the historians of Alexander, coupled with the fact that no coins of Indo-Bactrian or Indo-Scythic dynasties have been discovered at Lahore or in its neighbourhood, has led scholars to conclude that the city, if it existed at the time of Greek invasion, was of no importance up to, at least, the 1st century AD.
pilgrim, Hieun Tsang, visited the Punjab
in 630 AD, he found the walls of Sanghala completely ruined, but their foundations still remained; and in the midst of the ruins he found a small portion of the old city, still inhabited by Buddhist monks, who studied the esoteric doctrines of Buddha
. According to the Chinese traveller, Taki, or Asarur (believed by General Cunningham to be the Pimparama of Alexander), about two miles to the south of the high road between Lahore and Pindi Bhattian
(or 45 miles from the former and 24 from the latter), was the capital of the Punjab in AD 633.
Now, the pilgrim, in his itinerary, makes no mention of Lahore, or any city answering its name or description, though he was in Chinapatti (the modern Patti in Kasur) for 14 months, and Jalandhra (the Kulindrine of Ptolemy) for four months, and had travelled the whole country from Kashmir to Pragia, Ujjen and Kannoj. He notes that he halted for a whole month (November 633 AD) at a large town on the eastern frontier of Taki
. General Cunningham would identify this large town with Kasur
, as the kingdom extended to the Beas River
on the east, and the great city should be looked for on the line of the Beas, and not on the Ravi.
François Bernier
, who visited Lahore in 1664 AD, suggests its identification with the ancient Bucephals Burnes would identify Lahore with Sanghala, mentioned by Arrian and Curtius, the classical writers, as the stronghold of the Kathaean or Khatri tribe. This is the Sanghala of Alexander, mentioned also by Diadorus, and recognized as the Sakala of the Brahmans and the Sagal of the Budhists. But its position, 65 miles from the bank of the Hydraotes (Ravi), precludes the identity of its situation with that suggested by the enterprising traveller. Yet both Curtius and Arrian agree in stating that Alexander crossed the Hydraotes (Ravi) before advancing against Sanghala to punish the insurgent Kathaeans, described as a “free Indian nation.” There can, therefore, be no doubt that the conqueror crossed the Ravi in the immediate neighbourhood of Lahore, which “was most probably the position of his camp when he heard of the recusancy of the Kathaean.” But it must have been a place of no importance at the time of the Macedonian
invasion, or it would have, doubtless, been mentioned by the Greek writers.
official and secretary to the Punjab government in the 1860s, approximately fixes the date of its foundation “at the end of the first or the beginning of the second century of the Christian era.” If we review history, the city was founded, deserted and re-founded several times during the course of ages before it attained the state of historic continuity under the Muslims.
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, known in ancient times as Lavapuri
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
),
was founded by Prince Lava
Lava (Ramayana)
Lava or Luv and his twin brother Kusha, were the children of the Lord Rama and his wife Sita, whose story is recounted in the Ramayana. Per that text, he is known as the founder of Lavapuri,that is, the modern day city of Lahore,...
,
the son of Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
, while Kasur
Kasur
Kasur , the capital of Kasur District in Pakistan. Kasur is located adjacent to the border of Ganda Singh Wala between Pakistan and India, and is a tourist attraction because of the daily occurring Flags lowering ceremony...
was founded by his twin brother Prince Kusha
Kusha (Ramayana)
Kusha , in Hindu mythology, was one of the twin sons of Lord Rama and Sita . Born in the Forest after Sita had been banished from Ayodhya, they were educated and trained in military skills and were under the care of Sage Valmiki....
.
To this day, Lahore Fort
Lahore Fort
The Lahore Fort, locally referred to as Shahi Qila is citadel of the city of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located in the northwestern corner of the Walled City of Lahore...
has a vacant temple dedicated to Lava (also pronounced Loh, hence Loh-awar or "The Fort of Loh") it is also believed that the buddhist-nation of Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
is derived from this name.
The oldest authentic document about Lahore was written anonymously in 982. It is called Hudud-i-Alam
Hudud ul-'alam min al-mashriq ila al-maghrib
Ḥudūd al-ʿĀlam , meaning The Limits of The World, is a tenth century geography book written in Persian by an unknown author from Jōzjān.- Contents :...
(The Regions of the World). In 1927 it was translated into English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
by Vladimir Fedorovich Minorsky
Vladimir Fedorovich Minorsky
Vladimir Fedorovich Minorsky was a Russian Orientalist best known for his contributions to Kurdish and Persian history, geography, literature, and culture.-Life and career:...
and published in Lahore. In this document, Lahore is referred to as a small shehr (city) with "impressive temples, large markets and huge orchards." It refers to "two major markets around which dwellings exist," and it also mentions "the mud walls that enclose these two dwellings to make it one." The original document is currently held in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
. Lahore was called by different names throughout history. To date there is no conclusive evidence as to when it was founded. Some historians trace the history of the city as far back as 4000 years ago. However, historically, it has been proved that Lahore is at least 2,000 years old. Lying on the main trade and invasion routes to South Asia, Lahore has been ruled and plundered by a number of dynasties and hordes.
In 1680's Guru Gobind Singh, a religious scholar and poet and last guru of Sikhism
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
, told that lahore was made by Sons of Luv and kasur was made by sons of Kusha. Referred Bachitar Natak.
Claudius Ptolemeus
Indus River
The Indus River is a major river which flows through Pakistan. It also has courses through China and India.Originating in the Tibetan plateau of western China in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the river runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and...
and Pataliputra (Patna
Patna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
), in a tract of country called Kasperia (Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
), described as extending along the rivers Bidastes (Jhelum River
Jhelum River
Jehlum River or Jhelum River , ) is a river that flows in India and Pakistan. It is the largest and most western of the five rivers of Punjab, and passes through Jhelum District...
), Sandabal or Chandra Bhaga (Chenab River
Chenab River
The Chenab River چنRiver' آب) is a major river of Jammu and Kashmir and the Punjab in Pakistan. It forms in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, India, and flows through the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir into the plains of the Punjab, Pakistan...
), and Adris (Ravi River
Ravi River
The Ravi is a trans-boundary river flowing through Northwestern India and eastern Pakistan. It is one of the six rivers of the Indus System in Punjab region ....
). This place, from its name and locality, Wilford would identify with Lahore. With this inference General Cunningham agrees, identifying Lahore with the Labokla of Ptolemy, and taking the first two syllables, Labo, to represent the name of Lava (or Lov), the son of Rama. The identification was, according to the same authority, first made in Kiepert’s Map of India according to Ptolemy, which accompanied Lassen’s ‘Indische Alterthums Kunde.’
Alexander Burnes
The traveller, Alexander BurnesAlexander Burnes
Captain Sir Alexander Burnes was a Scottish traveller and explorer who took part in The Great Game. He was nicknamed Bokhara Burnes for his role in establishing contact with and exploring Bukhara, which made his name.-Early life:He was born in Montrose, Scotland, to the son of the local provost,...
, noticing the traditions of Cabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
in his travels writes of the foundation of Lahore, “In Cabul itself there are not exactly traditions of Alexander, but both Heart and Lahore are said to have been founded by the slaves of that conqueror, whom they call a prophet. Their names were Heri (the old name of Heart) and Lahore. Candahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
is said to be an older city than either of these.” But the entire absence of the name of Lahore, or any city with a name approaching it, which may be fairly identified with it, in the writings of the historians of Alexander, coupled with the fact that no coins of Indo-Bactrian or Indo-Scythic dynasties have been discovered at Lahore or in its neighbourhood, has led scholars to conclude that the city, if it existed at the time of Greek invasion, was of no importance up to, at least, the 1st century AD.
Hieun Tsang
When the celebrated ChineseChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
pilgrim, Hieun Tsang, visited the Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
in 630 AD, he found the walls of Sanghala completely ruined, but their foundations still remained; and in the midst of the ruins he found a small portion of the old city, still inhabited by Buddhist monks, who studied the esoteric doctrines of Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
. According to the Chinese traveller, Taki, or Asarur (believed by General Cunningham to be the Pimparama of Alexander), about two miles to the south of the high road between Lahore and Pindi Bhattian
Pindi Bhattian
Pindi Bhattian is an administrative sub-division Pindi Bhattian Tehsil and an historic city of Hafizabad District. It is the city of Bhatti family. Dulla Bhatti was the famous person of Pindi Bhattian....
(or 45 miles from the former and 24 from the latter), was the capital of the Punjab in AD 633.
Now, the pilgrim, in his itinerary, makes no mention of Lahore, or any city answering its name or description, though he was in Chinapatti (the modern Patti in Kasur) for 14 months, and Jalandhra (the Kulindrine of Ptolemy) for four months, and had travelled the whole country from Kashmir to Pragia, Ujjen and Kannoj. He notes that he halted for a whole month (November 633 AD) at a large town on the eastern frontier of Taki
Taki (India)
Taki is a town and a municipality under Hasnabad police station of Basirhat subdivision in North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Geography:Taki is located at . It has an average elevation of 5 metres .-Culture:...
. General Cunningham would identify this large town with Kasur
Kasur
Kasur , the capital of Kasur District in Pakistan. Kasur is located adjacent to the border of Ganda Singh Wala between Pakistan and India, and is a tourist attraction because of the daily occurring Flags lowering ceremony...
, as the kingdom extended to the Beas River
Beas River
The Beas River is a river in the northern part of India. The river rises in the Himalayas in central Himachal Pradesh, India, and flows for some 470 km to the Sutlej River in the Indian state of Punjab....
on the east, and the great city should be looked for on the line of the Beas, and not on the Ravi.
François Bernier
François Bernier
François Bernier was a French physician and traveller. He was born at Joué-Etiau in Anjou. He was the personal physician of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb for around 12 years during his stay in India....
, who visited Lahore in 1664 AD, suggests its identification with the ancient Bucephals Burnes would identify Lahore with Sanghala, mentioned by Arrian and Curtius, the classical writers, as the stronghold of the Kathaean or Khatri tribe. This is the Sanghala of Alexander, mentioned also by Diadorus, and recognized as the Sakala of the Brahmans and the Sagal of the Budhists. But its position, 65 miles from the bank of the Hydraotes (Ravi), precludes the identity of its situation with that suggested by the enterprising traveller. Yet both Curtius and Arrian agree in stating that Alexander crossed the Hydraotes (Ravi) before advancing against Sanghala to punish the insurgent Kathaeans, described as a “free Indian nation.” There can, therefore, be no doubt that the conqueror crossed the Ravi in the immediate neighbourhood of Lahore, which “was most probably the position of his camp when he heard of the recusancy of the Kathaean.” But it must have been a place of no importance at the time of the Macedonian
Macedonians (ethnic group)
The Macedonians also referred to as Macedonian Slavs: "... the term Slavomacedonian was introduced and was accepted by the community itself, which at the time had a much more widespread non-Greek Macedonian ethnic consciousness...
invasion, or it would have, doubtless, been mentioned by the Greek writers.
Thornton
From the mention, however, of the name of Lahore in the geography of Ptolemy before mentioned, T.H. Thornton, a distinguished BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
official and secretary to the Punjab government in the 1860s, approximately fixes the date of its foundation “at the end of the first or the beginning of the second century of the Christian era.” If we review history, the city was founded, deserted and re-founded several times during the course of ages before it attained the state of historic continuity under the Muslims.