THE magnificent mosque of the historic Islamia College Peshawar became a gateway to modern education in the early 19th century in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

The mosque is a blend of Mughal and British architecture. After the famous Mughal-era Masjid Mahabat Khan in Peshawar city, the British-era Islamia College Peshawar white mosque became the second tourists’ attraction.

The historic mosque has already completed 100 years in 2012. The foundation of the mosque paved the way for modern education for less-privileged people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and the adjacent tribal areas.

March 21, 1912, which coincided with Jashne Nauroz, was the historic day when the foundation stone of the mosque was laid down by Haji Sahib of Turangzai, a popular figure of his time in Frontier. Surrounded by the lush green lawns and tall trees, the white-domed mosque presents a charming look.

Sethi Karim Bakhsh, a business tycoon in Peshawar, walked up to his spiritual guide Pir of Golra Sharif to seek his advice whether or not he donated money for construction of a college. Pir Sahib advised him to contribute his money because a mosque was being constructed, said a tradition of the college.

When local residents, especially well-off elders and tribal chieftains, came to know about construction of the mosque, they began pouring to the site to wholeheartedly donate money for it, a senior teacher of Islamia College said.

Sir Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum Khan once to a gathering of tribal elders told: “Unless such a college is established where modern education along with religious education is imparted both to the beginners and scholars, the youth of the Frontier will remain far behind their Indian brethren in education.”

The Muslims of subcontinent had, however, realised the importance of modern education after the 1857 war of independence to compete with other ethnic groups in the field. But in sharp contrast, the attitude of the Pakhtuns of Frontier towards modern education was hostile. The local religious clerics were instrumental in persuading people to oppose modern education.

Sir Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum was very concerned about it. The hostility of Frontier Pakhtuns towards learning modern education and western civilisation could be attributed to their religious fanaticism and the urge to get rid of foreign domination.

Sir Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum Khan, with the help of Sir George Roose Keppel, was able to convince the British authorities to found a college in Peshawar to benefit the people living in the far off parts of the Frontier province which would cast far reaching civilising effects on them and also they thought, it would help towards a slow process of penetration.

They tactfully coined the word ‘Darul Uloom-i- Islamia’ (centre for Islamic education) to make it palatable for those with a fanatic mindset.

Some scholars say that both Haji Sahib of Turangzai and Bacha Khan wanted Pakhtuns an enlightened and forward looking people but at the same time they were opposed to British brand of education. Both the stalwarts thought that perhaps British were taking away their people from their own culture and religious faith.

To sanctify the event, Sir Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum Khan requested the British not to arrest the renowned freedom fighter and religious scholar Haji Sahib of Turangzai and instead invited him to lay the foundation of the college mosque. He was at large at the time and had escaped to tribal area to avoid arrest owing to his anti-British activities.

After getting a clandestine permission from the British officers, Haji Sahib had come one day ahead of the ceremony to Peshawar and spent the night in Pokh mosque, Tehkal area. He appeared on his horse on March 21, 1912 and laid the foundation stone of the beautiful mosque. Around 30,000 tribesmen attended the ceremony. Prominent elders, influential personalities, religious scholars and local business tycoons were among the attendees.

After the historic event, Pakhtuns of Frontier were finally convinced that foundation of ‘Darul Uloom-i- Islamia’ (Islamia College Peshawar) would benefit them.

Sahibzada Khurshid Ali Khan, the first student of Islamia College Peshawar, became the governor of the erstwhile Frontier province in 1949.

Dr Nisar Mohammad, chairman department of theology, Islamia College Peshawar, told this scribe that the historic mosque of the college was a great tourists’ attraction till recently. Its first renovation and conservation, he said, was carried out in 2012. Spread over a vast area, the mosque had a capacity for 3,000 prayers, he added. The cost of the project, he said, was some Rs480,000, released by the former provincial government.

The resident teachers and boarders offer five time prayers in the mosque and also students attend a session of translation of the holy Quran at evening time on volunteer basis.

Ismail Khan, the project director of conservation of the mosque, said this scribe that probably in the distant past, the mosque was whitewashed which had badly damaged the original shape and colour of the structure. He said that the 3-1/2 feet wall of the mosque with durable fresco work all over its interior and front face would always fascinate the visitors.

“Five experts were hired from Multan who skillfully removed the whitewash plaster and restored original fresco work, calligraphy and painting on the outer and inside walls of the mosque. Also it was made safe from any hazard of weather and environment,” Mr Khan added.

It was, he said, a blend of Mughal and British architectural wonder and therefore should be preserved. The historic mosque, he said, could match the beauty of any old mosque in the country.

Published in Dawn March 1st , 2015

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