As Lahore experiences a massive ‘destructive’ experience of past historic sites in the name of ‘development’, the rulers claim it is ‘cultural regeneration’. It would be of interest to just briefly describe the history of our land in the context of major cities of Punjab.

There are older cities in Punjab than Lahore, sadly all collapsing and completely ignored by our rulers. Take the example of Bhera where Porus, the Greek name for ‘puru’ meaning the ruler, and his original name being Purushottama, faced Alexander, the invader. Greek texts claim Alexander won, a few Greek sources suggest it was a stalemate, but then one source (Plutarch 62.1) claims Porus halted Alexander and took the edge off the Greeks.

A few years ago, we had an Indian guest from Delhi whose family originally belonged to Bhera. In India’s Delhi they have a Bhera Colony known as Bhera Enclave. It is a posh colony with families of Hindu former inhabitants of the original Bhera. I drove the excited gentleman there and experienced a collapsing city. My guest went silent and never discussed it again.

Then there is the example of Multan, which is older than Lahore. History tells us it is over 5,000 years old, and as it is on the Kandahar-Punjab-Sindh trade route some experts think it is approximately 7,000 years old. It is no wonder that most religious Sufis coming from the West ended up there.

Other Punjab cities besides Multan, Lahore and Bhera are Taxila (Gandhara) and Sagala (Sialkot). One will not mention Harappa for that is just eroding away. But our rulers, i.e. bureaucrats, are not bothered. For them history is bunk. Outside Punjab there is the amazing Peshawar - known in the past as Purushapura -- which is completely ignored.

In this amazing treasure of cities – probably unrivalled anywhere - let us take a peep at Bhera and Multan and then have a look at just one treasure in Lahore.

Bhera is a pre-Aryan historic trading hub based on the River Jhelum. There is historic evidence in the epics, especially the ‘Mahabharata’ that Bhera always had a tradition of scholars. There is a mention in one verse of Bhera being the ‘birthplace’ of science in the Indian sub-continent. A rather unique claim, but then a research paper by Dr. Ashok Sahni of India’s Punjab University and a renown paleontologist with a PhD from Cambridge, showed with evidence of the trading and scholarly contribution of Bhera.

In my brief and sad visit a few years ago, one saw collapsing walls and gateways and even old buildings. A few newer rather blaring newer buildings spoil the total look. In pavilions outside old houses where once idols stood now mostly donkeys, goats and buffaloes stand. Even as a born Muslim one felt bad. My guest was in a state of shock.

But then on to Multan where one went as a student, a guest of a Gardezi classmate. History tells us that Multan was a trading city recorded in 3000 BC. There is evidence of it being even older in the pre-Aryan era.

We know that Alexander the ‘Great’ attacked the Mallians of Multan in 325 BC. It was a Multani archer, and the arrowhead was a special one manufactured in Multan, that hit the Greek leader. Though the arrow was removed by a local person from his lungs, yet it led to his eventual death.

Many years ago, the Corps Commander of Multan, tried his very best to restore the Multan Fort and a few other monuments, but he faced immense opposition from local businessmen. He was transferred. One cannot comment on the reasons. But the fact remains that this is probably one old city that needs investment to conserve and save its historic sites. There is an urgent need to set up a Walled City of Multan Authority.

As over the last 1,000 years, a lot of Muslim Sufi saints trekked from Arabia and Iran towards Multan, their tombs are worth seeing. It was also a major Ismaili city with a rich tradition starting with the Fatimid influence in the 9th century. Under the Lodhis, it was a major Ismaili power centre, with the Ghaznavid conquest of 1005 AD denting their influence.

The Punjab is full of old cities and towns, for it was the point and land where trade and knowledge between the East and the West flowed. That is no longer the case, though as a trading and manufacturing city it still holds its own.

But back to Lahore. Our city – research tells us it is over 4,500 years plus old – has so many monuments. It has been destroyed seven times, but the roots keep erupting. One example might make sense, for it is physically before us … still.

Once the seven small villages on the seven mounds were walled, they developed into a walled fort of the ruler. The fort was always mud-bricked and in each time over thousands of years its level was raised. The first burnt brick wall – partially – was done by Syed Mubarak.

But the lesson learned is that the inner base of the fort has risen all the time. Today it stands almost 50 feet above the outer ground level. This is a development that was first realised when the Aga Khan Trust for Culture worked on the Shahi Hammam inside Delhi gate. The outer road surface is today 12 feet above the inner bath level.

This realisation those working inside the Lahore Fort keep in mind as they work away trying to reclaim old halls and pathways and rooms. We must have heard the ‘rumour’ that secret tunnels from the fort to faraway places once existed. It has now been found out that it had substance. A visit to the fort can confirm that.

But experts tell us that the most covering up of past fort artifacts was the work of the Mughal emperor Shah Jehan as he worked to complete the beautiful courtyard inside. But then as the Aga Khan experts work away, they keep finding new halls and tunnels and special places below the present top.

If this is true for the Lahore Fort, one can imagine the amazing treasures that lie below Multan, and Harappa, and Bhera and Sialkot.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2025