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The Early History of Multan
HE famous city of Multan, identifiable
with the capital of the Malli conquered
by Alexander in his memorable inva-
sion of the Panjab, is situated four miles from
the left bank of the Chenab—the Acesines of
the ancients—after it has received the waters
of the Ravi and the Jhelum. The rising
ground—the accumulated debris of ages—on
which the citadel stands, and the numerous
ruins and places of interment scattered round
the town, furnish unquestionable evidence of
its great antiquity. Originally the town and
citadel were pleasantly situated on two
islands in the Ravi, at an elevation of some
150 feet above the surface of the surrounding
country ; but, centuries ago, the river desert-
ed its old channel, and, turning to the west-
ward, it now flows thirty-two miles above
the town. Its former channel, which sur-
rounded the fortress, can still be traced, and,
during seasons of high floods, the waters
an, th estifying to the truth of The Early History of Multan
HE famous city of Multan, identifiable
with the capital of the Malli conquered
by Alexander in his memorable inva-
sion of the Panjab, is situated four miles from
the left bank of the Chenab—the Acesines of
the ancients—after it has received the waters
of the Ravi and the Jhelum. The rising
ground—the accumulated debris of ages—on
which the citadel stands, and the numerous
ruins and places of interment scattered round
the town, furnish unquestionable evidence of
its great antiquity. Originally the town and
citadel were pleasantly situated on two
islands in the Ravi, at an elevation of some
150 feet above the surface of the surrounding
country ; but, centuries ago, the river desert-
ed its old channel, and, turning to the west-
ward, it now flows thirty-two miles above
the town. Its former channel, which sar-
rounded the fortress, can still be traced, and.
during seasons of high floods, the waters
Teach Multan, thus testifying to the truth of
Marfat.com BROOD PERL YN
2 The Early History of Multan
the statement made by the historians of
Alexander, that the conqueror circum-
navigated the fortress,
The city was originally named Kasyapa-
pura, after Kasyapa, its mythical founder,
who, according to the Hindu tradition, was
the father of the twelve Adityas, or sun-gods ;
and the solar worship, for which it became
so famous throughout India, and which still
survives, is said to have been instituted by
Samba, the son of Krisna, the well-known
antagonist of Bana, the great-grandson of
Prabhalada, the younger son of Kasyapa,
who succeeded his elder brother Daitya. It
was this Daitya’s denial of the divinity and
omnipresence of Vishnu that led to the incar-
nation of Nara Sinha, yor the ‘‘man lion,’’
His successor, Prabhalada, after whom the
city was called Prabhaladpura, revived the
worship of the god, who was regarded as a
household deity. Samba’s assiduous worship
of Mitra, the sun-god, is said to have cured
him of leprosy, and, in commemoration of
the event, he erected a golden statue of Mitra
and dedicated to him a temple named Adyas-
thana. This golden statue, called Aditya,
became the celebrated idol of Multan, the The Early History of Multan 3
fame of which attracted pilgrims from the
remotest parts of India for many centuries.
The legend which asserts that Kasyapa-
pura was the original name of the city
derives confirmation from the identity of
Multan with the Kaspapuros of Hecataeus,
the Kaspeira of Ptolemy and the Kaspapuros
of Herodotus. In ancient Sanskrit literature
the name Kasyapapura occurs, along with
Hansapura, Bhagapura and Sambapura, to
which General Cunningham adds Prahlada-
pura and Adyasthana—literally the ‘First
Shrine’’—the name given to the temple of
Mitra.
Ptolemy describes Kaspeira as situated at
a bend of the Rhuadis (Ravi), just above its
junction with the Sandobag (Chandrabhaga,
or Chenab). As the modern city of Multan
stands on the old bank of the Ravi, which,
as late as the days of Taimur (1398-99 A. D.),
tlowed past it, its identification with the Kas-
peira of Ptolemy is unavoidable, and the fact,
so important from an antiquarian point of
view, is established that “Multan, or Kas-
peira, whose dominion extended from Kashmir
to Mathura, must have been the principal city
in the Panjab towards the middle of the
Marfat. com 4 The Early History of Multan
second century of the Christian era.””
The first mention of Mulasthanapura (City
of the Temple of the Sun), which undoubted-
ly gave its name to the modern city of Mul-
tan, occurs in the travels of the celebrated
Chinese pilgrim, Houen Thsang, who, after
visiting Udambara (Kachh), Zangala (Belu-
chistan), Patala, or Pitasila (Hyderabad),
and Alor, the capital of Sindh, came to Mul-
tan in October 641 4. D. This was during
the reign of Raja Chach, who, having sub-
verted the dynasty of kings known as Rais,
occupied the city and province of Multan in
631 a. p. His brother, Chanda, who succeed-
cd him on his death, was a zealcus follower
of the Buddhist faith.
The Chinese traveller found the circuit of
the city to be 30 Li, which is about equal to
five English miles. He saw the golden statue
of Mitra, gorgeously attired and magnifi-
cently placed in a temple, to which all the
Princes of India sent rich presents. He calls
the city Meulo-san-pu-lo, which is transcribed
into Mulasthanapura.
The existence of the golden statue is men-
tioned in the Bhavishya Purana, an ancient
Sanskrit work, and it was owing to its pos- MOD FETA E YA
The Early History of Multan 5
session of such a treasure and to its wealth
in gold that the early Arab conquerors called
the place Far}, or ‘House of Gold.”
Multan was first visited by the Moslem
arms during the reign of the Khalifa Abu
Bekr, 44 Hijri (664 a.p.), when Mohalib,
the Arab General, afterwards an eminent
commander in Persia and Arabia, separating
from the main army of theinvaders, penetrat-
ed to the ancient capital of the Malli,
whence he carried away many prisoners of
war. The expedition, however, seems to
have been directed to the exploration of the
country, and no attempt was apparently
made to retain the conquest.
The Chachnama, written orginally in
Arabic, is a work for which great antiquity is
claimed, and which, notwithstanding its
tedious speeches, contains, according to
Elphinstone, ‘a minute and consistent
account of the transactions during Mahomed
Kasim’s invasion, and some of the preceding
Hindu reigns.’’ It was written, presumably,
before the foundation of Mansura! (the
Mahomedan capital of Sindh, close of Brah-
1, It was built in the beginning of the reign of the Khatita
Almansur, who succeeded in 136 A-H. (753 A.D.)-—Eliiot. 6 The Early History of Multan
manabad, called Harmatelia by Diodorus),
for there is no mention in it of that town, or
of Al Raiza, Manjabari or Maswahi, import-
ant towns noticed by Biladuri and Ibn
Haukal, the early Arabian authors on Sindh.
The author, in his description of the conquest
of Multan by the Arabs under Mahomed
Kasim, invariably calls it ‘‘ Sikka Multan.”
Many obstinate engagements are described as
having been fought, in which “ rivers of
blood flowed on both sides.”’ After he had
conquered Askalanda, a strong fort, where
he put four thousand fighting men to the
sword, we are told,’ he proceeded with his
whole army to ‘‘Sikka Multan,’’ on the
south bank of the Ravi, which is said to
have been defended by Rajhra. The place
was not reduced till after a hotly contested
battle, which lasted seven days, and in which
many distinguished officers of the Moslem
army were killed. All the make inhabitants
capable of bearing arms were massacred in
cold blood; six thousand ministers of the
temple were carried away as slaves, besides
all the women and children, and a mosque
was erected in the city.
In a subterranean room beneath the great
Marfat.com The Early History of Multan 7
idol, a vast treasure was found, and this was
further augmented by contributions raised
from the inhabitants. The story of the
discovery of the treasure is thus related by
Abu Rehan: ‘ Historians relate, on the
authority of Ali bin Mahomed, to whom it
had been related by Abu Mahomed Hindui,
that Mahomed Kasim arose, and, with his
generals, courtiers, guards and attendants,
went into the temple, where he beheld an
idol made of pure gold, its two eyes being of
bright red rubies. Mahomed Kasim, mis-
taking the image for a man, drew his sword,
intending to sever the head from the body ;
but the Brahmans, prostrating themselves
before the conqueror, exclaimed: ‘O truce
Commander, this is the image which was
made by Jibawail, King of Multan, who con-
cealed beneath it, in a reservoir, a treasure
exceeding all limit and computation, and
then departed.’ The Arab General thereupon
ordered the idol to be removed, and an under-
ground chamber was discovered, in which
were found two hundred and thirty maunds
of gold and forty jars filled with gold dust.
The latter, being weighed, was found to
amount to thirteen thousand and two maunds
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8 The Early History of Multan
of gold.”
On enquiring the cause of the great wealth
of the city and the flourishing condition of
its inhabitants, Mahomed Kasim was in-
formed that it was due to the offerings made
to the idol, which were brought from all
parts of India. The Arab General, anxious
to add to the resources of his newly con-
quered dominions, allowed the idol to remain
uninjured, but, as a token of his indignation,
he caused a piece of cow’s flesh to be sus-
pended from its neck. The idol was allowed
to remain during the entire period of the
supremacy of the, Khalifs of the Umayya
dynasty.
From the account of the expeditions of
Raja Chach against Multan, given in the
Chachnama, it appears that ‘‘ Sikka”’
was the name of the fort on the Ravi,
opposite Multan, for it is stated that “ the
Raja, having defeated Rajhra, and occupied
Sikka on the Ravi, crossed over to lay siege
to the capital.’’
Rajhra retired under the walls of the city,
and, after an unsuccessful appeal for succour
to the sovereign of Kashmir, surrendered it
on honourable terms. Abul Kasim, better The Early History of Multan 9
known to oriental scholars by the name of
Ibn Khurdaba, who flourished under the
Khalifs of Baghdad, was the earliest known
of the Arab geographers who wrote on India
and the East. His work is known under the
title of ‘‘The Book of Roads and King-
doms.’’ Its date is not known; but the
author, who devoted his leisure hours to
geographical researches, died in 300 A.H.
(gt2 a.p.). He calls Multan, which he
describes as being two months’ journey from
Zaranj, the capital of Sijistan, by the name
of Farj, because Mahomed, son of Kasim,
Lieutenant of Al Hajjaj, found vast quan-
tities of gold in the city, which henceforward
was called by the Arabs the ‘‘ House of
Gold.’”
Al Masudi, of Baghdad, whe visited the
valley of the Indus in 303 a.H. (915 a.p.),
and who wrote his much admired work,
“The Meadows of Gold,’’ about the year
330 AH. (942 4.D.), has left us a glowing
account of the condition of Islam in the
begianing of the tenth century, Speaking of
Multan, which he places seventy-five Sindh-
ian farsangs from Mansura, he says : ‘It is
one of the strongest frontier places of the ro The Early History of Multan
Musulmans, and in its neghbourhood there
are a hundred and twenty thousand towns
and villages.’ This notice of the city and
surrounding country, by such an acute
observer as Al Masudi is admitted to have
heen, affords convincing testimony to the
fertility of the region during the early period
of the Mahomedan occupation, Speaking of
the idol, Al Masudi says : “* People living in
the distant parts of Sindh and Hind travel
to it to perform pilgrimage, and, in fulfil-
ment of their vows and religious obligations,
they make offerings of money, precious
stones, perfumes of every kind, and, aloe
wood before it. “The sovereign of Multan
derives the principal part of bis revenues
from the valuable offerings made to the idol.
When the faithful are harassed by the un-
believers marching against Multan, they
bring out the idol and threaten to break it in
pieces, or reduce it to ashes, and the assail_
ants are thus induced to withdraw forth-
with,”
The Amir of Multan, described as being of
the Arab tribe of Koresh, was named Abu
Dowlat al Munabba, son of Assadas Sami.
The kingdom of Multan is Tepresented as
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The Early History of Multan IL
having been hereditary in his family since the
introduction of Islam into Sindh. Al Masudi
speaks of Multan as the greatest of the coun-
tries which forma frontier against unbelieving
nations, and he asserts that Kanauj was
included in that province.
Both Istakhri, of Istakhr, or Persepolis,
who wrote about the middle of the tenth
century (340 A.H., 951 A.D.), and Ibn
Haukal, of Baghdad, who based his work on
that of Istakhri, give glowing accounts of
Multan, which they describe as a large, forti-
hed and impregnable city, about half the size
of Mansura, the ancient Mahomedan capital
of Sindh.
They speak of the idol ‘Multan’ as being
held in great veneration by the Hindus, who
flock to it from all parts of India on religious
pilgrimages, and make large offerings, which
are spent on the temple and its devotees,
The temple of the idol, 300 feet high, is
spoken of as a strongly built edifice, ‘situated
in the market, the most thickly populated
part of the town, between the streets of the
ivory dealers and the coppersmiths’ quar-
ters.’’ Multan is celebrated to this day for
its elegant ivory bangles and toys and for 12 The Early History of Multan
its copper utensils, which form no insigni-
ficant part of its internal trade. The idol,
twenty cubits high, they say, stood in the
. centre of the building under a cupola, round
which lived the ministering priests and wor-
shippers. It was set cn a platform of brick-
work, and was made of wood (no longer of
gold, be it observed) in human shape, covered
with red Cordova leather, and seated with
the legs bent in a quadrangular posture,
the hands resting on the knees, with the
fingers all closed, Its two eyes were of two
red rubies, and its head was surmounted with
a golden crown. °
About half a mile from the city was an
extensive cantonment, called Chandrawar,
where lived the Governor of Multan in a
magnificent castle. He belonged to the noble
tribe of Koresh, and acknowledged no alle-
giance to the chief of Mansura, but read the
Khutba in the name of the Khalifa of Baghdad.
He never entered the city except on Fridays,
and then, mounted on an elephant, to take
part in the service of the Sabbath.
How the golden statue, expressly mention-
ed in the Sanskrit texts and by Houen Thsang,
became converted into the wooden figure
Marfat.com The Early History of Multan 13
referred to by Al Istakhri and Ibn Haukal,
has not been ascertained. According to the
author of the Chachnama, who wrote his work
contemporaneously with the conquests of
Mahomed Kasim, the golden idol was allowed
to remain uninjured by the Arab General.
The next mention of Multan by the early
Arab geographers is in the excellent work of
Abu Rehan Al Biruni, written by him only a
few weeks after the death of his famous
master, Mahmud of Ghazni, whom he had
accompanied to India. It treats of the religion,
philosophy, literature, geography, customs
and laws of the Hindus of India about the year
to30 A.D. He calls Multan “Mulasthana”’ :
and, noticing the conquests of Kasim in this
part of thecountry, he writes : ‘‘Mahomed Ibn
ul Kasam Ibn ul Munabbih entercd Sindh
from this side of Sijistan, and conquered the
cities of Bahmanwa and Mulasthana, the
former of which he called Almansura, and
the latter Almamura.’’ He entered India
proper and penetrated as far as Kannoj,
marching to the country of Gandhava and,
on his way back, through the confines of
Kashmir.
He informs us that when the Karmatians
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became masters of Multan, Jalam, the son of
»haiban, the usurper, did not prove as toler-
ant as the preceding sovereigns had been
towards the celebrated Hindu shrine. He
broke the idol in pieces, put all the priests
attached to the temple to the sword, and
converted the temple itself intoa Jama Masjid,
and, to show his dislike of the Khalifs of the
House of Umayya, closed the old mosque
which had been constructed under them.
“When the blessed king Mahmud,’’ con-
tinues our author, ‘‘subdued the Karmatians
(who were followers of the Shia sect), he,
as the great champion of the Sunnis, restored
the old mosque as the place of Friday worship,
and the second one was left to decay.’”’ This
occurred in 1005 A.D., when Mahomed cap-
tured Multan.
The old mosque, referred to by Al Biruni,
was the masjid built by Mahomed bin Kasim,
which had been deserted by the Karmatians.
According to Ferishta, Sheik Hamid Lodi,
the ruler of Multan, had paid tribute to Amir
Sabaktagin ; but his grandson, Abul Fath
Daud, the son of Nasir, having shaken off his
allegience to the house of Ghizni, joined Anand
Pal, the successor of Jeypal, Raja of Lahore.
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The Early Héstory of Multan 15
Mahmud entered Multan by way of Bhatinda,
and besieged the city for seven days; but
Daud, having received news of the defeat of
his ally, Anand Pal, near Peshawar, and not
feeling strong enough to keep the field alone,
retreated, and was subsequently pardoned on
stipulating to pay an annunl tribute of 20,000
golden dirhams,
On the decline of the Ghiznivide dynasty
Multan once more fell under the native Hin-
dus; but the Shias again became masters ol
Multan, and were not finally expelled until
1176 a.b., when Sultan Shahabuddin, com-
monly known as Mahomed Ghori, having seat-
ed himself on tne throne of Ghizini, led an
army against Multan, which he conquered.
He appointed Ali Karmani his Governor o!
Multan and Uch.
This was the same Mahomed Ghori who,
having inflicted a death blow on the Empire
of the Hindus under Pirthwi Raj, took pos-
session of Delhi, the ancient metropolis of
India, in 1193, thus becoming the founder of
the Mahomedan sovereignty in India. From
that time, Multan, which had remained in-
dependent under the Arab rulers, was treat-
cd as a dependency of the house of Ghizni 16 The Farly History of Mulian
during the reign of Mahmud and his succes-
sors, and, lapsing again to the Hindus ulti-
mately, became an appendage of the Delhi
Empire. Abu Rehan, on his visit to Multan,
found neither the temple nor the idol in exis-
tence ; but the Hindus, subsequently, on
recovering their independence, restored the
temple and set up the idol, to which offer-
ings were made as usual by the people. Thus,
when Al Idrisi, of Morocco, wrote his work
on geography, called the Nwzhatul Mushtak
ji Iftakhar ul afak, about the year 1130
A.D., or about the time of the decline of
the Ghjznivide dynasty, the sun-god of Multan
was flourishing, and was worshipped by the
Hindus with as much zeal as ever. The temple
of the idol is described as being situated in
the centre of the city, in a most frequented
bazar, or quarter. ‘‘The building,’ writes
Al Idrisi, ‘‘is dome-shaped. The interior of
the dome is gilded, and the dome and the
gates are works of great solidity. The columns
are very lofty, and the walls are decorated
with various colours. There is no idol in Hind,
or Sindh, more highly venerated. The people
obey it as law and make it the object of a
pious pilgrimage. The inhabitants maintain
Marfat.com The Early History of Mulian 7
that its presence secures divine protection,
and regard it asa guardian against all mis-
fortunes and calamities. When a neighbour-
ing Prince declares war against Multan, tlic
priests threaten the aggressors with the wrath
of the sun-god, and predict their destruc-
tion, and the assailants at once renounce
their design.”
Al Idrisi describes Multan as a large city,
equal in size to Mansura, commanded by a
citadel with four gates and surrounded by a
moat. Provisions are represented as being
abundant, the taxes light, and the people
well-to-do. It was called the ‘House of Gold.”
Zakaria Al Kazwini, who wrote his work
called the Asar ul bilad wa Akhbar ul 'Ibad
(Monuments of Countries and Memories of
Men) about 1263 a.p., when the Slave Kings
were in power in Hindustan, writes of Multan
as a large, fortified and impregnable city,
with a temple which is to the Hindus a place
of worship and pilgrimage, as Mecca is for
the Mahomedans.
“The inhabitants are Musulmans and in-
fidels ; but the government is in the hands
of the former.’
The chief mosque is described as being near 1s The Early History of Multan
the temple.
At the time of Mahomed Ghori's death
(1205 A.p.) Nasiruddia Kubacha was Governor
of Multan and Sindh. He had married the
daughter of Kutbuddin, Emperor of Delhi.
Strengthened by this alliance, Nasiruddin
declared his independence in Sindh and Mul-
tan on the death of his patron, and caused
public prayers to be read, and money coined,
in his own name.
Shamsuddin Altamash, adopted son of the
late King, invaded Multan in 1217, and de-
feated Nasiruddin, who was afterwards drown-
ed in the Indus, By his defeat and death, the
second independence of Multan under the Ma-
homedahs came to an end, and Multan once
more became subject to the Delhi Empire.
Tn 1396 a.p. Multan was invaded by
Prince Pir Mahomed Jahangir, the grandson
of Tamerlane. Sarang Khan, the Governor of
Depalpur, who had declared his indepen-
dence, expelling Khizr Khan, the Multan
Governor, on behalf of Mahomed Toghlak,
the reigning sovereign in Delhi, hearing of
the approach of the Moghul prince, despatch-
ed Malik Tajuddin, his deputy, and the greater
portion of his troops to oppose the invading
Marfat.com The Early History of Multan 19
army, Pir Mahomed, hearing of this move-
ment, advanced to the Bias, and, falling sud-
denly on the Multanis just as they were cross-
ing the river, defeated and drove them inte
the stream, so that more perished by drown-
ing than fell by the sword. Such of the fugi-
tives as made good their retreat to Multan
were pursued by the Moghuls, who compelled
Sarang Khan to shut himself up in the fort.
The invading army laid siege to the fort,
and the blockade lasted six months, until the
besieged army, being reduced to extremities
by want of provisions, surrendered at discre.
tion, and Mirza Pir Mahomed took posses-
sion of Multan.
For thirty-six years after the departure of
Tamerlane there was no kingdom in India,
in name or in reality, Khizr Khan Syad
governed the kingdom in the name of Tamer-
lane, without sovereign title or royal honours.
During the troubled reign of his grandson
sSyad Mahomed, an insurrection broke out in
Multan among the Afghans called Langa,
1343 A.D.
The Delhi Emperor, sunk in licentiousness,
totally neglected the affairs of his govern-
1, lerishta BROOD PERL YN
20 The Early History of Multan
ment ; the whole Empire fell to pieces and
new monarchies sprang up in every direction.
With no Governor or Viceroy to manage the
affairs of the country, and weakened by
internal commotion and disorder, as well as
by foreign intrigue and aggressions, the
people of Multan suffered bitterly from the
anarchy and confusion that prevailed. In
this state of things, they assembled to devise
measures to restore order, and unanimously
elected Sheikh! Eusuf, the hereditary
guardian of the great monastery near the
capital, to be their ruler. The Sheikh
belonged to the distinguished tribe of Koresh,
and, according to the author of Tabakati
Akbari, was held in universal esteem for his
wisdom, learning, and piety. Having as-
sumed supreme power, he ‘introduced meas-
ures of reform into the country, increased
its military strength, and concluded peace
with the neighbouring States which fre-
quently diXurbed its peace. Among those
who submitted to his authority was Rae
Sahra, the chief of the Langas, who so
flattered the venerable Sheikh that he ever
gave him his daughter in marriage ; and the
1, The Makhdums of Multan are bis descendants. The Early History of Multan 2
nuptials were celebrated in Multan with
great splendour. The Sheikh, however, in
the guise of a friend, harboured designs of
his own against Multan, and during an enter-
tainment, having contrived to lull suspicion,
seized the person of his son-in-law, whom he
sent to Delhi. Usurping thus the kingly
power, he proclaimed himself king of Multan,
under the title of Sultan Kutbuddin Langa,
1445. Sheikh Eusuf became the guest of the
Emperor Bahloli Lodi, but made no attempt
to recover his lost kingdom.
Kutbuddin reigned in peace for sixteen
years, and died in 1469, much lamented by
his subjects.
He was succeeded by his son Husein
Langa, a man of great learning and activity,
who extended the dominions of Multan to
the south and west.
During the eighty years that Multan was
held by the Langa dynasty, it became the
principal caravan route between India and
Kandahar, and commerce and agriculture
flourished. All the lands on the banks of the
Chenab and the Ghara, as well as some
on the Indus, were richly cultivated, and the
country was settled by bodies of Beluchees 22 The Early History of Multan
and Sahna Jains from the borders of Belu-
chistan and the emporium of Karachi.
In 1526 Shah Husein Arghun, at that time
ruler of Sindh, seized Multan on behalf of
Baber, who bestowed it on his son Mirza
Askeri. The Mirza, assisted by Langar
Khan, one of the most powerful of the Amirs
of Sultan Mahmud Langa, held possession of
Multan during the rest of Baber’s reign.
On Baber’s death Humayun found himself
compelled to surrender Multan, along with
the whole of the Panjab, to his eldest
brother, Kamran Mirza, That Prince estab-
lished his court at Lahore, and, sending his
Amir to take charge of Multan, recalled
Langar Khan to Lahore. He gave the Khan
an honourable reception and assigned him
a residence close to the city, which in sub-
sequent times came to be known as “ Guzar
Langar Khan,” or Langar Khan’s quar-
ters,?
During the confusion that followed the
light of Humayun to Persia, the kingdom of
Multan was conquered by the Beluchees
under their chief, Fatteh Khan. When Sher
Shah Su came into power, Fatteh Khan
1. Tabakati Akbari,
/ 383 SB MOD FETA E YA
The Early History of Multan 23
acknowledged him, but that monarch was
desirous of assuming direct charge of the
fertile province himself. He therefore
deputed his General, Hebat Khan, at th:
head of an army to annex the territory to
the Indian Empire. Fatteh Khan, collecting
his troops, appeared on the field and gave
the Moghul General battle, but was defeated,
and Multan was captured for the Shah.
Pleased with the services of Hebat Khan,
the Shah conferred on him the title of Azim
Humayun.
Humayun was restored to the throne of
India in 1555, and shortly afterwards his son,
the great Akbar, took possession of Multan.
When Abul Fazl composed the celebrated
«Aint Akbari,’’ or the ‘‘Institutes of
Akbar,’’ Multan was one of the largest pro-
vinces of the Empire, extending to the
frontiers of Persia, and including within its
limits the modern countries of Multan,
Beluchistan, Sindh, Shikarpore, Sewistan
and Tatta, besides a portion of the Doabs
now attached to Lahore. A royal mint for
silver and copper coin was established there
along with the mints at Delhi, Agra.
1. Tabskat and Tarikhi Nizam. BROOD PERL YN
24 The Early History of Multan
Lahore, Mlahabas (Allahabad) Kashmir,
Ujjein, Surat, Patna and Tanda. It was
the seat of the Kazi-ul- Kuzzat, or the
chief Kazi; and when the learned men of
the time put their seal and Signatures
to the memorable document declaring
Akbar to be the “Imam i Idil,” or the
“Just leader of the Faith,” Kazi Jalauddin
of Multan, the Kazi-ul-Kuzzat of the time,
put his seal toit. Khani A’zim Mirza Aziz,
Kokah, or foster brother of Akbar, on becom-
ing a member of the ‘Divine Faith,”
received Multan in jagir. He was son of ji
Ji Angah, the nurse of Akbar, with whom he
had grown up. The Emperor was attached
to him till his death, and used to say :
‘‘ Between me and Aziz there is a river of
milk which I cannot cross,’”
The earliest mention of Multan by a
European traveller which I have found is in
the travels of St. Thomas Herbert, Bart., in
connection with the rebellion of Prince
Khurram (afterwards Shah Jahan) in the
time of the Emperor Jahangir, son of Akbar.
The traveller writes: Jahangir (lest he
should surfeit of delight) at Cashmir, enter-
1, Aini Akbari. . The Early History of Mullan 25
tains the news of his son Khurram’s fresh
outbreaking ; as alsoof Ebrahim’s death and
discomfiture : and fearing his vagrant son
might grow too popular and potent, rouscs
himself, and, after advice with his Council,
forthwith commands Chan Jahan, out of
Multhan and Buckarr (countries adjoining to
Kabul), to raise a considerable force to
hasten into Gujurat with the tribute of those
provinces, to advance a new army, and join
with Parwaz, that he might be better able to
march against the rebels,’’
The next mention of Multan which we find
is in the travels of Tavernier, Baron of Au-
bonne, the celebrated French traveller and
jewel merchant.
He travelled in India between 1641 and
1068, or during the reigns of Shah Jahan and
Aurangzeb, and he had also traversed the
land route from Isphahan to Agra, via Kan-
dahar, Kabul, Lahore and Delhi. From Kan-
dahar to Agra the route lay either by Kabul
or by Multan. The last route was shorter
than the other by ten days, “but the cara-
1, "Some yeats’ Travels into diverse parts of Africa and
Asia the Great, describing more. particularly the Empires «i
Asia and Hindustan.” By St, Thomas Herbert. Bart., London,
1677 A.D.
Marfat.com 20 The Early History of Multan
van," observes Tavernier, ‘scarcely ever
takes it, because from Kandahar to Multan
there is nothing but deserts almost all the
way, and because one marches sometimes for
three or four days without finding water.”’
In his description of the town, the traveller
says: ‘(Multan is a town where quantities of
calicoes are made, and they used to carry
them all to Tatta before the sands had
obstructed the mouth of the river ; but since
the passage has been closed for large vessels,
they carry them to Agra, and from Agra to
Surat, as well as a portion of the goods which
are made at Lahose. As this carriage is very
expensive, but few merchants go to make
investments either at Multan or Lahore, and
indeed many of the artisans have deserted ;
this also causes the revenues of the king to
be much diminished in these provinces.
Multan is the place whence emigrate all
banians who come to trade in Persia, where
they follow the same occupation as the Jews,
as I have elsewhere said, and they surpass
them in their usury. They have a special law
which permits them on certain days to eat
fowls, and to take only one wife between two
or three brothers, of whom the eldest is
Marfat.com The Early History of AMLullan 27
regarded as the father of the children.’””?
Multan was visited by another French tra-
veller, M. de Thevenot, described by the
historians as a ‘thoughtful observer,’ in
1666, the most prosperous period of the reign
of Aurangzeb, who was then devising a scheme
to entrap Sevaji, the celebrated Mahratta
Prince. The ‘‘temple of the Sun” was still
flourishing, and the faithful flocked round
their great idol with costly presents from all
parts of the country. The image was clothed
in red leather and had a black face, the eyes
being represented by two large pearls. This
was, of course, before Aurangzeb had begun
his work of persecuting the Hindus.
During the invasion of Nadir Shah (1738-
39), Zahid Khan, a Saddozie Afghan, was
appointed Viceroy of Multan through the
influence of his friend Kamruddin Khan, the
Minister of the Delhi Empeor, Mahomed Shah.
Runjit Singh invaded Multan in 1818, when
Mozaffar Khan, grandson of Zahid khan, with
five of his sons, fell in the battle-field, Multan
was conquered by the Sikhs, and remained in
their possession until it was finally annexed by
1. Travels in India, by John Baptiste Tavernier, Vol
1, P90.
Marfat.com 28 The Early History of Multan
theBritish during the second Sikh War (1848-
49). Mul Raj, the last Sikh Governor, son of the
celebrated Dewan Sawan Mal, was tried bya
British court-martial on a charge of murder
of Mr. Vans Agnew, Political Agent, and
Lieutenant Anderson, his assistant, and being
found guilty, was sentenced to death ; but
the penalty was subsequently commuted to
transportation for life. The rebel was accord-
ingly sent to Calcutta, where he died the
following year.
General Cunningham saw the ruins of the
great Temple of the Sun in 1853, on the high
ground in the very centre of the citadel, and
he identified it with its position as stated by
Istakhri, Ibn-i-Haukal and Idrisi Thetemple
and the statue of the Sun were, according to
the same authority, destroyed during the
reign of Aurangzeb, and the Jama Masjid,
or cathedral mosque, was built in its stead.
When the Sikhs came into power, they turned
the mosque into a powder magazine, which
was blown up in the celebrated siege of
Multan in 1849. The temple of Pahladpuri,
having reference to Prahladpura, or Pahlad-
pur, from Prahlada, the famous son of Kas-
I. Archacolgicul Reports, 1872-73, p. 119.
.
Marfat.com The Early History of Multan 29
yapa, still stands at the north-eastern angle
of the fort, close to the tomb of Bahawal
Hak. The original temple is said to have been
built by Prahlada himself. The rcof of the
present mandar was blown up by theexplosion
of the powder magazine during the siege of
1849, and an annual fair is held round the
temple in commemoration of the traditional
anniversary of Nar Sinh, Avatar.
According to Burnes,? Muzaffar Khan, the
late Nawab of Multan, in sinking a well in
the city, found a war drum at a depth of
sixty feet from the surface. General Cun-
ningham had several wells sunk, from the
high ground of the citadel down to the level
of the natural soil, and he discovered evidence
of man’s occupation at a depth varying from
45 to 50 feet, namely, a deposit of ashes and
burnt earth, which he takes to be the remains
of a conflagration and wholesale massacre
that followed the capture of the capital of the
Malli by the Macedonian troops of Alexander,
exasperated as they were, by the dangeous
wound received by their master in the siege of
the place. ‘‘Frightful was the carange,’’ we
are told, ‘“‘made amongst the brave Malli;
1. Travels iato Bokhara, &c., Vol. IIL, p. 105
Marfat.com 30 The Early History of Multan
every man, woman and child that fell into the
hands of the Macedonians was mercilessly
butchered.’”
According to both Arrian and Strabo,
Alexander received his wound at the capture
of the capital of the Malli, whither, we are
informed, many of the inhabitants of other
cities had fled for better security. The strong
Brahman city from which Alexander led his
forces against the chief city of the Malli is
identified by Cunningham with Attari, 34
miles to the northeast of Multan, and on the
high road from Tolamba. Multan has unques-
tionably been the capital of the Lower Punjab,
and it possesses tHe strongest fort in his part
of the country. At the time of Alexander’s
imvasion, it had, according to Arrian, the
greatest number of defenders, 50,000 ; and it
must have been the strongest place, for he
“the warlike tribe (the Malli) had
abandoned the other cities and concentrated
there for better security.'’ Alexander is des-
cribed as having made two marches from the
Brahman city to the capital of the Malli,
which agrees exactly with the distance of 34
miles between Attari and Multan. ‘'For these
Teasons,’’ says General Cunningham, ‘I am
Marfat.com The Early History of Multan 31
quite satisfied that the capital city of the
Malli was the modern city of Multan.”
Major Rennel has supposed the metropolis
of Multan to have been higher up, and he
points to the ruins near Tolamba as the site
of thecapital of the Malli. But the conclusions
drawn by General Cunningham are corrobo-
rated by Burnes and other eminent travellers
of modern times. It is expressly stated that,
after capturing the Brahman city and Oxy-
dracae (the modern Uch), Alexander crossed
the city of the Malli. The distance from the
river is but 30 miles, and Multan is a place of
undoubted antiquity. ‘I do not see,’’ Says
Burnes, ‘“‘why we should forsake the modern
capital when in search of the ancient ; had
we not the earliest assurances of the age ol
Multan, its appearance alone would indicate
it”?
T have said before that Multan, the Kasya-
papura of Hindu mythology, derives its name
from Kasyapa, one of the great gods of the
Hindu pantheon. These gods, or Rishis, are
represented in the heavens by the seven stars
of the Great Bear, believed to be united by
marriage to the seven Pleiades, or Krittikas.
t. Travels inte Bokhara, &c., Vot. TU.
Marfat.com BROOD PERL YN
32 The Early History of Mulian
According to local tradition, the manifesta-
tion of Vishnu in the Nar Sinh, Avatar, took
place at Multan when Kasyapa was reigning.
This old tradition of the origin of the place
affords interesting evidence of its importance
at the earliest dawn of Indian history, and
is proof of the great position which it once
held in the Empire of India.
General Cunningham discovered three
interesting silver coins in the neighbourhood
of Multan (1872-73), all of which he believes
to refer to the worship of the sun-god of
Multan. They are supposed to belong to a
period antecedent,to the reign of Chach,
towards the middle of the seventh century,
when the territory of Multan and Sindh was
tuled over by a dynasty of kings known as
Diwahij, conspicuous for their devotion to
sun worship.
The first of these coins was found in the
great Tope of Manakyala, which had been
thoroughly explored by Mountstuart Elphin-
stone (1815), General Ventura (1830), and
General Court (1834), It was triangular in
form, with the bust of the king, half-turned
to the right, covered with a head-dress,
ornamented with two trisuls, and surmounted The Early History of Milian 33
)
by a tiger's head. The Scythic letters before
the face on the obverse are now suite wn-
known, but the long legend in the Nagii
character around the margin bas been
satisfactorily delineated, and the followin:
reading has been adopted :
Sri Hitivi cha Airan cha Parameswara,
Sri Shahitigin Deva jarita ;
which means—
“The fortunate lord of India and Persia,
The valiant king Devajarita.’””
The reverse has a bust of a god, which
Prinsep attributes to the Mithra of the
Iranians, but which Cunningham believes to
be the Multan sun-god, called Aditya, for the
reason that the head is surrounded by rays
arranged after the Indian fashion and quite
different from the head-dress of the Persian
Mithra. If the theory of General Cunningham
in regard to the identification of the coin
with the Diwahij dynasty be correct, the
date of the coin would be about 500 a.p.
The second coin is of special value, as
belonging to the time of Khusrow Parwez,
of Persia. It has on the obverse the bust
of the king, with the winged head-dress, and
a Pahlvi legend, On the reverse is the bust 34 The Early History of Multan
of the Indian sun-god, with the rayed head-
dress. The date inscribed on the coin is the
year ‘'37 of the reign,”’ which corresponds
to 626 a.p. The coin is of particular interest,
as giving a clue to an important event record-
ed in Chachnama, namely, the invasion of
Sindh by an army from Persia under the
King of Nimroz (Sistan) and the defeat and
death of Rae Siharus, the immediate pre-
decessor of the Brahman Chach. General
Cunningham supposes the coin to have been
struck by Khusrow Parwez in honour of his
temporary conquest of the Indian Empire.
The third coin hears a close analogy to the
last. It has on the obverse the bust of a king
with a winged head-dress, as in the coin of
Khusrow Parwez, The Pahlvi legend has been
read by Mr. Thomas as follows :
Left of the head—Siv Varsi Tef.
Round the margin—Piin shami dat siv
varsaoTef, Wahman
Ach Miltan Malka.
Meaning—
In nomine justi judicis siv Varsao
Tef Brahman, King of Miltan.
On the reverse appears the rayed head of
the sun-god, as in the two coins before men-
Marfat.com The Early History of Multan 35
tioned. On the right of the head is the ins-
cription Svi Vasi Vasi Deva, and on the left
Panchat zawulistan,
The last coin has, it would appear, direct
reference to Multan, the rayed bust on the
coin being identified with the famous sun-
god Aditya. General Cunningham identifies
Vans Deva with Rajhra, who ruled Multan
when that country was usurped by Chach. He
was arelative of Shas, and is described as hav-
ing had ‘large dominions’ and possessed ‘great
abilities.’’ According to the Chachnama, his
nephew, Sahiwal, was Governor of the Fort
of Sikka, opposite Multan, and, with the assis-
tance of Ajri, his cousin, he opposed Chach on
the banks of the Bias for three months.
Another place of great antiquity in Multan,
directly associated with the ancient worship
of the sun-god ‘‘Multan,” is the tank of
“Suraj Nund,’’ or the pool of the sun, famous,
in modern times, as the position of the British
troops under Lieutenants Edwardes and Lake
during the siege of Multan in 1848. It is about
five miles to the south of Multan, on the road
to Bahawalpur, and is a place of great sanc-
tity with the Hindus. The tank is 132 feet
in diameter and ro feet deep when full of
Marfat.com 36 The Early History of Multan
water. Sawan Mal, the Sikh Diwan, sur-
rounded it with an octagonal wall. It is a
steat place of pilgrimage, and two fairs are
held on the site annually—one on the seventh
of the waning moon of Bhadon, and the other
on the seventh of the waning moon of Magh—
the numbers having apparently reference to
the seven horses of the Sun’s chariot, accord-
ing to the Hindu mythology, or the seven
Kishis, sons of Manu, a direct descendant of
Brahma, the father of Kasyapa, the fabulous
founder of Multan,
The modern city of Multan is built on a
rmnound of considerable height, formed of the
debris of most ancient cities and the rubbish
accumulated during the lapse of many cen-
turies. The city is surrounded with a wall,
the whole circuit, including the citadel, being
15,000 feet, ornearly three miles. But Multan,
like the other great Eastern cities (Shiraz,
Ispahan, Kabul, &c.), has extensive suburbs,
which are unwalled, and, including these,
measures about five miles, which agrees exact-
ly with the estimate furnished by the Chines:
traveller Houen Tsang, who makes the cir-
cuit of Multan 30 Li, or just five miles.* It
1. Ancient Geography, p. 231.
Marfat.com The Early History of Multan 37
also very nearly agrees with the estimate of
Elphinstone, who describes Multan as “‘about
four-miles-and-a-halfin circumference."’? The
citadel, situated on the opposite banks of the
old bed of the Ravi, and now dismantled,
had no ditch when visited by Elphinstone
and Burnes ; but Sawan Mal, the popular and
energetic Viceroy of Multan under Maharaja
Ranjit Singh, surrounded it with a broad,
deep ditch, having ready communication with
the waters of the Ravi canal. The walls were
built by Morad Baksh, the fourth and young-
est son of Shah Jahan, when Viceroy of
Multan, in 1627 4.p., or towards the close
of the reign of that Emperor. The Prince was
fond of arms, and delighted in hunting lions
and wild boars, which then abounded in the
jungles of Multan.
The fort is, in shape, half an irregular
octagon, with a circuit of 6,600 feet, or a
mile-and-a-querter. It had originally forty-
six towers and bastions, including two fank-
ing towers at cach of the four gates.
Al Idrisi, writing of Multan in the begin-
ning of the twelfth century, describes it as ‘‘a
large city commanded by a citadel, which
1, Elphinstone’s Cabul, p 27. BROOD PERL YN
38 The Early History of Multan
has four gates, and is surrounded by a moat,”
The fort has still four gates : that to the north
being called the Khizri gate, from Syad Khzir
Khan, Governor of Multan at the time of
Tymur’s invasion; that to the west, the De
gate ; that to the south, the Rahri gate: and
that to the east, the Sikki gate. The De gate
is believed to have reference to the Dewal
shrine in the temple of the sun, and, according
to General Cunningham, indicates its true
position. That it must have formed the prin-
cipal approach to the temple of the sun, is
also apparent from the large drain called by
the same name (De), which must have led
irom the temple to the streets. The Sikki gate
has obvious reference to the old fortified town
of Sikka mentioned by the historians of Sindh
and Arabia. We have already alluded to the
fort of Multan being called “Sikka-Multan”’
by the early Arab authors, The transcription
of M. Vivien deSt, Martain, of Mulasthanipura
into mulo-san-upu-lo of the Chinese Pilgrim
Houen Tsang, is clearly borne out by the
dialect of the people themselves, and the iden-
tity of Multan with Mulasthan, which agrees
exactly with the name Mula-tana quoted by
Abu Rihan, on the authority to Kashmerian The Early History of Multan 39
“
writers. Mula in Sanskrit means ‘“‘root,’’ or
“origin,’’ and sathan, or than, signifies ‘‘spot,’”
or ‘“‘place.’’ The orb of the sun is the roct of
light, and in the Amarvakosha one of the names
given to the sun is Vradhna, which is the
synonym of Mula. Thus Mula-than, Mula-tana
or Mulas-sthana, means simply the shrine, or
temple of Mula, or the sun. This view was
held by Professor Wilson, and has been fully
endorsed by General Cunningham.*
Munshi Hukm Chand, in his Hisfory of
Afultan, gives the following description of the
origin of Multan : ‘‘According to the Hindus
there lived in olden times Haran Kishab
Rakshal and Prahlad Bhagat. That was
the age of the satjug. People describe the
origin of Multan thus: First, that there
lived a tribe here called Mul. The city
came to be called Multan after their name.
Secondly, the word Mul means in Sanskrit
beginning. The city, having presumably been
founded towards the commencement of the
human habitation, was called Multrang,
which, by lapse of ages, came to be styled
1. Ancient Geography, p, 234. The sun is regarded as the
lord of the ethereal space, diffusing light by its rays into the
world, and hence came to be worshipped a3 a god itself.
Marfat.com 40 The Early History of Multan
Multan, Thirdly, Mul also means ‘centre,’
and sthan means ‘a place,’ The city, being
founded in a central part of the country, was
called Mulsthan, namely, a central place.’”*
According to Ferishta, Multan was founded
by a great-grandson of Noah, after his own
name. According to other Mahomedan his-
torians, Yafis, a son of Noah, settled here
after the deluge, and became a Kajir, or
infidel. Hans, a descendant of Yafis, who
afterwards became a celebrated Raja, laid
the foundation of city, which came to be
called after his name, Hanspur, The city
flourished for five hundred years. During the
next five hundred it remained waste, after
which Raja Bhagat Kishen repopulated it.
Being again desolated, after five hundred
years, it remained depopulated for the same
period, when it was once more peopled by Raja
Sham Prem Nath, when the city was, after his
name, called Shampur. The city was then
swept away by the river, only the citadel,
which was situated on high ground, being
saved from the effects of the inundation. Five
hundred years after, Raja More came here
58, 1, Tawarikh Zilla Muitan, by Manshi Hukm Chand, p. 42,
1884,
Marfat.com The Early History of Multan 41
from Hindustan on a hunting excursion, and
he, having repeopled the city, called it Mor-
davan, which, inafter times, came to be called
Mol-taran, and again Moltana or Mullan?
When the place was visited by Shah Gurdez
Eusuf, no trace of the citadel existed, and
what was visible was a large mound of earth.
The site of the present town was partly the
bed of the river, and partly included the
Opposite bank of the same. The river flowed
by tge side of the mausoleum of Shah Eusul.
The modern city was founded eight hundred
years ago, and the Ravi then flowed by the
side of the city walls, towards the north-west.
Traces of the ancient bed of the river can still
be seen close to the city walls, though the
Ravi now flows at a distance of 5 or 6 miles
to the west of the city.
Some maintain that the old city of Multan
was situated towards the east of the modern
t, According to Edward Thomas, the orthography of Multan
on the coin is simply Qi:l. without any dots, “which,” con-
tinues he, ‘for a long time made me hesitate in admitting the
present rendering, but which is now fully established by the
legend on the coins of Uzbeg Pai, and I have singular con-
‘irmatioa of the disregard of the true sounds of M and B pre-
ng at this period, in the fact that many MSS, of the
Tabakati Nasiri—the original of which was of neasly contem-
Porancous composition—defines the name as Ctz!s (Biltan), a
circumstance which has led to amusing confusion in the
printed editions prepared in Calcutta "—The Chronicles of the
Pathan Kings of Delhi, by Edward Thomas, p 76, London, 1871,
Marfat.com 44 The Early History of Multan
from Multan ; and this utter absence of Hindu
remains led General Cunningham to sink
several wells in the fort, in the hope of dis-
covering some relics that might be more
ancient than the Mahomedan conquest. One
well was carried down to the depth of forty
feet in 1864. It was sunk just outside the
wall of the roofless temple of Pahladpuri, and
the result was highly interesting. One of the
objects of sinking the well was to obtain some
reliable data for fixing the approximate period
of the accumulation of the vast debris which
constitute the special features of this ancient
town. At a depth of ro or 11 feet were dis-
covered a coin of Mozuddin Kekubad (a4.p.
1286-89), a glazed blue oil-lamp and several
fragments of glazed pottery. The circumstance
ig unquestionable proof of the fact that glazed
tiles were introduced into India by the
Mahomedans. The ten feet of accumulation
thus gave a period of 600 years, or nearly
one-and-a-half foot per century. Lower down,
at a depth of 12 feet, was found a coin of Sri
Samanta Deva—Circa a.p, goo-950—which
gave a period of goo years for twelve feet.
At a depth of 13 and 14 feet were found
bricks, 11X6}X2; at 15, 16 and 17 feet, red
Marfat.com MOD FETA E YA
The Early History of Multan 45
ashes, 2 feet deep; at 18 fect, black ashes,
6 to g inches, and bricks rr xG$% 2; and at
at feet, fragments ol large bricks, ry rE 2§.
The bricks increased in size with the depth,
the Moghul being small, the Pathan nearly
double the size, and the Buddhist still larger.
At a depth of 30 to 32 feet was found a
layer of ashes and burnt earth, 2 feet thick,
together with a silk-spinners’s ball, a shoe-
maker’s sharpening stone, and a copper vesse!
with about 200 coins. From 36 to 39 feet was
natural soil, unmixed.
Now, the principal discoveries made in this
archaeological excavation were two, namely,
the great masses of ashes and burnt sub-
stances at two diiterent depths. The upper
one, which extended from 15 to nearly 16
feet, and which consisted of a deposit of red
ashes overlying a thin cover of black ashes.
was not limited to the area of the well, but
extended round it on every side. The position
of the deposit corresponds exactly with the
conquest of Multan by Mahomed Kasim, Lieu-
tenant of Al Hajjajin, ina.b. 712, when, weare
told, the whole garrison was put tothe sword.
The other deposit of ashes and burni earth,
2 feet in thickness, at a depth of 30 to 32 46 The Early History of Multan
leet, corresponds very nearly to the period
of Alexander's conquest of the capital of the
Malli, when the Macedonians, exasperated by
the wound received by their royal master at
the siege of the citadel, made wholesale
massacres, sparing neither age nor sex. Gene-
ta] Cunningham thinks jt probable that this
‘leep layer of ashes may be the remains of some
conflagration that attended the massacres.
The further discovery, made just below the
level of the burnt earth, consisted of a silk-
spimner’s ball ofclay, a shoe-maker’s sharpen-
ing stone, and a copper utensil filled with
about 200 coins, These latter Were square in
form, but were unrecognisable, being alto-
gether corroded,
These are important results, establishing,
beyond doubt, the great antiquity of Multan
and its association with events of the first
importance in the history of India.
The only Hindu remains of Multan are the
enormous stone rings, called Nalsand M, ankas
(believed to be the thumb rings of Nougazas,
orthenine yarders, the “‘Ghazis and Shahids,”’
or “warriors and martyrs for the faith of
Islam,”’ who first invaded the country and
+ Archaeological Survey Report, Vol. V., pp. 126.29, MOD FETA E YA
The Early History of Multan 47
were killed in the action). Similar stone rings
have been also found in the ruins of Harappa
(the most extensive of the old ruins along the
banks of the Ravi), and some fragmeuts of
statues of a temple near the Haram gate of
the city.
But the chief peculiarity of Multan is the
amazing extent of theruins of tombs, mosques
and shrines that cover the suburbs, and are
even more numerous than those of Lahore.
Mounds of enormous size, called in the dialect
of the country Bhiy or Th-he, are found
scattered over the surface of the country for
miles around, and covered with fragments of
bricks and pottery of household use. These
are undoubtedly the remains of ancient towns
and habitations. These mounds, Bhirs, are
numerous in the Multan district, but I give
overleaf a list of the principal ones noted
either for their extent or antiquity. These
are objects of great interest to the antiqua-
rian, being situated in a region full of historic
sites, and give promise of unfolding forgotten
chapters of history, if the same zeal be dis-
played in their examination as has been shown
by the Archaeological Department in the
Fort of Multan. a
8 The Early History of Multan
2 T @
ce] s <5 2.8 2
fa] is | ES. gee Foe |
zh ea |, ¢€ es gig 2 Remarks
se | gE | 8 255 3
we “ar | aS avs &
: = | =}
i
\
Muttanl Jalilpur | Jalilpur. Ten gene, In the
i 1 wala rations | time of
| : 1 back “Mabrattas
Miani- 500 or 609 Before the|
Or before 177
wala yearsage timeoi | A.D.
Nawab |
: Mozzutfer |
! Khan
bo | Juma | Bakar: Inthe | Do
Khasa abad time of |
Yaraf the Dethi
a Emperors
: '
bo, Khagga.-Koarwale 600 years | 300 years
j wale ago,
ito | Kotli (Nurkhan- Before the Before the! Depopulated Ly
Nijabut; wala | time of Sikhtime? the Bhan’
' the | Mi.
| | Nawabs |
i 1
Do | Makh- — Bhir Before the
Jumper Meltan. time of .
| wala | Baber :
adie! Mochi Thehe 500 years ten years
ran [Bunoban machi > aco
j Banoban., :
| wala
De Jalal- Th-he (400 years! Not
ubud Jalalabad} age
known
: Kuhna
i i
im Khanpur: Thehe : Not | po Ohl bricks et
Khanpur-| known | Choughatta pe.
ak | ! Tied are found
: here on diggiz.¢
: | ' the earth
bo (Khan phir |510 years 200 years: Ditto ditto
wen Bhara. | ; \
4 wala |
eee
Marfat.com The Early History of Multan
49
ae
fhelis
foe
35 ef | #3
See | HES BC
egs | #23 | #23
sa" | 885 | £38
43 a°3 | are
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