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The built Hindu heritage of Sialkot

ASSIGNMENT ……SMESTER FALL-2021

Course title: Cultural Diversity in Pakistan

Course Code: HIS-424

Submitted by: Muhammad Afzaal

Roll No: 18111503-009

Semester: BS 7th

Submitted To: Dr. Muhammad Kashif Ali

Degree Program: BS History

Department o History And Pakistan Study

Topic:-

The Built Hindu Heritage of Sialkot

Content:

 Introduction of Sialkot:
 History
 Hindu community in Sialkot
 Puran Bhagat temple
 Ragunath Temple
 Shivala teja singh temple

Introduction to Sialkot:

Sialkot district lays ijn the northwesterly position of markzi Punjab, Pakistan. It is thirteen most
popular city of Pakistan. Sialkot is one of the old district of Pakistan. One of Pakistan's most
industrialized city. Along with the close by cities of Gujarat and Gujranwala Sialkot type part of
the so called Golden Triangle of industrial cities with export oriented economies Through
exports, Sialkot based industries are gain foreign replace to more than $2.5 billion annually to
strengthen the national exchequer. The district spread over the area of 3016 square kilometer.
Sialkot is believed to be the site of ancient Sagala a city ruin by Alexander in 326 BCE, and then
made capital of the Indo Greek kingdom by Manndar in the 2nd century BCE a time during
which the city greatly prospered as a major centre for trade and Buddhist thought. Sialkot
continued to be a major political centre, until it was hide from view by Lahore around the turn of
the first millennium. The city goes up again in importance during the British era, and is now one
of Pakistan's most important industrial hubs.
Sialkot is rich comparative to other cities in South Asia, with and probable 2014 per capita
income of $2800. The city has been noted by The Economist for its commercial force, and
creative business environment that have made Sialkot an example of a small Pakistani city that
has appeared as a world class manufacturing hub.
History:

Sialkot establish by the king Raja sul or sala, the uncle of the Pandavas. Some folk stories said
that the raja sul progenies rule this region nest 1500 years. After that when the city flooded and
remained uninhabited for the next 1000 years. It was reestablished by the Raja salivahan or
salban.

After that we see the record of Sialkot dates from the invasion of Alexander the Great, who
conquered upper Punjab in 326 BCE. The Alexander, written by the Roman Greek
historian Arrian, proof that Alexander capture ancient Sialkot, recorded as Sagala, from
the Cathaeans, who have fixed themselves their.  

About the ten hundred years, Sialkot begins to turn down in value as the close city of Lahore
rose to importance. Following to fall of Lahore to the Ghaznavid Empire in the early 11th
century, the capital of the Hindu Shahi kingdom was shifted from Lahore to Sialkot.
Sialkot became a part of the medieval Sultanate of Delhi after Muhammad
Ghauri conquered Punjab in 1185.  Ghauri was unable to overcome the better city of Lahore, but
consider Sialkot important adequate to warrant a barracks. He also broadly repaired the Sialkot
Fort around the time of his invasion of Punjab, and left the region in charge of Hussain Churmali
while he returned to Ghazni. Sialkot was then speedily laid siege to by Khokhar
tribesmen, and Khusrau Malik, the last Ghaznavid sultan, although he be beaten during Ghauri
return to Punjab in 1186.
In the 1200 Sialkot be the only area of western Punjab that was lined by the Mamluk Sultanate in
Delhi. The district had been captured by the Ghauri prince Yildiz, but was recaptured by
Sultan Iltutmish in 1217. 
Sialkot knock down to Shaykha Khokhar around 1414.   Sialkot was sacked during the Lodhi
period by Malik Tazi Bhat of Kashmir, who attacked Sialkot after the governor of Punjab, Tatar
Khan, had left the city undefended during one of his military campaigns.
During the early Mughal era, Sialkot was made part of the subah, or "province," of
Lahore. According to Sikh tradition, Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, visited the
city, sometime in the early 16th century. He is said to have met Hamza Ghaus, a prominent Sufi
mystic based in Sialkot, at a site now commemorated by the city's Gurdwara Beri Sahib.
During the Akbar era, Sialkot's pargana territory was placed in the jagir custodianship of Raja
Man Singh, who would repair the city's fort, and sought to increase its population and develop its
economy.  During the reign of Jahangir, the post was given to Safdar Khan, who rebuilt the
city's fort, and oversaw a further increase in Sialkot's poverty. Numerous fine houses and gardens
were built in the city during the Jehangir period. During the Shah Jahan period, the city was
placed under the rule of Ali Mardan Khan.
The last Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb, agreed Ganga Dhar as faujdar of the city until
1654. Rahmat Khan was then placed in charge of the city, and would build a mosque in the
city. Under Aurangzeb's reign, Sialkot became known as a great centre of Islamic thought and
scholarship, and attracted scholars because of the widespread availability of paper in the city.
Hindu community in Sialkot:
In 2017 the total population of the district Sialkot is 3893672. Ninety five percent of the
population of the Sialkot is Muslims and other were Hindu, skhis and Christians. Fifteen to
twenty thousand Hindus are live in Sialkot. So for their worshiped there are some temple or
mandir located in Sialkot. Some the temple of the Sialkot is old and some is new.
Puran Bhagat:

Puran Bhagat was a Punjabi severe and prince of Sialkot. As per unauthenticated history, he had
been send away and lived the last days of his life in a village located in the border of Sialkot city.
His temple and water well is at rest open for visitors and devotees.

Puran was son of Queen Ichihara, the first wife of Raja Salban. Upon the idea of the Pandat,
Puran was sent away from the King for the first 12 years of his life. It was said that King could
not see the face of his son. While Puran was away, the King married a young girl named Luna,
who came from a low caste family. After 12 years of puran when he was sent away, Puran
returned to the royal palace. There, Luna became romantically attracted toward Puran, who was
of the same age. Being the step son of Luna, Puran disapproved of her advances. A hurt Luna
blame Puran of breaks her honor.
Puran was ordered to be cut off his hand and legs and killed. The soldier cut off his hands and
legs and threw him in a well in the forest. This well is famous as puran well or Puran da Kho.
One day Guru Gorakhnath was passing by with his followers and heard voice from the well. He
took him out using a single thread and unbaked earthen pot. He was later adopted by Baba
Gorkhnath and later on Puran became a yogi.
Puran also known as Baba Sahaj Nath Ji is the supreme head of the Jandiyals, a Hindu caste. The
Jandiyals gather twice a year on Guru Purnima and worship Puran Bhagat. Jandiyal families
who came from Pakistan bought that temple sand and used it to built a small temple in Taragarh.
People from all over India come here on Guru Purnima for Darshan.
In addition to the Targarh temple, Jandiyals have built temples at Agra Jammu, and Udhampur.
Udhampur city is also known as Devika Nagri. The temple is located at Bypass Road, Fangyal.
Jandiyal biradari celebrates and worships Baba Sehaj Nath ji twice a year on Budh
Purnima and Kartik Purnima.

Shivala teja singh temple:

Shivala tjah sing temple is the famous temple of the Sialkot. It located near the cicular road. A
small raod connect with the circular road named Abdullah shah qadri road and it connect with
the shivala teja singh temple. Another name of the shivala teja singh temple is jaganath temple.
Sardar Teja Singh This chief was very brave and an expert in architecture. His palace was in
Mohalla Dhar Dwal. The temple was spread over four villages. Her class was made of several
satin gold.This Shawala was built by SardarTeja Singh only for the worship of royal people.
Diamond jewelery worth lakhs of rupees was inlaid in his worship. Beautiful fountains in the
magnificent lawn adorned it. An event of his days is very famous. A thief sneaked in to take off
the gold of Klas and reached the top of Shawala by tying the shawl on both his arms. Klass took
off a lot of gold and flew through the claws tied to his arms. When he started coming down, due
to misfortune, Chhaj could not open again and he fell to the ground and died. When the king
found out, he gave this sarasona to the widow of the deceased as a thane. After that, instead of
gold leaf, he poured gold water on the class. The king also built a paved road from the fort to
Shawala. This road is now called Do Darwaz Dar Wadia Iqbal Road.

Ragunath temple:

Like other temple in Sialkot, Raghunath temple is one of the temples in Sialkot. It is located on
the gurr mandi bazaar road. It is easily seemed on the road. This temple is closed. Some locals of
the Sialkot said that the mandir is broken. Some says that the people broke the temple a long
time ago. When we asked the question to the local people of the Sialkot they said that we don’t
know why the temple is closed. The temple is not seen too old. On the top of the Rughunath
temple there is a flag of the Muslims. In the bottom the people built their houses or already there
is house. In the house people spent their lives but the house under the temple is empty no one
live here and the only way to reached in the temple is locked so you can only see the temple from
the outer side.

Coclusion:

Sialkot is the one of the oldest city of the Pakistan. Sialkot is the part of many state or empire.
Many communities live here like hindu, muslimes and Christian. So there is in the city we see
church, temple or Mandir and Mosque. Hindu community live from long time so we see some
old temple in Sialkot like puran bhagat, shivala teja sing temple and raghunath temple e.t.c.
These temple show the history of the hindu community.

Bibliography
Farooq, Tahir. District Gazetter of Sialkot 2021,22.

H. Nadiem, Ihsan. Punjab: Land.History.People. lahore: Al-Faisal Nashran, 2005.

Niaz, Ashfaq. Tareekh Sialkot. sialkot: Niaz acadmy .

Sultan, Noveed. Sialkot: Rohaniat Kay aynay ma. Sailkot: Saqib Publication, 2010.