Lahore
The name Lahore remains a puzzle for historians, with early Muslim historians recording it as Luhawar, Lūhār, and Rahwar. The Iranian polymath Abu Rayhan al-Biruni referred to the city as Luhāwar in his 11th century work Qanun. Poet Amir Khusrow recorded the name as Lāhanūr during the Delhi Sultanate period. Persian historian Firishta mentions the city as Alahwar or al-Ahwar. One theory suggests the name is a corruption of Ravāwar, derived from Iravatyāwar, possibly linked to the Ravi River known as Iravati in the Vedas. Another legend claims the name comes from Lavpur or Lavapuri, meaning City of Lava, son of Sita and Rama. This account attributes the founding of nearby Kasur to his twin brother Kusha, though history shows Kasur was established in the 16th century. No definitive record exists regarding Lahore's early history before the 10th century. Alexander the Great's historians make no mention of any city near Lahore's location during his invasion in 326 BCE. Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang gave a vivid description of a large and prosperous unnamed city that may have been Lahore when he visited the region in 630 CE. The first document mentioning Lahore by name is the Hudud al-'Alam written in 982 CE.
Sultan Mahmud conquered Lahore between 1020 and 1027, making it part of the Ghaznavid Empire. He appointed Malik Ayaz as its governor in 1021. During the reign of Sultan Ibrahim, Malik Ayaz rebuilt and repopulated the city after it had been devastated. He erected city walls and a masonry fort in 1037, 140 on the ruins of a previous one. Lahore became the eastern capital of the Ghaznavid Empire during the reign of Khusrau Shah in 1152. After the fall of Ghazni in 1163, it became the sole capital. Under their patronage, poets and scholars from other cities congregated in Lahore. The city became a cultural and academic centre renowned for poetry. The entire city during the Ghaznavid era was probably located west of the modern Shah Alami Bazaar and north of the Bhatti Gate. Following the siege of Lahore in 1186, the Ghurid ruler Muhammad captured the city and imprisoned Khusrau Malik. Lahore was the first capital of the Mamluk dynasty following the assassination of Muhammad of Ghor in 1206. Under Qutb-ud-Din Aibak, Lahore attracted poets and scholars from the medieval Muslim World. Lahore at this time had more poets writing in Persian than any other city.
The establishment of Mughal rule eventually led to the most prosperous era of Lahore's history. Akbar began re-fortifying the city's ruined citadel in 1584, laying foundations for the revival of the Lahore Fort. He made Lahore one of his original twelve subah provinces and relegated governorship to Bhagwant Das in 1585, 86. Akbar rebuilt the city's walls and extended their perimeter east of the Shah Alami bazaar. The Akbari Mandi grain market was set up during this era and continues to function today. During the reign of Emperor Jahangir in the early 17th century, Lahore's bazaars were noted to be vibrant and stocked with a wide array of goods. In 1606, Jahangir's rebel son Khusrau Mirza laid siege to Lahore after obtaining blessings of Sikh Guru Arjan Dev. Sikh Guru Arjan Dev was executed in Lahore in 1606 for his involvement in the rebellion. Emperor Jahangir chose to be buried in Lahore, and his tomb was built in Shahdara Bagh suburb in 1637 by his wife Nur Jahan. Shah Jahan renovated large portions of the Lahore Fort with luxurious white marble and erected the iconic Naulakha Pavilion in 1633.
Ranjit Singh negotiated with the Afghans for the post of subahdar to control Lahore following the second invasion in 1798. By the end of the 18th century, the city's population drastically declined, with remaining residents living within the walls while suburbs lay abandoned. Ranjit Singh established a mint in the city in 1800 and moved into the Mughal palace at the Lahore fort. He established a Gurdwara Ram Das to mark the site where Guru Ram Das was born in 1534. Lahore became the empire's administrative capital, though nearby Amritsar had also been established as the spiritual capital by 1802. By 1812, Singh had mostly refurbished the city's defences by adding a second circuit of outer walls surrounding Akbar's original walls. Singh partially restored Shah Jahan's decaying Shalimar Gardens and built the Hazuri Bagh Baradari in 1818 to celebrate his capture of the Koh-i-Noor diamond from Shuja Shah Durrani in 1813. Under Ranjit Singh's rule, Mughal monuments suffered as his armies plundered most precious monuments and stripped white marble from several. Monuments plundered include the Tomb of Asif Khan, the Tomb of Nur Jahan, and the Shalimar Gardens.
According to the 1941 census, the city of Lahore had a population of 671,659, with 64.5% Muslim and 35% Hindu and Sikh. Two-thirds of shops and 80% of factories belonged to the Hindu and Sikh community. Early riots in March and April 1947 destroyed 6,000 of Lahore's 82,000 homes. Violence continued to rise throughout the summer despite the presence of armoured British personnel. By late August 1947, 66% of Hindus and Sikhs had left the city. The Shah Alami Bazaar, once a largely Hindu quarter, was entirely burnt down during subsequent rioting. When Pakistan's independence was declared on the 14th of August 1947, the Radcliffe Line had not yet been announced. On the 17th of August 1947, Lahore was awarded to Pakistan based on its Muslim majority in the 1941 census. The city received large numbers of refugees fleeing eastern Punjab and northern India. Partition left Lahore with a much-weakened economy, and industrial production dropped to one-third of pre-Partition level by the end of the 1940s.
The Walled City of Lahore restoration project began in 2009 when the Punjab government restored the Royal Trail from Akbari Gate to the Lahore Fort with money from the World Bank. Sections of the Walled City have been under restoration since 2012 in conjunction with the Agha Khan Trust for Culture. The Orange Line Metro Train is an automated rapid transit system that spans around the city. Commercial operations began on the 25th of October 2020 after successful initial test trials in mid-2018. The line consists of 26 subway stations and is designed to carry over 250,000 passengers daily. CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive rolled out the first of 27 trains for the metro on the 16th of May 2017. The Lahore Metrobus is a bus rapid transit service operating in Lahore integrated with local bus service. The city has shifted from manufacturing to service industries with about 9,000 industrial units. Some 42% of its workforce is employed in finance, banking, real estate, community, cultural, and social services. The city is Pakistan's largest software and hardware producing centre.
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Common questions
What is the origin of the name Lahore according to early historians?
Early Muslim historians recorded the city as Luhawar, Lūhār, and Rahwar. One theory suggests the name is a corruption of Ravāwar derived from Iravatyāwar linked to the Ravi River known as Iravati in the Vedas. Another legend claims the name comes from Lavpur or Lavapuri meaning City of Lava son of Sita and Rama.
When did Sultan Mahmud conquer Lahore and who was appointed governor?
Sultan Mahmud conquered Lahore between 1020 and 1027 making it part of the Ghaznavid Empire. He appointed Malik Ayaz as its governor in 1021. During the reign of Sultan Ibrahim Malik Ayaz rebuilt and repopulated the city after it had been devastated.
Who founded the Gurdwara Ram Das in Lahore and when was it established?
Ranjit Singh established a Gurdwara Ram Das to mark the site where Guru Ram Das was born in 1534. The establishment occurred during his rule over the city following negotiations with the Afghans for the post of subahdar to control Lahore after the second invasion in 1798.
Why was Lahore awarded to Pakistan on the 17th of August 1947?
Lahore was awarded to Pakistan based on its Muslim majority in the 1941 census. On the 17th of August 1947 the Radcliffe Line had not yet been announced but the decision relied on the demographic data showing 64.5% Muslim population from that year.
When did commercial operations begin for the Orange Line Metro Train in Lahore?
Commercial operations began on the 25th of October 2020 after successful initial test trials in mid-2018. The line consists of 26 subway stations and is designed to carry over 250,000 passengers daily.