Скачать или смотреть Magnifying the Monumental Value of South Punjab, Pakistan: A Case Study of Bahawalpur State

The region of south Punjab, Pakistan, has a rich socio-cultural history. The archaeological remains, Buddhist sites, forts, temples Sufi shrines and palaces situated in the region are a constant reminder of its glory. The Abbasid dynasty of the princely state of Bahawalpur, in particular, has a unique socio-cultural significance. The state historically safeguarded its citizens from invaders through the successful strategy of implementing military alliances and pacts with powerful neighbouring states. The Abbasids also constantly developed their own architectural marvels, such as Noor Mahal, Sadiq Garh Palace, Darbar Mahal, Gulzar Mahal, Rahat Mahal and Farukh Mahal.

The annexation of Bahawalpur state to Pakistan and then its merger with Punjab province somewhat overshadowed its historical value. To fill this gap and to revitalize the monumental value of the region the creation of a museum was recently proposed. The site for this is the famous Noor Mahal of Bahawalpur and the aim of the museum is to magnify the historical value of Bahawalpur state, which was felt to be fading away. During this process Noor Mahal has been conserved according to the initial blueprint of 1872. Galleries have been developed to display artefacts, personal belongings, pictorial history, weapons, military badges, medals, postage stamps, coins, uniforms, utensils, printing machines and much more. Now, the Noor Mahal Museum attracts around 10,000 visitors a week in the winter season and is playing a role in reconstructing the glorious past of Bahawalpur state.

Following a brief overview of the prehistory (archaeology) of the region, this talk will provide glimpses of its history through its different rulers, arriving at a detailed discussion of the Abbasid era through the lens of the development of the Noor Mahal Museum.

Moazzam Khan Durrani is an anthropologist with a special focus on the material culture of Bahawalpur state. He is associated with the development of the Noor Mahal Museum and is a faculty member of the Department of Anthropology at The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Moazzam is currently working on his PhD with Professor Cameron Petrie at the University of Cambridge.