CENTRAL LIBRARY BAHAWALPUR

HISTORY AND THE BUILDING OF THE LIBRARY

The Building of the Central Library of Bahawalpur was Initially Commencemented by the former Aamir of Bahawalpur His Highness Nawab Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan v (Late) at the celebration of his crowning as the Aamir of Bahawalpur with Sir Rolfs Daniel Ishaq Vice Rae of India on 8th of March 1934.
For the construction of the building the people of the former state of Bahawalpur aided less or more one lac rupees. The money was provided officially in installments by the government employees in the form of their one month salary. The Area for the building of the library, approximately 88 canals 10 Marlas was provided by his Highness. The construction of the building started from 1927 and was unfortunately not completed in seven years because of the lack of funds.
Due to this not only the construction of the building was postponed but The Custody of the building was given to the Department of Municipality Bahawalpur. Municipality Bahawalpur completed the building in only thirty five thousand rupees made it their office and Set up a small library.
A few months back before the independence of Pakistan Nawab Mushtaq Ahmed Germani was the Prime Minister of the former state of Bahawalpur. He felt severe lack of a good library in Bahawalpur and decided to take the building, furniture and books under official custody from the Department of Municipality Bahawalpur.

He decided to rename it from Sadiq reading library to Central library Bahawalpur and more that it will be altogether central. There will small libraries in other small and big cities of Bahawalpur under the administration of this central library Bahawalpur. Accordingly the Government of Bahawalpur decided to set up the Central library on the second floor of the building 1947 and started to tolerate the expenditures of the library after a long argue.
From 1947 to 1958 library worked on the second floor of the building but in 1956 the collection of the books of the library exceeded the limit of storage on the second floor of the building So this matter was given in the notice of the officials because all of the building was constructed for the library. That the building should be dedicated for library purposes. Municipality Bahawalpur was not ready to leave the building.
At last after the struggle of six years due to the attention and Cooperation of Syed Hashim Raza Commissioner of Bahawalpur Municipality left the building for the library in 1958. After the adjacency of the former State of Bahawalpur with Pakistan in 1955 this library is working fine under the administration of the Provincial Government.
Today the Central library of consists of three beautiful and good looking buildings. In these buildings there are three main sections of the library containing a main hall, women and children section and the third one is the newspapers section. Besides that there is an AV section for non books stuff. The collection of the books is over one lac in this library and record of newspapers is available from, before the independence of Pakistan to today. Over twelve thousand members are gaining benefit from this library.

DERAWAR FORT AND CHOLISTAN DESERT OF BAHAWALPUR

HISTORY AND VIEWS OF DERAWAR FORT AND CHOLISTAN DESERT

You can make an intersting excursions from Bahawalpur, full day trip requiring a four-wheel drive vehicle to Derawar Fort (Qila Derawar), through the semi-desert of cholistan.

You need a guide to take you to Derawar, and also permission from the present Amir of Bahawalpur to get inside the fort. The drive takes three to four hours through fasinating barren landscape. The cholistan desert covers 26,000 sq km (10,000 sq miles) and extends into the Thar desert to India. The whole area was once well watered by the river Ghaggar, now called the Hakara in Pakistan, and known in vedic times as the Sarasvati. All along the 500 km (300 miles) of the dried-up river are over 400 archaeological sites. Most of these date from the indus civilisation, 45,00 years ago, and are clustered round Derawar Fort, the only perennial water hole in the desert. There is very little to make out today.

The desert has an average rainfall of 12 cm (5 inches) a year, and there is very little civilisation. The underground water is brackish. The few people of the desert dig artificial wells in the troughs between the sand hills and use camels to draw the water up.

In the rainy season the dig artificials ponds, and when these ponds dry up they move out of the desert. The people of the desert live in tall round huts shaped like steeples, which they build on the highest sand hills and which keep out most of the sun. The lean graceful women wear long gathered red skirts. They live by raising cattle and breeding camels. The Amir's private herds of breeding camels are kept at Derawar. There are some execellent photographs of nomads' way of life in the Bahawalpur museum.

Derawar Fort (Qila Derawar) is in good condition, its walls are intact and still guarded by soldiers in fezes. Its age is unknown. The tombs of the Amirs of Bahawalpur are also at Derawar, decorated with attractive blue glazed tiles contrasting with the ochre landscape. Some of the cannons which were used times ago by the Army of Bahawalpur are also kept in this fort.

Every year a Jeep Ralley is held in the desert of Cholistan. This Race is so famous that people from all over the world come to the desert to see and participate in the jeep ralley. This jeep ralley is broadcasted live by some local channels of Pakistan. It is really worth it spending every penny to come here and watch the Cholistan jeep ralley Bahawalpur.

  

BAHAWALPUR PAKISTAN THE CITY OF NAWABS

BAHAWALPUR PAKISTAN THE CITY OF NAWABS

Baghdad to Bahawalpur

(Bahawalpur Pakistan) is neither a tale of two cities nor a traveling account as the name of the web site suggests. Bwp pertains to one of the interesting episodes of the history of the subcontinent. The story tells how adventurous Abbasid remnants after the downfall of their empire at Baghdad got another lease of life on the Indian soil.
The end of the Abbasid Caliphate in 1258 was not only an irreparable loss to the world of islam but also a death blow to a glorious chapter of history and culture. Halaku khan thought that he had killed the whole clan of the Abbasids when he murdered the last Caliph and his sons. But history reveals that some of the Caliph's nearest relatives had escaped and started the history of Bahawalpur. Abdul Qasim Ahmad son of the 35th Caliph Al-Zahir-bin-Amrillah took refuge with the memluk sultan of egypt Malik Zahir rukn-ud-din. Who accepted him as the Caliph under the title of Al-mustansir Billah. The new Caliph marched against Baghdad but was defeated and killed. Another section of Abbasid dynasty went to the court of the Tughlak sultan of Delhi.
But how did the Abbasids come to be recognized as heads of the islamic world even after the downfall of their empire. It happened in the eighth century of Hijra and this decision, more than everything else, served asan inducement to the successors of the Abbasid Caliphs to emigrate to the subcontinent.
Amir Sultan Ahmad, a descendant of Abdul Qasim was the first to march into Sindh via Kech Makra with a number of followers. He soon began to acquire strength and eventually his descendants became the rulers of Sindh. Later this Abbasids clan split into two sections. One of them Dauadpotra (sons of D'aud) Abbasids founded the state.

History Of Bahawalpur

It was an independent state until the creation of Pakistan 1947. The town of Bwp was built in about 1780 on an old site. It was Nawab Bahawal khan I (1746 to 1749) who laid the foundation of Baghdad-ul-jadidin 1748 and made it as his capital. His ruling period was nearly 3 years and was entombed in the graveyard of Malook Shah. Historical record shows that before the Sikh rule in Punjab the area of Bwp was much greater. Apart from the entire Dera Ghazi khan district. some parts of Sukkur, Multan, Sahiwal and Muzzafargarh districts were also included in it.
During its heydays Bwp was patronizing all notable Islamic institutions of the subcontinent including Aligarh Muslim University and Dar-ul-Ulms at nadva and deoband. The contribution of the State was not confined to the field of learning alone. During the decline of Mughal rule the state also served as abulwark against the inroads of Sikhs and Rajputs. It was Bwp which became anabode of peace for muslims.
The area that is now Cholistan was snatched along with its desert strongholds from Rajputs by the Abbasids rulers of the State. Had this not been done the history of the subcontinent would have been different. The present main Railway line connecting Karachi and Peshawar passed through this sensitive area called Bahawalpur. Bwp also did not allow Sikhs to cross the Sutlej river. On the birth of Pk the Princely State was the first state to join it and worked as an independent state till 1970. After that Bwp was included as a division in the province of Punjab.
Baghdad to Bahawalpur is the life story of people who have for the past many centuries have been serving Islam and the Islamic values in the subcontinent. Credit goes to our team for highlighting the achievements of these people. The web also contains some rare pictures which have important bearing on the history and culture of lower Punjab Pakistan.
Various documents given in the web site (www.mybahawalpur.com) brought to you by (Team Bwp) are of great value. Especially the letters of M.A Jinah, Allama Iqbal, Sir Agha khan, Mulana Shibli Naumani,Khawaja Ghulam Farid and others.

The Ruling Family

Bahawalpur state belongs to the ruling family of the Abbaside clan and has directly descended from Hazrat-i-Abbas, the uncle of Holy Prophet (May Peace Of Allah Be Upon Him). Amir of Bwp, Lt. General, His Highness, Alhaj Sir Sadiq Mohammad Khan V, was the sixtieth in descent from Hazrat-i-Abbas Alamdar.
In 655 A.H. the Abbaside Caliphate at Baghdad was dismembered as result of the invasion of Baghdad by Halaku Khan who ruthlessly ravaged the sanctity of the holy city and mercilessly butchered all the members of the ruling family except one Abbaside prince who could escape the terrible fate only because he was out of the capital at the time of great massacre. He was prince Abdul Qasim Ahmed who fled to Egypt accompanied by about ten of his faithful nobles. At that time the ruler of egypt was Malik Zahir Rukun-ud-Din who welcomed the fugitive prince and settled him down respectably in Cairo.
In an attempt to reconquer Baghdad in 660 A. H. Prince Abdul Qasim suffered a heavy defeat and was lost in the war. Few of those who returned alive form the battlefield included one Abbaside prince Abul Abbas Al-Hakim, who was direct descendant of the twenty fifth Abbaside Caliph, Al-Mansor-al-fazlal Abbasi and was later installed as the second Abbaside caliph in Egypt.He was followed by fourteen more Abbaside princes and thus the Khilafat continued for another 255 years when, in 945 A. H., the last Caliph of this dynasty, Al-Mutawakkil, died and the Caliphate was diverted to Benu Usman.

Destiny and History of Bahawalpur Pakistan Starts Here

The exodus of the Abbaside nobles of Egypt to India had already started in about 725 A. H., in the reign of Mohammad Tughlak-ben-Ghias-ud-din. In 767 A. H. (1366 A. D.) Amir Sultan Ahmed II Abbasi fifth in direct direct descent from Abdul Qasim Ahmed (The First Abbaside Caliph Installed in Egypt) migrated to india with his family members and a few hundred followers and entered into sindh through Balochistan.
His entry was challenged by the then ruler of Sindh, Rao Dhorang, who threatened war, but yielded to the Amir. In course of time the Amir's family gradually moved northward, loosing much of the Sindh territory, but finally settled down at Derawar and in the vicinity of the present city of Bahawalpur.
The rulers first owed allegiance to Afghanistan but on the fall of the durani empire which was followed by the expulsion of Shah Shuja from Kabul they assumed independence. The rulers of the State faithfully implemented the terms of the treaty signed in 1838 between the East India Company and Nawab Bahawal Khan III.

Army of Bahawalpur

The Army was always up to the task and history reveals that for the first time in 1837 the Amir of the town sent a tidy Army Squad to the battlefield to help Shah Shuja and in return Bhoong Bhara and Koat Sabzal were granted to the Government of Bhawalpur.
In 1847 British Government requested Nawab Bahawal Khan for help in the Multan Campaign against the Sikh ruler named Molraj. Therefore a squad of 22 thousands of armed men was sent with all accessories.The army was able to militate with such courage that British Government said, it would have been impossible to conquer multan without this Squad of Army.
Given below are some the famous battles in which the army of Bahawalpur took part.
Second war of Kabul, North Africa, World war of 1914-18, World war of 1939-46, Wazeristan, Afghanistan, Palestine, Valley of Urdan.
Except the war of China 1901 the army of the state took part in all battles.

New Look Of The City

Aside past it is now a much more developed city of Pakistan. It has become a Mega city in terms of Real Estate, Parks, Markets and Institutions. All kinds of facilities are away just by a phone call.
Bahawalpur has a well maintained zoo which attracts the visitors to the City. Take a look at the new pictures of the City. Bahawalpur Pictures
Newly designed home views. Bazaars look distinctive, embroidered cloths, slippers and the delicate locally made filigree pottery. Developed roads, enviroment and green belts make the city glorious.

Wise Words From Team Bwp

The historical information and pictures provided in this web site are official and are brought to you by the local Bwp team after a tons of verifications and hard work. Please read our Privacy Policy Statement for more information.
If you have any kind of suggestions regarding history of Bahawalpur and pictures or improving the web site. please let us know at.

MyBahawalpur@gmail.com
yours sincerely Bwp Team