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Multan city Profile

Location:

Multan Division lies between north latitude 29'-22' and 30'-45 and east longitude 71'-4' and 72'-
4'55. It is located in a bend created by five confluent rivers. The Sutlej separates it from
Bahawalpur District and the Chenab from Muzaffar Garh district. District Multan is spread over
an area of 3,721 square Kilometers comprising of following four tehsils.

1. Multan Cantonment.
2. Multan Sadar
3. Shujabad
4. Jalalpur Pirwala

Area:
5,630 sq. miles (approximately) / 3,721 square Kilometers.

Population:
1931 - 119000
1941 - 143000
1951 - 190000
1961 - 358000

Altitude:
About 215 meters (740 feet) above sea level.

Topography:

Vast plain ground dissected by rivers, canals and narrow water channels
Best Season:
October to March (Temperature and rainfall figures quoted are based on ten years research but
may vary slightly) Population Census Organization Report 1981 published in 1984.

Climate:
District Multan has an extreme climate. The extreme temperature of Multan in summer is 49C
whereas 1C in winter. The average rainfall is 127 mm. The land of the district is plain and very
fertile. However, the portions of tehsils Multan and Shujabad close to the river Chenab are
flooded during monsoons season.

District Nazim:
Mr. Mian Muhammad Faisal Mukhtar

How to get there in Multan

By air:
Multan has an airport about 10 Km from city P.I.A.. operates daily flightS between Karachi-
Lahore-ls1amabad via Multan.

By rail:
Multan is connected by rail with all parts of the country and .lies on the main track between
Karachi, Peshawar, Lahore and Quetta.

By road:
Multan has connection with other cities by bus and coach. Tourism Development Corporation of
Punjab operate a regular deluxe coach service between Lahore and Multan.

Fairs and Festivals

Multan is famous for traditional and religious fairs and festivals. There were a .lot of saints
whose shrines are the asse' of Muslims. At every shrine annual. festivals are held Outskirts of
Multan are known for fairs and other gatherings.

What to Buy
Glazed pottery, camel skin products, cotton fabrics and hand woven carpets.

Historical Places

Mausoleum Bahauddin Zakariya

Mausoleum of Rukn-i-Alam
Mausoleum of Shams-ud-Din
Multan Fort

Tombs

Shrine- Jamal-ud-Din Syed "Shah Yousaf Gardez"

Shrine-Bahauddin Zakria
Shrine-Shah Rukn-e-Alam
Shrine-Syed Shams-ud-din "Shah Shams Sabzwari"
Shrine-Hameed-ud-Din Hakim
Shrine-Qutab-al-qutaab "Moj Dariya"
Shrine-Syed Pir Sakhi Shah Hassan Parwana
Shrine-Qazi Qutab-ud-Din Kashani
Shrine-Syed Hasan Khanjzee
Shrine-Hazrat Shah Dana Shaheed
Shrine-Abu Hassan Hafiz Jamal-ud-din "Musa Pak Shaheed"
Shrine-Hazrat Shah Kamal Qadari
Shrine-Hafiz Muhammad Jamal Chisti Nazami
Shrine-Pir Chup Wardi Waly
Shrine-Mollana Hamid Ali Khan Naqshbandi
Shrine-Allama Syed Ahmad Saeed Kazmi
 Shrine-Hazrat Khawaja Awais Khagga
Shrine-Pir Syed Wali Muhammad Shah(Chadar Wali Sarkar)
Shrine-Hazrat Gul Shah

Mosques

Jaima Mosque
Sawi Mosque
Mosque Baqarabadi
Mosque Ali Muhammad Khan
Moqsue Phool Hattan Wali
Eid Gah Mosque
 History Of Multan Through The Centuries

200-BC
The earliest history of Multan fades away in the mists of mystery and mythology.Most of the
historians, however agree that Multan beyond any doubt, is the same Maii-us-than which was
conquered by Alexander who faced here tremendous resistance. He was fatally wounded while
fighting to capture the citadel. For the first time his sacred shield, which he had taken from the
temple of Illion, Athena, and which he used always to be carried before him in all his battles,
rolled in dust while he fell unconscious on the ground with blood gushing out from his wounds.
But that was the scene which inspired the Macedonians and seeing their king in that state they
launched a lightening attack and captured the citadel without any further harm to Alexander.
Alexander, however, never recovered fully well after this battle and died, on his way back, at
Babylon.

400-600AD
History is silent for more than six centuries that is until 454 A.D. when White Huns, the
barbarous nomads, stormed Multan under the banner of their leader Torman. After a fierce fight
they conquered but did not stay for long and Hindu rule continued once again for about two
hundred years.

600-700AD
Subsequent history of Multan is well established and more than sufficient light has been thrown
on the cross section by world famous travelers, writers and historians who visited Multan
including the Chinese historian Hiuen Tsang in 641 A. D. The Chinese traveller found the circuit
of the city about 30 li which is equal to five miles. He described, "the soil rich and fertile and
mentioned about eight Deva temples. He also mentioned that people do not believe in Buddha
rule. The city is thickly populated-the grand temple dedicated to the Sun is very magnificent and
profusely decorated-The image of Sun Deva also known as "Mitra" is cast in yellow gold and
ornamented with rare gems. Its divine insight mysteriously manifested and its spiritual powers
made plain to all and so on".
Multan was first visited by the Muslim arms during the reign of the Khalifa Abu Bekr, in 44
Hijri (664 A.D.), when Mohalib, the Arab General, afterwards an eminent commander in Persia
and Arabia, penetrated to the ancient capital of the Maili. He returned with many prisoners of
war. The expedition, however, seems to have been directed towards exploration of the country as
no attempt was apparently made to retain the conquest.
Mohammad Bin Qasim, the great Muslim general invaded this subcontinent in 712 A. D., and
conquered Sind and Multan. The city was conquered after a fierce and long battle which lasted
for seven days. Many distinguished officers of the Muslim army sacrificed their lives in the
battle, but the Hindu army was defeated.
The author of 'Jawahar-al-Bahoor' ( the famous Arabic History) writes in his book "that Multan
at that time was known as the House of Gold. There was a great Mandir which was also called as
the Sun Mandir. It was so big that six thousand resident worshippers were housed therein.
Thousands of people from every corner of the country used to visit this place to perform their
Hajj (Pilgrimage). They used to circle round it and get their beards and heads shaved off as a
mark of respect.

800-900AD
In the periods, of Caliph Mansoor, and Mostasim Bilia, Multan was attacked by Arabs several
times.

900-1000AD
Ibn Khurdaba described in his book, "The book of Roads and Kingdoms", "Multan being two
months journey from Zarani the capital of Sijistan, by the name of Farj because Mohammad, Son
of Qasim, Lieutenant of At-Hajjaj, found vast quantities of gold in the city, which was forwarded
to the Caliph's treasury so it was called by the Arabs the House of Gold".
Al-Masudi of Baghdad who visited the valley of the Indus in 303 A.H. (915 A.D.) mentioned
about Multan in his book, "The Meadows of Gold", that "Multan is seventy five Sindhian
Farsangs from Mansura. It is one of the strongest frontier places of the Musulmans and in its
neighborhood there are a hundred and twenty thousand towns and villages", Al-Masudi also
mentioned about the idol and explained as to how people living in the distant parts of country
travel to Multan to perform pilgrimage and in fulfillment of their woes and religious obligations,
they make offerings of money, precious stones, perfumes of every kind and aloe wood before it.
Both tstakhari of Istakhar, 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 Istakhari, give
glowing accounts of Multan which they described as a large, fortified and impregnable city,
about half the size of Mansura, the ancient Muslim capital of Sindh. They also mentioned about
the idol of Multan as being held in great veneration by Hindus who flocked to it from all parts of
India .
Sultan Sabuktageen, the Afghan King conquered Multan, but after four years, that is, in 980 A.D.
it was conquered by a Sardar of the Karamti Tribe who ruled it for some time.

1000-1100AD
Mahmood Ghaznavi attacked Multan for the first time - conquered it and demolished many
Hindu temples. He demolished the famous 'Sun Mandir' also. Mahmood Ghaznavi attacked
Multan for the second time during 1010 A.D. and conquered it but did not stay for long.

1100-1200AD
Sultan Shahab-ud-din, who is also known as Mohammad Gbory, finally defeated Pirthvi Raj and
conquered India. After consolidating his position in Delhi, the capital of India, led an army
attack, against Multan and conquered it. As such, Multan, which had remained almost
independent under the Arab rulers became a dependency of the house of Ghaznavi. Sultan
Mohammad Ghory appointed Aii Karmani as his Governor of Multan and Uch.

1200-1300AD
In 1218 A.D. Changez Khan invaded Western Turkistan and for the next three centuries history
of Multan is practically the history of incursions from Western and Central Asia to which the
invasion of Changez gave rise. During this period Multan was nominally subject to the Delhi
Empire. There were, however, two periods when Multan was practically a separate Kingdom
independent of Delhi. At times the province was held by powerful governors who, though,
unable to secure independence, were powerful factors in the dynastic changes of the time.
The Administration of Multan suffered due to preoccupation of Delhi Empire in repelling the
repeated raids of Mughals from Khurasan and Central Asia. In 1 284 A.D. the Mughals under
Taimur Khan, defeated and killed prince Muhammad, known as the Martyr Prince who then
ruled Multan. In 1305 A.D. an invasion under Aibak Khan was repelled by the redoubtable
warrior Ghazi Beg Tughlak, who is said to have 29 times defeated the invading hordes. In 1 327
A.D. a force under Turmsharin Khan over-ran the distt. and retreated on payment of bribe.

1300-1400AD
After the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate, Multan became its western frontier. In the
beginning it was governed by Nasir-ud-Din Qabacha, then captured by jaial-al-Din Manakabarni
and finally annexed by Shams-AI-Din Altamash. When Balban strengthened his frontier guard
he posted his eldest son Sultan Muhammad Khan-i-Shahid here and made him responsible for
the defense. It was under his patronage that Amir Khusrau and Hasan Dehiavi lived in Multan
and composed their poems.
Multan, however, continuously suffered from Mongol invasions. In order to meet these Mongol
pressures Ghiyas-ud-Din Tughlaq was appointed as a warden of the Frontier Marches. From
Multan he rose to be the Sultan of Delhi - Multan remained under the Tughlaqs until it was
conquered by Amir Taimur in 1 397 A.D.
During this long period the prosperity of Muitan grew unabated. It was during this period that the
city was adorned by important monuments that established a particular school of Muitani
Architecture. The Tombs of Baha-AI-Din Zakariya, Shah Rukn-AI-Din, Rukn-e-Alam and
Shamas Sabzwari have given to Multan a unique place in the indo-Muslim Architecture. The
presence of these tombs of the saints mentioned above have also added a religious tone to the
city.
In 1 397 A.D., came the invasion of Taimur whose troops occupied Uch and Multan, sacked
Tiamba, raided the Khokhars of Ravi and passed across Beas to Pakpattan and Delhi.

1400-1500AD
For about forty years after the departure of Taimur there was no government in India in reality.
Khizer Khan Syed governed the Kingdom in the name of Taimur but without any sovereign title
or royal honours. During the troubled reign of his grand son Syed Mohammad, an insurrection
broke out in Multan among the Afghans called Langas. Finally one of the Langa chiefs
proclaimed himself as the king of Multan under the title of Sultan Kutab-ud-din Langa. During
the eighty years that Multan was held by Langa Dynasty, it became the principal caravan route
between India and Kandhar. Commerce and agriculture flourished. All the lands along the banks
of the Chenab and the Ghagra as well as some on the Indus were cultivated and prosperity
flourished once again.

1500-1600AD
In 1526 A.D. Shah Hussain Arghun, at that time the ruler of Sind, seized Muitan on behalf of
Baber, the Mughal emperor. He bestowed it on his son Mirza Askari. The Mirza, assisted by
Langar Khan, one of the powerful amirs of Sultan Mahmud Langa, held possession of Multan
during the rest of the Baber's reign. After the death of Baber, Humayun found himself compelled
to surrender Multan, in fact the whole of Punjab, to his eldest brother, Kamran Mirza. The prince
established his court at Lahore and deputed one of his arnirs to take care of Multan.
During the confusion that followed the flight of Humayun to Persia the Kingdom of Multan was
captured by Baluchies under their chieftain Fatteh Khan who surrendered it to Hebat Khan, one
of the commanders of Sher Shah Suri. Pleased with his services, Sher Shah Suri bestowed the
Kigndom of Multan on Hebat Khan.

1600-1700 AD
When Humayun recaptured the Indian throne in 1555 A. D. Multan was also amalgamated in the
Mughal Empire, Abul Fazal mentions in "Ain-c- Akbari" that: "Multan was one of the largest
provinces of the empire, extending to the frontiers of Persia including within its limits the
modern countries of Baluchistan, Sindh, Shikarpore and Thatta, besides a portion of Doabas now
attached to Lahore. A royal mint for silver and copper coins was established at Multan along
with the mints at Delhi, Agra and a few other places". Under the Mughal Emperors, Multan
enjoyed a long period of peace and was known as Dar-ul-Aman (city of peace). For more than
two hundred years that is from 1548 to 1748 there was no warfare in this part of the Punjab. As a
result of these peaceful conditions, cultivation increased, particularly in the rive rain areas and
commerce flourished. Multan thus became an emporium for trade. The city became the
headquarter of a province which covered the whole of the South Western Punjab and, at times,
included Sindh also.

1700-1800AD
At the decline of the Mughal Empire Multan had, at first escaped devastation which was
experienced by other parts of the subcontinent. The main reason was the change in the route of
the invaders from Afghanistan to India as it lay through Lahore. So the armies of Nadir Shah and
Ahmed Shah Abdali left Multan unscathed. After having been a part of the Delhi empire, Multan
in 1752, became a province owing allegiance to the Afghan kings of Kabul. During this period
the country was ruled by Governors of Pathan extraction and under the rule of the Saddozais of
Kabul. The Saddozais governed Multan for more than sixty six years but general conditions
remained turbulent.
After consolidating their position at Lahore, the Sikhs marched to the south-west for over two
hundred and fifty miles. They crossed the indus and penetrating into the Deras' under their
Commanders Sardar Hari Singh Bhangi and his sons, jhanda Singh and Ganda Singh along with
Hira Singh, the Sikhs destroyed everything, plundered many villages and killed the people
mercilessly, set the houses of the Muslims on fire and demolished many mosques. Ultimately,
under the command of jhanda Sing and Ganda Sing, they appeared before Multan on March 9
1764 A.D. (21 Ramadan 11 78 A. H.) looted its suburbs but after collecting millions of rupees
they returned.

(1800-1900AD)

By the beginning of 1818 Ranjit Singh succeeded to raise a big army consisting of 25,000
soldiers equipped with necessary provisions which he placed under Diwan Misr Chand, his most
trusted General. The over all charge of the campaign was not trusted to his elder son Khark
Singh and the contingent set out for Multan with great pomp and show. The famous Zamzama
Gun was also transported to Multan. Nawab Muzaffar Khan Saddozai who was the Governor of
Multan for the past thirty nine years fought courageously but failed to save Multan from the
clutches of Sikhs. The death of Muzaffar Khan was in fact the death of the Muslim rule in
Multan. After capturing the Fort the Sikh soldiers were let loose to arson and debauchery and
Latif recorded as under :

The city and Fort were now given up to be plundered by the sikh troops. Great were the ravages
committed by the sikhs on this occasion. About 400 to 500 houses in the Fort were razed to the
ground and their owners deprived of all they had. The precious stones, jewelry, Shawls and other
valuables belonging to the Nawab were confiscated to the state and kept carefully packed by
Diwan Ram Diyal for inspection of the Maharaja. In the town many houses were set on fire and
nothing was left with the inhabitants that was worth having. Hundreds were killed in city sack,
and indeed there was hardly a soul who escaped both loss and violence"

The Sikh rule continued in the Punjab and Multan unchecked but thinking themselves very
powerful, the sikhs crossed the Sutlej and entered into the British Territory. They looted some of'
the villages also. This happened on December 8, 1845 A.D. The outcome of this adventure was a
fierce battle and a disastrous and ignominious defeat of the Sikh Army. Thereafter a treaty was
signed between the British and the Sikhs. Under the new treaty a Council nf Regency was
established at Lahore which empowered the British to intervene into many administrative
matters. Keeping in view the provisions of the treaty the British Resident introduced several
measures in order to regulate the ad 'Ministration throughout the Sikh territories. These measures
were to be implemented by Diwan Mul Raj also, who was the Sikh Governor of Multan. The
changes were, however, detrimental to the over all interests of the Diwan as they affected his
tight control over the traders and businessmen. The other decision of the Resident which brought
a blow to Diwan Mui Raj was the introduction of appeals against the decisions of the district
officers. such appeals were to be heard by the Lahore Darbar. These measures infuriated the
Diwan, as he considered it as an infringement of his rights.

So keeping in view the insulting attitude of the British Diwan Mul Raj first resigned, then
changed his mind and agreed to continue for some time. Later his resignation was accepted on
March 24, 1 848 and Sardar Khan Singh was appointed as the new Diwan of Multan while two
British officers, Mr. P. A. Vans Agnew and Lt. W. A. Anderson were appointed to take care of
the administration. When these officers reached Multan they were received by Diwan Mul Raj
but his advisers forced him to change his mind. In the meanwhile commotion and agitation
spread into the city. As such the helpless Diwan became a tool in the hands of the Sikh Army
which rebel.led and the two British off icers were murdered. The rebelling soldiers gathered
around Mul Raj and declared him as their leader.

This open rebellion infuriated the British Government at Lahore and they decided that Multan
should be captured and amalgamated into the British Territory. So the British Government
collected forces right from Bannu to Bombay on top priority basis in order to capture Multan and
by the end of the year.

Multan was surrounded from all sides. On December 21) 1848 the Bombay Division commanded
by Brigadier Dundas also reached Multan. On December 27, one British column launched an
attack on the suburbs and the residence of Mul Raj, the "Aam Khas", was bombarded while three
other columns were ordered to make diversion to distract the enemy. The irregular forces
commenced he diversion at noon and by 4 p.m. the whole line of the suburbs including the tomb
of Sawan Mal, the blue Mosque of Shams Sabzwari and the cantonments of the 'Aam Khas' were
in possession of the British. The Bombay Native Rifles actually entered one of the city gates.
Meanwhile, a shell from a mortar blew up the magazine located within the fort. containing 5,000
maunds of powder. The explosion destroyed the great Mosqueand the lofty dome of Baha-ud-
Din Zakariya's Tomb.

On January 2, 1849, breaches in the Khuni Burj and the Delhi Gate were reported, and storming
parties advanced and crossed the intervening ditch, but the city wall was found intact with a
height of 30 feet, totally impregnable. A most bloody struggle ensued and the English became
masters of the town. Again, to quote Latif: "Terrible had been the carnage during the siege and
frightful the effect of the British Ordnance. The battered town of Multan presented the
appearance of a vessel wrecked and broken by a tremendous storm which had driven it to an
inhospitable shore. The streets were strewn with slain Sikhs, whose long locks, matted with gore,
and beards, blown about by the wind, gave the dead a demoniacal appearance. Not a house or
wall had escaped the effects of the English shells. All had been scorched and blackened by the
bombardment. Mul Raj retired to the citadel with more than 3,000 picked men, the rest all
dispersed and fled. In vain did the Diwan make an endeavor to rally them. They were dispirited,
and nothing was left for the garrison but to sally or. surrender. Mul Raj was now reduced to the
last extremity. A constant storm of shell had reduced the interior of the fortress to a wreck. Ail
the flour having been blown up in the explosion of the grand mosque, every soldier of the
garrison was obliged to grind the wheat for his own food. Mul Raj's chief advisers urgently
pressed him to surrender, and he promised either to do this or take poison. He was finally
arrested by the British and that was the end of the Sikh rule over Multan as well as the end of
loot and plunder which was the main characteristic of the Sikh rule.

As stated above the residents of Multan suffered extensively during this battle. It was another
addition to the history of the power game and bloodshed witnessed by the streets of Multan but
life returned to normal with the passage of time.

(1900-2003AD)

Multan, however, lost its very important position as soon as the British stronghold over the sub-
continent grew stronger and stronger. Although peace prevailed in the region but no real progress
was made. When independence was achieved in 1947 Multan was a forgotten region. There was
no industry; no higher and professional educational Institutions, no high standard hospitals; so
much so that there was not even a single recreation park in the whole of the city. It looked more
like a town though its population was nearly one lakh. The site of the Old Fort was in ruins.
Thorny bushes and ditches were in plenty whispering the awful tale of its ruination, Majority of
the roads were unmetalled and the sewerage system too defective to explain. The history of the
district since independence is mainly connected with the expansion of facilities except a few
minor changes such as one of its districts, that is, D.G. Khan has been declared as the Divisional
Headquarter and some of its Tehsils such as Vehari as the new District etc.
THE HISTORICAL TOMBS

The history of Multans Muslim architecture begins with the Muslim conquest. Little is known
about the architecture of Multan prior to the 11thcentury, though elsewhere in Pakistan we can
trace the genesis of Muslim architecture from the 8th century A.D. During the 13th and
14thcentury, a new style of architecture was introduced for funerary memorials of the Muslims
in and around Multan the style begin with the tomb of Baha-ud-din Zakariya and culminated in
the mausoleum of Shah Rukn al-Din Rukn-I- Alam, which has been admired as "one the most
splendid memorial ever erected in the honour of the dead.

These two mausoleums served as perfect models for the future architecture. The architects
continued to imitate them for well over six hundred years. The popularity of the style did not
lessen even when the more refined and gorgeous Mughal style of Rukn-e-Alam is the beautiful
tomb of Sultan Ali Akbar at Suraji Miani near Multan, which was erected in the Mughal period
(992/1585).

Some of the common features of all mausolea in Multan are their tapering walls, single dome
and the glazed tile decoration on the exterior. Another widespread feature is a wooden canopy,
over the main grace. Decorated with carving and grills, the ceiling of the canopy is always
adorned with glazed tiles of different motifs. Occasionally the grills are made of marble,
ornamented with beautiful geometric designs.

THE TOMB OF SAINT BAHAUDDIN ZAKARYA

Standing at the northeastern side of the old fort which is situated on the high mound, is the tomb
of Shikh-al-Kabir, Bahauddin Abu Mohammed Zakariya Al-Qurashi. The tomb occupies the
centre of a vast oblong open area measuring 260 feet N.S by 203 feet E.W and is enclosed by a
perimeters brick wall. It has two main gates one on the east and the other on the West Side.
There is a vow of fourteen "Hujras" on the north for the "Zaireen".

The tomb was almost completely ruined during the siege of Multan in1848 AD by the British
army but was repaired immediately by Makhdum Shah Mahmud. There is no original inscription
on the body of the tomb to show the date of its construction and the subsequent repairs.
However, from the fact that here lies the great Shaikh Bahauddin Zakariya who had erected it
himself during his prime time, it can be said that it belongs to the early decades of the
13th century. The Shaikh died on the 7th of Safar (661/21 December 1262).

THE TOMB OF SHAH RUKN-E-ALAM

The mausoleum of Shah Rukn-e-Alam is also situated on the fort mound. The Shaikh was the
son of Pir Sadar-Al-Din Arif born at Multan on the 9th of Friday Ramazan 649/26 November
1251. He was the grandson and successor of Shaikh Baha-Al-Din Zakariya.

Shaikh Rukn-i-Alam (Rukn-al-Din) died on the 7th of Friday (735/3 Jamadial-Awwal, January
1335). He was buried in the mausoleum of his grandfather, according to his own will. After
sometime, however, his coffin was transferred to the present mausoleum. It was constructed,
according to a popular belief, by Ghiyas-al-Din Tughluq (1340-1350) during the days of his
governorship of Depalpur, but was given by Feruz Shah Tughluq to the descendents of Shah
Rukn-I-Alam for the latters burial. The mausoleum of Rukn-I-Alam has been admired by not
only the travelers and chroniclers but also by the art-historians and archaeologist who wrote the
architectural history of the subcontinent.

The tomb was built on octagon plan, 90 ft in diameter with walls which are 414 ft high and 13.3
ft thick. The mausoleum was constructed with burnt bricks and supported by timber framing, and
decorated with tile faced bricks and wood beams. The whole structure is divided into three
stories. Over the second story is a smaller Octagon, leaving a narrow3 passage all around the
place, above which stands a hemispherical dome. As the tomb is standing on a high artificial
mound, it is visible from about 45 kilometers. Most of its patterns are geometric-created by
arranging the glazed tiles-and a living testimony to creative genius of their designers. The
building is also decorated with some floral as well as calligraphic patterns. In the 1970s the
mausoleum was thoroughly repaired and renovated by the Auqaf Department of the Punjab
Government. The entire glittering glazed interior is the result of new tiles and brickwork done by
the Kashigars of Multan. This clearly demonstrates the talents and dexterity of the local
craftsmen.
THE TOMB OF SHAH SABZWARI

The tomb of Shah Shamas Sabzwari is situated near the Aam Khas Bagh, about a quarter of a
mile on the east of the ancient port on the high bank of the old bed of the Ravi which is now
filled with a multitude of modern buildings. Shah shams Sabzwari was a celebrated "Ismaili
Dai". Very little is known about Shams Sabzaris life. According to a popular legend, he arrived
in Multan at the time of Shaikh Baha-al-Din Zakariya. He breathed his last at the age of 111
years in 675/1276 and was buried in Multan.

The main features of the tomb are similar to those of the citys other major tombs. It has a square
hall in an Octagon shape topped by a high dome. There is a verandah all-round the grave-
chamber, with fine arches in every side and a single entrance to the hall. In the courtyard, which
is at a lower level than that of the verandah, there is small mosque. Like other decorated tombs of
Multan, this tomb is also ornamented with Kaashi tile work and Naqashi work. But recently a
fire damaged its entrance seriously.

THE TOMB OF SHAH YOUSUF GARDEZI

This famous tomb is situated near the Bohar Gate. Its building is quite different from the citys
other tombs, with a rectangular hall and a flat, dome-less roof. The hall, which has a small door
towards the end of one of its longer sides, is constructed in a big compound. On one side of the
compound stands the large hall of an imambargah. The tombs present building is a completely
renovated one. The rectangular building is thoroughly covered with the blue Multani tiles,
decorated with countless floral and geometric patterns arranged in large rectangles, square and
border. The skyline is a miniature replica of a forts battlement and has a row of arches with
borders raised in relief. Below the parapet wall runs a continuous calligraphic border on all four
sides. The standard of this calligraphy, however, is not very high. Only blue and while have been
used, the motifs include a rich variety of floral patterns.
THE MAUSOLEUM OF SULTAN ALI AKBAR

This tomb is situated in Suraj Miani, a locality in the northwest of the ancient city. Sultan Ali
Akbar was a saint of Islamic order, and was the great grandson of Shams-Sabzwari. This is the
only epigraphical evidence available about the saint on the faade of the mausoleum, however,
the tomb is a very important contribution towards the adoption assimilation and spread of
Multani architecture where almost every characteristic of the Rukn-I-Alams tomb including the
octagonal plan, tapering turrets, the three storied well balanced and harmonious elevation,
embellished with colourful tiles revetment, and screened window opening, his some horizontal as
well oblique so also noticeable. It is because of this that the monument has been nicknamed the
"Little Rukn-i-Alam". It has glazed style design used according to the available space. The
mausoleum stands on a six feet high square platform.

Tomb of Hafiz Muhammad Jamal

This tomb is situated near Aamkhas Bagh surrounded with thick heavy wall of small bricks. The
main square building includes a large hall, surrounding veranda and a Majlis Khana.

The tomb was built in 19th century during the reign of Ranjit Singh ( 1810). The land for the
tomb was given by Sawanmal, the governor of Multan in those days. The main building was
constructed under the supervision of Khawaja Khuda Bakhsh "Tami Waly" and Khawaja
Muhammad Isa of Khanpur. With passage of time the building and its decoration were badly
damaged, although necessary repair work was carried out on the original pattern in 1972-74.
With the exception of the main entrance, the exterior of the tomb is very simple. However, the
interior is profusely decorated with Kashi work and glass mosaics Shisha MinaKari, While the
tomb itself is exceptionally fine example of mosaic work. All the motifs and pattern are floral,
with different colours.