SIZ Education | 24/5/2022| WHEN I SEE ISLAMABAD WITH THE EYES OF HISTORY|

Perhaps people do not know that where Islamabad is today was once the state of Rai Bahadur Sajan Singh. But if you know that today the area between Golra Sharif and Murree Hills, including the National Assembly of Pakistan.

Source: https://bit.ly/3z2jUCu

The Bhabra Bazaar adjoining Sajan Singh Haveli is named after a sect of Jainism.They were a form of non-violence between Buddhism and Hinduism. There is also the shrine of the famous Sufi Shah Chan Chirag in a street of the same bazaar which was no less than a sanctuary for the followers of all religions at that time. The inhabitants of this palace were descended from Baba Guru Nanak and Sardar Malkha Singh Thalapuria who founded Rawalpindi in 1766 and was also the first Sikh ruler.

Sang Jani's inn was also built by Sajan Singh's father Nand Singh. The Bhabra Bazaar adjoining Sajan Singh Haveli is named after a sect of Jainism. They were a form of non-violence between Buddhism and Hinduism. There is also the shrine of the famous Sufi Shah Chan Chirag in a street of the same bazaar which was no less than a sanctuary for the followers of all religions at that time.

Sajan Singh traded in timber and imported valuable timber from Kashmir and sold it. And began supplying the British army with food, fodder and fuel, in exchange for which he was given by the Viceroy of India in 1888. Rai Bahadur's address and the Governor of Punjab on the services of Sajan Singh in 1873 at the court held in Hassan Abdal also exalted him. Sajan Singh died in 1901.) it is stated that when Sajan Singh died, his son Sardar Hardit Singh inherited his property but he too lost his property three years later.

During World War II, he not only assisted the British Crown in the recruitment of troops but also donated Rs. 300,000 in cash (cited in War History of the Rawalpindi District). In return for these services, Sardar Mohan Singh was awarded an honorary sword, a pistol and several certificates. In addition, a member of Chief Khalsa College, Honorary Magistrate of Rawalpindi was the first.

He was appointed a member of the Council of Secretary of State for India in 1935 and was sent to England where he became an adviser to the Secretary of State for India. Sajan Singh's second son, Sardar Sohan Singh, was keenly interested in charity work and was also an honorary magistrate of Pindi and Murree.

He had three sons, one of whom was Garbachan Singh, who was also India's ambassador to Pakistan, Switzerland and Morocco after independence. Colonel Sardar Shamshir Singh, son of Sardar Sohan Singh, was married to Princess Balbir Kaur, daughter of the Maharaja of Jund, a wealthy Indian state. The state of Jund was spread over an area of 3260 sq km and its annual revenue at that time was three million.

Sajan Singh Haveli was built in 1893. Its inaugural plaque was erected on the mansion, which was sold in scrap in 1990. There are two periods of this mansion. From 1893 to 1947 it was used by the Sajan Singh family for 54 years while the second period is from 1947 to 1982 when the mansion was allotted to the refugees from Kashmir and more than 40 families resided here.

The place where the mansion was built still has a beautiful view of the whole city and Islamabad. In the past, when the city was short, Margalla and Murree hills would have a very beautiful view from the windows of its mansion.
There were gardens around the mansion and when it was built it was the first building in the city to use Nanak Shahi bricks. Older people in the area say that gold was also used in the construction of the mansion and the walls were engraved with gold.

The occupants of the mansion used gold and silver utensils and had luxurious furniture. Peacocks danced in the courtyard and lions were tied in the porches. In the evening, the sounds of sarcastic music came from the mansion. The doors, ceilings and attics were richly decorated with wood. The covered area of the mansion is 24,000 square feet. The iron and iron sheets and copper used in the construction of the mansion were imported from Britain. In 1937, the mansion was electrified.

The door of the mansion opens into an alley with mansions on either side. This porch-like gate is in the style of the gates of the fort with beautiful flowers and ivory carvings. When you enter, there is another porch with rooms around it and in front there is a courtyard with fountains. Expert painters of the time had painted various works of art on the walls with pictures of the occupants of the mansion. There are rooms on all sides and stairs on both sides lead to the upper floor.

The courtyards are back, where iron sheds imported from Italy have been used to protect from the sun. Upstairs there are rooms on both sides overlooking the entire city and Margalla Hills. It seems that Sajan Singh family used to have evening parties here. Music was played here and social and religious ceremonies were held. The tiles used here were imported from Britain at that time. The Sajan Singh family not only spent their wealth in the construction of this magnificent palace but also in other buildings of public interest in the city.

According to Rawalpindi Gazetteer 1910, in 1883, Sajan Singh also built Macy's Market. The garden chiefs were also built by Sajan Singh. There were gardens, grass lawns and twelve rivers.

He also built a gurdwara, a wedding hall, a museum and a Hardit Singh library. The Macy's Gate in memory of Brigadier General John Macy was also built by Sajan Singh at a cost of Rs. Sajan Singh along with his uncle Karpal Singh also established the Lansdowne Institute at Mall Road Rawalpindi in 1890. Where there were theaters and auditoriums for dancing, there was also accommodation and dining facilities for the artists. Lord Lance Downey was Viceroy of India from 1888 to 1894.

He also did not show any interest in the plight of the mansion, then handed over to Fatima Jinnah Women's University and urged them to make a program for it. Thus, not only the mansion but the entire era associated with it has been locked.