After much deliberation - should we or should we not – the Asian Study Group (ASG) organized its annual opening of the season event at the Serena Hotel’s Shamadan lawn, strictly following SOP’s as far as possible. Apart from registering new members and renewing membership, the event featured a presentation titled, ‘Rawul Pindee, The Raj Years - a Voyage through the Mists of Time’ by the author, Ali Khan. Note the old spelling of the name!
It was a well-attended event. The weather outdoors was pleasant going on to become a little chilly later. Friends and acquaintances who had not met for a long time were seen greeting each other and exchanging news and views - a few unable to resist the hugging that goes with affection!
Welcoming the audience, President, ASG Parvin Malik gave a brief description of ASG, saying it had been formed forty seven years ago and was run entirely by volunteers; a summary of its programs for the current month; introduced the new patron, Ambassador of Spain, Manuel Durán Gimenez-Rico and the new committee – thanking all volunteers for their efforts in making ASG a success story and concluded by inviting the audience to give a round of applause for Serena Hotel for supporting ASG activities.
Thanking the ASG for requesting him to be the patron, the ambassador said he was happy to be part of such an excellent organization through which so much could be learned about the many positive aspects of Pakistan. He then introduced the author who began his presentation featuring a bygone era, evoking the Colonial period through vintage photographs and long forgotten historical facts and figures that have shaped the history of Rawalpindi and its surroundings. For those who are still living in Rawalpindi it brought back memories of a beautiful and serene city, far removed from what it is today! Some buildings have been done away with but there are many still standing that are well preserved and worth a visit for those who are interested in history and heritage.
The first Muslim invader, Mahmud of Ghazni (979-1030), gifted the ruined city to a Gakkhar chief, Kai Gohar. The town, however, being on an invasion route, could not prosper and remained deserted until Jhanda Khan, another Gakkhar chief, restored it and named it Rawalpindi after the village Rawal in 1493. Under British rule, Rawalpindi was connected to the Indian railway network and it soon became the largest garrison city in the western part of British India. Today, old colonial-era military and administrative buildings dot the cantonment area which remains the city's most well-kept district. After Pakistan gained independence in August 1947, Rawalpindi became, for a while, the capital of the country and the headquarters of the Pakistani army, which it remains to this day.
Ali Khan –a long time ‘Pindi resident and the author of the book refers to it as a labour of love. With the advent of the Internet, he came across numerous people whose ancestors had lived in ‘Pindi, some in the 19th century. From their albums came photographs of life in the city almost a hundred and twenty years ago - a stunning time capsule of a forgotten way of life. Articles and stories along with newspapers, documents and personal experiences make the book interesting. It was available at a special discounted rate at the event along with other interesting ASG publications and of course, the popular ASG calendar.