The history of Tulamba is ancient, dating back to at least the time of Alexander's invasion of Punjab in 326 BC. After defeating King Porus, Alexander intended to push further into the Indian subcontinent, toward the Ganges Valley. However, his weary soldiers, exhausted by the seemingly endless campaign, refused to march beyond the Beas River.
Instead of retracing his path back to his homeland, Alexander chose a different route, perhaps hoping to conquer a few more territories and add to his already vast collection of trophies. This ambition nearly cost him his life when he was severely wounded during the siege of Multan. Before reaching Multan, however, he passed through Tulamba and is said to have conquered the city.
Centuries later, in 1398 AD, the city again faced devastation when Timur (Tamerlane) invaded India and attacked Tulamba. He likely treated it no differently from his other conquests, with destruction and cruelty. This may explain why, over a century later, Sher Shah Suri chose to build a new fort about two kilometers north of the old settlement, thus laying the foundation of the present-day Tulamba.
Today, only remnants of Sher Shah Suri’s fort survive in Tulamba. It is a small circular fort with a diameter of approximately 140 meters and a total area of 3.5 acres. The fort is now largely occupied by a Government Girls School and municipal offices, although several residential houses exist both inside and along the outer wall.
Needless to say, there is no official protection or maintenance for this historic site. A municipal corporation employee informed me that during the tenure of Governor Sajjad Qureshi, some valuable wooden beams and planks were removed from the fort. This sadly illustrates how we often treat our national heritage when entrusted with its care.
The location of the fort is at 30° 31' 38.00" N, 72° 14' 19.51" E.
Old Tulamba is now nothing more than ruins, or more precisely, just a few mounds of earth and dust scattered over an area of nearly 30 acres. These extensive remains speak not only to the great antiquity of the city but also to its considerable size in ancient times. Unfortunately, the ruins are rapidly disappearing due to a complete lack of preservation efforts. Encroachments from all sides are eating away at the site, and it is almost certain that, unless action is taken, these last remnants will also vanish in the near future. The ruins are located at 30° 30' 35.72" N, 72° 14' 35.78" E.
I have been unable to find more about the history of this city. That's why I consider this post incomplete. I hope readers of this post will help by adding something more to it.
Tariq Amir
May 4, 2016.
Doha - Qatar.
No comments:
Post a Comment