163. Serai Pakka, Khanpur, tehsil Gujar Khan!

Serais were normally constructed along the main highways. These fortified, fort-like buildings were large enough to accommodate entire caravans and provided various facilities for travellers. Their primary purpose was to offer a safe and secure place for caravans to rest at night. Serais were usually located at intervals of 25 to 30 kilometers. Unfortunately, only a few have survived the depredations of time—and above all, our negligence.

One such example is Serai Pakka, located at 33°18'34.87"N, 73°20'31.41"E, about ten kilometers northeast of Gujar Khan, near the village of Khanpur. It must once have stood along the old route of the Grand Trunk (GT) Road, which now passes about six kilometers to the west. We visited it on 30 April, on a pleasant afternoon. Approaching from the northeast across lower ground, the first view was quite impressive. I only vaguely knew of its existence and was unsure what to expect. On Google Maps, the place is marked as Saray Pakka.

The main entrance of the serai faces north, and on this side the wall is still standing in its entirety. The eastern wall, too, remains intact, though neither is in good condition. The other two walls, however, are almost completely gone. The whole structure is badly deteriorated, and the interior of the serai is now fully occupied, with dozens of families living inside and along the western and southern walls.

The northern wall and the main entrance of the Serai Pakka. (30.04.2023.) 

The main gate of the serai. (30.04.2023.) 

The gate and a section of the wall. (30.04.2023.) 

Iftikhar Ahmad Bhatti.  (30.04.2023.) 

The writer. (30.04.2023.) 

While searching for some information about this serai, I found the following thesis, which provides the following information about the serail 

Architecture and Identity: 

The Occupation, Use, and Reuse of Mughal Caravanserais by 

Jennifer Lynn Campbell 

A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Anthropology University of Toronto 

© Copyright by Jennifer Lynn Campbell 2011

Much less is known about Pakka Khanpur Serai than Gor Khuttree Serai from the historic documents. Jahangir’s nama mentions Pakka Khanpur Serai, suggesting its date of creation was prior to Jahangir’s rule (AD 1605-1628) (Dar 1999:125 from his reading of the Tuzk-i-Jahangiri). The travel notes of William Finch (AD 1611) mention ‘Pakka’ as a place along the Lahore/Kabul route (as discussed in Ansari 1975:32 and Foster 1921:168). Martin Neill (1845:308) stopped at “Serai Pucka”, while on military tour sometime between AD 1839 and 1842. The Narrative of the Second Sikh War by Edward Thackwell (1970:136) records the arrival of the British army at “Serai Pucka” on the eighth of March AD 1848. A military notice from January 21st , AD 1852, also mentions “Pucka” Serai in Rawalpindi District (Allen’s Indian Mail 1852:158); this notice informed all European men serving in the British forces and alongside the Native Corps at “Pucka” Serai that they were required to grow their mustaches. In Hari Ram Gupta’s (1999:14) History of the Sikhs, “Serai Pakka” is the location from which Shah Zaman addressed a letter to Ranjit Singh in approximately AD 1796. Local residents today are of two opinions. Some suggest the serai was built by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir in the early 1600’s, while others suggest the serai is a Sher Shah Suri period construction. At this time there is little artifactual reinforcement for this inherited knowledge. Archaeological research has not yet determined a date of construction, although the structure does not resemble other Suri period constructions.

Pakka Khanpur Serai was square in plan, measuring approximately 123 m north-south by 119 m east-west, with two gates and four bastions. Only a north gate survives today, along with portions of three bastions and several cells along each wall. The serai has an internal well and a mihrab in the west wall associated with the ruins of a mosque. 

The cells at Pakka Khanpur are similar in size and arrangement to those at Gor Khuttree, discussed in section 7.1.1. The front sections of the cells (a total of 4 cells were recorded) at Pakka Khanpur on average measure 3.30 m X 3.30 m while the rear section measures 2.65 m X 3.30 m. Differences between the two serais’ cells include the style of the doorway used to enter the rear section of the cells and the methods of construction of the ceilings. The front sections of the cells at Pakka Khanpur communicate with the rear sections via a rectangular doorway with gently rounded upper corners, while those at Gor Khuttree generally communicate with the rear section via an arched doorway.

 

Insie the Serai Pakka. (30.04.2023.) 

The view of the gate from the inside. (30.04.2023.) 

Houses inside the serai. (30.04.2023.) 

The massive gate. (30.04.2023.) 

The northeastern bastion. (30.04.2023.) 

The eastern wall. (30.04.2023.) 

Another view of the northern wall. (30.04.2023.) 

The southwestern bastion. (30.04.2023.) 

A room in the serai. Picture from the above-mentioned thesis.

It is to be noted that the southern wall has completely disappeared, and similarly, the southeastern bastion no longer exists. This serai is another example of our lost heritage, our negligence, and our total disregard for historic buildings and monuments. There is not much that can be saved, as the haphazard construction has completely destroyed most of the structure, including the rooms for travellers inside the serai. However, the main entrance on the north side and the wall can still be preserved with some effort. It is a historic building of considerable significance, and steps should be taken to preserve it, even if only partially, before it is lost completely.

Tariq Amir

May 12, 2023.
Islamabad

For a related post, visit:

166. Sarai Kharbuza, Islamabad.