The Sikh Empire of Maharaja Ranjit Singh comprised Pakistani Punjab (excluding Bahawalpur), Bist Doab in Indian Punjab, Kashmir, parts of Himachal Pradesh, and a large portion of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This entire region fell to the British Indian Empire in 1849. The population of this region was largely Muslim, though Sikhs and Hindus also formed significant communities. After 1857, India underwent many political, administrative, and social changes. It became clear to everyone that a new era in the history of India had begun.
Many movements were started for social changes and reforms. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan started a movement for the promotion of education among the Muslim masses in the 1860s, which became famous as the Aligarh Movement and is credited with laying the foundation for the creation of Pakistan. Its counterpart in Punjab was the Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam, founded in 1884 in Lahore. Its main purpose was to promote education and establish schools for Muslims. Meanwhile, the Arya Samaj was a Hindu reformist movement established in 1875 in Bombay. It also had many social goals, including the promotion of education. They were active in Punjab as well and established many Dayanand Anglo Vedic (DAV) schools and colleges.
The Sikh community was also fully aware of the circumstances and was perhaps leading in Punjab. They started the Singh Sabha Movement in Amritsar in 1873. This movement established many schools in Punjab, and one of them was at Gujar Khan. I came to visit this school on August 31, 2025, it is located right on the busy Grand Trunk Road at 33°15'36.63"N, 73°17'58.19"E.
The main entrance of the Govt. MC Boys Higher Secondary School, formerly Khalsa High School. (31.08.2025.)
The service road. (31.08.2025.)
The main section of the school. (31.08.2025.)
੧ ਓ
ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਖਾਲਸਾ ਹਾਈ ਸਕੂਲ
ਗੁਜਰ ਖਾਨ
੧੯੧੯
ਸਕੂਲ ਹਾਲ ਦੇ ਬਰਾਮਦੇ ਦੀ ਸੇਵਾ
ਚੌਧਰੀ ਹਜੂਰਾ ਸਿੰਘ (ਵਾਈਸ ਪ੍ਰੇਜ਼ੀਡੇੰਟ)
ਮਨੋਹਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੀ ਰਈਸ ਗੁਜਰ
ਖਾਨ ਨੇ ਕਰਾਈ:
ਨਵੰਬਰ ੧੯੪੦
اِک اونکار
گُرو نانک خالصہ ہائی سکول
گوجر خان
1919ء
سکول ہال دے برآمدے دی سیوا
چودھری حضورا سنگھ (وائس پریزیڈنٹ)
منوہر سنگھ جی رئیس گوجر
خان نے کروائی۔
نومبر 1940
1 Onkar
Guru Nanak Khalsa High School
Gujar Khan
1919
The service of constructing the verandah for this hall was rendered by Chaudhry Hazura Singh (Vice President) and Manohar Singh, Raees, Gujar Khan.
November 1919
The same details as above, in English. (31.08.2025.)
The left wing. (31.08.2025.)
The right wing. (31.08.2025.)
The school is quite spacious and has many rooms, in two wings, on both sides of the main hall. The school has two gates, opening on the main road. The hall is situated right in front of one gate. The second gate leads to the office of the Principal.
A passage in front of the second gate. (31.08.2025.)
This section houses the Principal’s office and the library. (31.08.2025.)
Verandah in front of the office of the Principal and the library. (31.08.2025.)
Unfortunately, no date is given.
In front of the principal's office, a hall exists. It is an ordinary-looking hall. The watchman told us that last year, a few Sikhs came to visit this school and apparently, without any reason, took a great interest in this hall and revered it. I also could see no reason for its special significance. Until I saw a plaque.
A big hall in front of the principal's office, view from the north. (31.08.2025.)
A view of the same hall, from the west. (31.08.2025.)
A view from the south. (31.08.2025.)
A distant view of the hall. (31.08.2025.) 
A verandah of the hall. (31.08.2025.)
A plaque was installed on the wall of this hall. I was greatly distressed to see that it had been painted over with thick black paint. It was clear that somebody had done this intentionally. I could not understand the reason for such vandalism. Whatever the reason, I deeply regretted the loss of information forever.
However, when I digitally enhanced this photo at home, the riddle was unlocked. It revealed answers to many questions in my mind. First of all, the Sikh visitors were showing particular interest in this building because it was a gurdwara. The attempt to conceal it may also be related to the fact that it was a gurdwara. Perhaps some legal implications prompted this act, or maybe a little bigotry was at work.
੧ ਓ ਸਤਿ ਗੁਰਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਇਸ ਗੁਰਦਵਾਰੇ ਦੀ ਸੇਵਾ
ਸ੍ਰਦਾਰ ਜਵਾਹਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਨੇ
ਆਪ ਆਪਣੀ ਸਪੁਤਨੀ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਮਤੀ
ਧ੍ਰੋਪਤੀ ਦੀ ਯਾਦਗਾਰ ਵਿਚ
ਕਰਾਈ ਹਾੜ ੧੯੮੨
اِک اونکار ست گُر پرساد
اِس گوردوارے دی سیوا
سردار جواہر سنگھ نے
آپ آپڑیں سپُتنی سری متی
دھروپتی جی دی یادگار وِچ
کرائی ہاڑ 1982 (1925 ء)
Service for this gurdwara was rendered by Sardar Jawahar Singh, in the memory of his wife Mrs Dhropti.
Har, 1982 (1925 AD)
So, it is clear from the above inscription that this building was indeed a gurdwara. At the time of my visit, it was closed, so I could not see it from the inside. It was built in 1925. However, just when I was congratulating myself for solving this riddle, another plaque raised even more questions. This one is fixed on the floor of the same hall, right below the above-mentioned plaque.
੧ ਓ
ਫ਼ਰਸ਼ ਦੀ
ਟਹਲ ਕਰਾਈ
ਅਠਵੀੰ ਜਮਾਤ
੧੯੨੮
اک اونکار
فرش دی
ٹہل کروائی
اٹھویں جماعت
1928
1 Onkar
Service for this floor was rendered. Class 8th. 1928
This plaque clearly states that this floor belonged to Class VIII. Hence, it raises some doubts about the true identity of this big room. Behind this hall, on the south side, another plaque is found beside another section of the school
੧ ਓ
ਦੀਵਾਰ ਦੀ ਟੇਹਲ ਕਰਾਈ ਦਸਵੀਂ ਜਮਾਤ
੧੯੩੦
اِک اونکار دیوار دی ٹہل کرائی دسویں جماعت
1930
1 Onkar
The service for this wall, Class X, was rendered in 1930.
The right wing of the school. (31.08.2025.)
By the right wing, I mean the section located on the right side of the main hall, as you enter through the main gate. Behind this wing is a small verandah with what appear to have been two rooms. In that verandah I came across another plaque. Unfortunately, it is not legible, as it too seems to have been deliberately painted over in order to hide the inscription. What makes it particularly interesting is that, according to the watchman, the Sikhs who visited the school last year showed great interest and reverence towards this room as well. Could it be that this place was also used for religious purposes, and that is why someone tried to conceal this fact?
One veranda. (31.08.2025.)
The backside of the school. (31.08.2025.)
Another view of the backside. (31.08.2025.)
The main hall. (31.08.2025.)
A new section of the school. (31.08.2025.)
A classroom. (31.08.2025.)
Another classroom. (31.08.2025.)
The following two photographs are probably some discarded apparatus of a science lab. The watchman, especially showed these two items in a dusty cupboard.
The different plaques in the school give some idea about the history of the construction of this school. It started around 1925 and continued in the coming years and was completed, perhaps, with the construction of the main hall in 1940. The gurdwara was constructed in 1925. The work on the school building may have started earlier.
This school is a living monument to those who made efforts and spent their own resources to promote education in this region. The founders have gone, but the candle they lit still spreads the light of knowledge and wisdom to thousands of students for the last one century. I salute the founders of this school and all those who have contributed to its establishment and progress ever since.
Tariq Amir
September 5, 2025.
Islamabad
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