We know 1857/Bhagat Singh etc but we don't remember 29th March...Annexation Day?
British forces annexed Lhore Darbar at a day when people were celebrating Festival of Lights (Mela Chiraghan) in memory of jogi/sufi tradition of Madhu Lal Hussain. The selection of the day was in line with new policy of Garrison State in which there was no room for jogi/sufi traditions and Lhore Darbar.
Why this day is out of text and media? Why anti-colonial writers, groups and intellectuals largely ignored it? We have no knowledge about Shikarpur? a pre-colonial business center that used to attract traders from Kashmir, Kabul,Qallat, Shiraz and the Punjab, How Lhori Bandar or Lhori Dahro (near Thatta towards sea) and river channel trade played an important role in the informal unification is also an unexplored area.We donot know why Dost Muhammad Khan's son joined Sher Singh Attari walla army and fought against annexation at a crucial times in 1848. Why don't want to remember unprecedented resistance of Dewan Mul Raj of Multan. Our knowledge about Kashmir is misleading until we know bout last independent ruler of Kashmir, two Sheikh brothers, removed by British rulers in 1846 and their alliance with Lhore Darbar, We also have no knowledge of Sultan Muhammad Khan, elder brother of Dost Muhammad Khan and ruler of Peshur (now urduize as Peshawar just like Lhore, urduize as Lahore) who remained with Lhore Darbar. Resonance of resistance of wars fought between three bloody years (1846-9) is part of Royal literature but we are still ignorant. Our generations have no knowledge about it and that is why the day of annexation of Lhore Darbar was ignored. Had it included in the text during Raj, some people may explore it but, interestingly the day of annexation (29th March) was largely ignored both in India and Pakistan after independence. In the blue book (secret record) this whole unit (Sindh, Kashmir, Baluchistan, KhyberPK, Kabul,Qandhar and the Punjab) was one in the British eyes and they wanted to convert it into a Garrison region. For that purpose they did social engineering extensively, reinterpret history accordingly and created numerous prides and prejudices in line of twisted Frontier Forward Policy. The day 29th March is important regarding our disconnection with our own lands largely based on infighting rather then exploring connectivity. Colonial apologists and anti colonialists both ignored connectivity largely in either way. Nationalism and religion based interpretations were penned in the same line. No doubt, that the region was a bridge between various adjacent areas like China,Hindi heart land, Central Asia and West Asia and had its own internal connectivity too but it was largely shattered during Raj due to Garrison mindset. Do remember March 29th so that you can deconstruct misleading narratives.
Listen Radio Show http://punjabpunch.blogspot.com/2017/03/radio-show-about-29-march-1849-day-when.html
Further Links
2016
http://punjabpunch.blogspot.com/2016/03/remember-march-29-day-when-britain.html
2015 article
http://punjabpunch.blogspot.com/2015/03/29th-march-day-when-britain-annexed.html
2014 Media Coverage: 165th Annexation of the Punjab day
http://punjabpunch.blogspot.com/2014/03/media-coverage-165th-annexation-of.html
2012
http://punjabpunch.blogspot.com/2012/03/remeber-29-march-1849a-day-when.html
Radio Show
http://punjabpunch.blogspot.com/2016/03/listen-radio-show-history-of-punjab-its.html
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