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faheemkhan882 · 1 month

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husheduphistory · 9 months

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Strange in Chains: Two Prisoners with Stories that go much Deeper that the Surface

The Pakistani town of Charsadda has witnessed first-hand how quickly war and time can transform a place. Originally called Dheri, the town is said to have been originally settled by Pashtun tribes from Afghanistan who were fleeing persecution. The location of Dheri attracted a great deal of attention and over time it became heavily populated by the Sikhs who established a monopoly of businesses there. In the 1830s aggressive hands brought a time of change to the town and its inhabitants. Some endured the shifts, some succumbed, and in one case there are some responsible entities that are still standing outside in their chains nearly two centuries later.

In 1835 the town of Dheri’s name was changed to Sikho Dheri and in the same year Maharaja Ranjit Singh laid the foundation to Fort Shankar Gah, which would also undergo a name change in 1876 and then become known as Shabqadar. The Maharajah built a formidable Sikh army, trained by European generals with experience in major battles like the Battle of Waterloo, and they helped keep an eye on some of the many factions that were looking to take power in the region surrounding Shabqadar. By 1840 the Maharaja had passed away but his son Maharaja Sher Singh was in power, and he was there when the fort was attacked by a large number of Mohmand warriors. It was a bloody battle that lasted until the morning sun rose, and in the end the Sikhs were victorious in pushing the opposing forces out of the fort. They may have come out the victors, but it came with a high human cost. Infuriated, Maharajah Sardar Sher Singh demanded to know who was responsible for the warriors getting into the fort and he demanded an investigation be carried out to determine who was behind the breech in security.

One of the Europeans that trained the Sikh army as part of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s court was General Ventura Jean Baptiste, and he just happened to be in the area. After being recruited to conduct the investigation as to how the warriors were able to gain access inside the fort General Baptiste poured over the incident gathering evidence and examining the facts. Finally, after two days, he had his culprit.

When General Baptiste announced his verdict it was shocking, but the accused had nothing to say. He formally declared that the doors, the twelve-foot tall wooden doors to the fort, the doors that failed to hold back the invasion, were the guilty party. A jury of two men agreed and the two doors were sentenced to be imprisoned by chains for one hundred years.

The fort doors under arrest at Shabqadar. Image via travelpangs.com.

It is unknown exactly why the blame was officially placed on the doors as opposed to any of the people involved in the altercation. Each door was chained to a tower, and although their sentence ended in 1940, they still remain there to this day. A plaque tells visitors of their alleged crime and sentence, reading:

“The weeping willows: In the winter of 1840, a Mohmand Lashkar (War party) succeeded in breaking down these gates. The then Sikh Maharaja Sher Singh (Ranjit Singh son) had them court martialed for treason. The French General Jean Ventura headed the proceedings which lasted two days, having found them guilty as charged, the gates were sentenced to 100 years’ imprisonment. They are languishing enchained ever since.”

Approximately two hours west of Shabqadar is another unfortunate prisoner. In 1898 a British Army officer named James Squid was stumbling through the town of Landi Kotal after having a few too many drinks and he saw a threatening figure, a Banyan tree. Convinced that the tree was moving, and even following him, he ordered the mess sergeant to place the tree under arrest. The sergeant obliged, placing the tree in multiple heavy chains extending from the branches to the ground.

The Banyan tree under arrest. Image via amusingplanet.com.

Visitors today can still visit the tree, which tells its story through a sign that plainly states:

“I am under arrest. One evening a British officer heavily drunk thought that I was moving from my original location and ordered mess sergeant to arrest me since then I am under arrest.”

Though originating as what some might see as a humorous story, the tree is seen by many as a solemn reminder of the chapters of Pakistan’s past that are deeply intertwined with the British. Pakistan gained their independence from England in 1947 but when the Banyan tree was arrested it was in the midst of British colonialism. Today the image of the tree in chains represents that oppressiveness and how the people of Pakistan were treated during that time and represents the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR), laws drafted specifically in opposition to British Raj and their rule. As expressed by a local photojournalist, the tree “shows the oppression of British rule in the subcontinent and just imagine if a British officer could put a tree in chains then how were they treating the locals of that era?"

Today both Shabqadar and the Banyan tree are visited by thousands of people each year as tourist attractions but their stories go far deeper than just inanimate objects officially placed under arrest. The failed fort doors and the innocent tree tell stories of both individual incidents and whole timeframes that are written deeply into the complex and rich history of Pakistan and how it is still imprinted on the country today.

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Sources:

The Weeping Willows of Shabqadar, Pakistan. Travelpangs.com. August 10 2020. https://www.travelpangs.com/post/the-weeping-willows-of-shabqadar

The Doors that won't Open by Syed Rizwan Mahboob. September 13 2015. https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/559381-doors-sentenced-100-years-shabqadar-fort

The Doors of Shabqadar Fort by Sadaf Shahzad. June 24 2021. https://www.youlinmagazine.com/article/the-doors-of-shabqadar-fort/MjAyOA

Colonial rustlings: Under the shade of the chained banyan tree. Published in The Express Tribune, January 6th, 2013. https://tribune.com.pk/story/489734/colonial-rustlings-under-the-shade-of-the-chained-banyan-tree/

This chained, century-old tree in Pakistan is a perfect metaphor for colonialism by Ishaan Tharoor. September 3 2016.https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/09/03/this-chained-century-old-tree-in-pakistan-is-a-perfect-metaphor-for-colonialism/

The Tree That Was Arrested by Kaushik Patowary. September 6 2016. https://www.amusingplanet.com/2016/09/the-tree-that-was-arrested.html

Tree in Pakistan remains ‘under arrest’ for 120 years by By Islamuddin Sajid. February 5 2018. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/tree-in-pakistan-remains-under-arrest-for-120-years/1132523

#husheduphistory #featuredarticles #truestory #historyclass #truth is stranger than fiction #pakistan #PakistanHistory #LegalHistory #oddlandmarks #strange history #oddhistory #quiethistory #lesserknownhistory #more than meets the eye

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talhanisar · 5 months

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Deep Dive Into History of Pakistan | पाकिस्तान के इतिहास में गहराई से उतरें

#youtube #PakistanHistory IndusValleyCivilization PartitionOfIndia ModernPakistan historydocumentary

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multithinker · 8 months

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Pakistan's 75-Year Journey: Illusions, Achievements, and Losses by September 6, 2023

Pakistan’s 75-Year Journey: Illusions, Achievements, and Losses by September 6, 2023 #PakistanHistory #Achievements #Reflections For seven and a half decades, Pakistan’s history has been a tapestry of illusions, achievements, and losses. As of September 6, 2023, we stand at a crossroads, compelled to reflect upon our past and present. In our formative years, we nurtured dreams infused with…

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mudassirtalks · 3 years

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😱 Shocking facts about China 🔥 . . #mudassirtalks #chinatour #chinatravel #chinese #chinesegirls #chinapeople #china🇨🇳 #china🇨🇳 #chinesefood #chinatown #factsonfacts #factoftheday #factsonly #factsb #factsonfacts #hindi #urdu #pakistan #pakistanhistory #fact #factz #facts #facts💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯 https://www.instagram.com/p/COk2xr4llvH/?igshid=cjbwlr4z021j

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pakistanarchives · 4 years

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Mr Jinnah, Fatima Jinnah and Liaquat Ali Khan with students of Islami college Lahore. . . . . . . . #Pakistan #PakistanArchives #Jinnah #fatimajinnah #india #punab #allindiamuslimleague #quaidiazam #islamabad #foundingfathers #karachi #punjab #ig_pakistan #ig_islamabad #ig_punjab #ig_karachi #pakistani #pakistanhistory #pakistaninpics #pakistanhistoryinpics #pakistanzindabad #pakistanpics #lahoreresolution #lahorehistory #karachidiaries #liaquatalikhan #pakistan_zindabad #pakistan_instagram #quaideazam #quaideazamzindabad (at Islamia College Civil Lines Lahore) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGPox9rHB3d/?igshid=1oiip0ntomsic

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hashtagpakistanofficial · 5 years

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The Noor Mahal (Urdu: نور محل‎) is a palace in Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan. It was built in 1872 like an Italian chateau on neoclassical lines, now it is co-owned by Sajid Ali Isar And Malik Farhan at a time when modernism had set in. It belonged to the Nawabs of Bahawalpur princely state, during British Raj PC: @waleed_sheroo #noormahal #bahawalpur #hestoricbuildings #ancientbuilding #architecture #craftsmanship #pakistanhistory #subcontinent https://www.instagram.com/p/BrIs2wAFxCX/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ezpizbticbtr

#noormahal #bahawalpur #hestoricbuildings #ancientbuilding #architecture #craftsmanship #pakistanhistory #subcontinent

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sahiwal23 · 3 years

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History of Tehreke Pakistan 14 August 1947 Documentary in Urdu and Hindi

#pakistan #14august #pakistanhistory #historyofpakistan #documentary #urdu #hindi

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thetimesofhistory-blog · 4 years

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That one line which changed the map of India and separated India and Pakistan. Story begins when the Partition of India was announced. Parliament of United Kingdom passed the Independence of India Act on 15th July 1947. It also stated that British rule in India will come to an end just after one month on 15th August 1947 and this act also stipulated partition of British India into two new nations India and Pakistan. The reason for partition was Pakistan always wanted to get settled as a muslim majority country. India remained secular. So as done by Britishers. Baluchistan, West Punjab and East Bengal region was given to Pakistan. Bengal and Punjab region also consisted of some Hindu and Sikh community respectively. To sort this out two Boundary Commissions were established- one for Bengal and one for Punjab. This was headed by Sir Cyril Radcliffe. The line was implemented after the Partition on 17th August 1947. It was named after him. When the line was implemented there were some problems: • Chittagong Hill Tracts had a moslty Buddhist population, but they were given to East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). • The Gurdaspur District was moslty Muslim, but was given to India. • Sometimes the line divided villages, so one part of the village was in each country. At other instances, it went through houses, different rooms of the same house were in different countries. Due to this border India and Pakistan were engaged several times in the war. Some major were 1947, 1965, 1971 and Kargil War of 1999. This border is considered as one of the worst creation in the History of India. The partition of India is a crucial event in the collective memory of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. . . Follow us: @timesofhistory . . #partitionofindia #britishempire #britishindia #indianhistory #historyofindia #historyofpakistan #historyofbangladesh #indopakborder #radcliffe #radcliffeline #indiapakistan #indiapak #borderdispute #historyfacts #historyofpunjab #historyofbengal #independenceofindia #indiapakistan #indianhistorylive #indiahistorypics #pakistanhistory #knowthepast #timesofhistory https://www.instagram.com/p/CDi4cTFJ1Vw/?igshid=11vcphukkb70j

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bygonely · 4 years

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1960s Pakistan: Fascinating Historical Photos Offer A Glimpse Into Everyday Life

#pakistan #punjab #history #pakistanhistory #travelpakistan #pakistanarchitecture #1960s

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faheemkhan882 · 10 months

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peshmuseum · 4 years

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Happy World Heritage day Collection of A few Heritage Sites of Pakistan #worldheritage #worldheritageday #kpheritage #swat #kp #pakistan #pakistanhistory #padmasambhava #padmapani #vajrayana #kushan #archaeologylife #buddhisminchina #buddhisminkorea #buddhisminthailand #travellog #buddhist #hindus#muslims #buddhistart #harappa #indusvalleycivilization #ivc #indus #artistsoninstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/B_Hoq93g6Og/?igshid=eiohktadm6w5

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wahydpakistan-blog · 5 years

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Fatima jinnah park is named after the younger sister of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. This park was designed by Michael Japero and was inaugurated in 1992 . It is situated within F9 sector of Islamabad, Pakistan. . . . #fatimajinnah #fatimajinnapark #f9park #park #Islamabad #Pakistan #history #jinnah #quaideazam #michaeljapera #pakistanhistory (at F9 Park Islambad) https://www.instagram.com/p/B33y26tJpFi/?igshid=92fufs8chqlb

#fatimajinnah #fatimajinnapark #f9park #park #islamabad #pakistan #history #jinnah #quaideazam #michaeljapera #pakistanhistory

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emma1125 · 4 years

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#PakistanHistory PakistanCity PakistanPeople PakistanMap PakistanFlag PakistanIndia PakistanNews PunjabPakistan

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mudassirtalks · 3 years

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Things we Do wrong in Daily Routine 🤔😱 . . #mudassirtalks #things #wrong #wrongweather #indiatravelgram #india #indiafacts #fact #factsoflife #factshindi #facts #factsdaily #pakistan #pakistanisuits #pakistanhistory #pakistaniwedding #indianwedding #indiatourism #indiangirls #mobilephone #charger #wrongthings #daily #dailypost #hindi #urdu #video #information #facts💯 https://www.instagram.com/p/CNslwxOFbxe/?igshid=1qpy4hwybvzpl

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pakistanarchives · 4 years

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Mr Jinnah with Punjab Muslim Students Federation. . . . . . #Pakistan #PakistanArchives #Jinnah #india #punab #muslimstudentsfederation #punjabmuslimstudentfederation #allindiamuslimleague #quaidiazam #islamabad #foundingfathers #karachi #punjab #punjabhistory #ig_pakistan #ig_islamabad #ig_punjab #ig_karachi #pakistani #pakistanhistory #pakistaninpics #pakistanhistoryinpics #pakistanzindabad #pakistanpics #lahoreresolution #lahorehistory #karachidiaries #karachigram #pakistan_zindabad #pakistan_instagram (at Lahore, Pakistan) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGKKgHmnSpu/?igshid=ebo6cfv9mmol

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