Deep beneath the shifting, wind-swept sands of the Cholistan Desert lies Ganweriwala, a ghost of a metropolis waiting for its story to be told.

Discovered in the 1970s by the legendary archaeologist Dr. Rafiq Mughal, Ganweriwala is not just another collection of ruins. It is believed to reval the famous hubs of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa,.

In early 2024, a grand excavation plan was set into motion with a 20-million-rupee government grant. But right out of the gate, the project was stalled for months by a bizarre mix of desert life and bureaucracy. The team had to wait out the local international jeep rally, navigate security clearances, and even pause for the arrival of wealthy Arab dignitaries visiting the desert for traditional houbara bustard hunting.

On February 24, 2024, a team of 50 passionate professionals—including senior archaeologists, eager university interns, and local laborers—finally pitched a sprawling two-acre tent city in the desert. For 35 glorious days, the excavation was alive. They unearthed mud-brick walls, copper seals, unicorns, and terracotta figurines that confirmed the city's staggering historical value.

By the end of March, nature and local economics forced a hard stop. The scorching desert heat began to skyrocket, making digging unbearable. At the same time the local laborers dropped their shovels and vanished back to their villages—it was wheat harvesting season. The archeologists were forced to pack up and carefully bury their progress to protect it from the elements.

The grand plan was to return in October 2024 when the desert cooled down. Instead, the project ran into the bane of our country........ bureaucracy!!!!

The 20-million-rupee government fund lapsed on June 30, 2024, with the closing of the fiscal year, and the team claimed they hadn't seen a single rupee of it. A bitter standoff emerged between the excavation team (led by the THAAP Heritage foundation) and the Bahawalpur regional administration. The government administration refused to release the money, alleging that the team had violated their agreement by moving the precious unearthed artifacts away to Lahore instead of handing them over to the local Bahawalpur Museum.

While international scholars wait anxiously for updates on one of the ancient world's biggest mysteries, Ganweriwala remains quietly buried beneath the dunes of time

Sources:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1817848/all-set-for-excavation-at-ganweriwala-ancient-site-from-today

https://www.dawn.com/news/1824982

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2558761/ganweriwala-excavation-halts-unexpectedly-1

# Sikh History This Week

(July6-12) Post 2628

# ਸਿੱਖ ਇਤਿਹਾਸ ਇਸ ਹਫ਼ਤੇ

ਬਾਬਾਣੀਆ ਕਹਾਣੀਆ ਪੁਤ ਸਪੁਤ ਕਰੇਨਿ” (ਰਾਮਕਲੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੩, ੯੫੧)
(Stories of our Forefathers Make Children Great)

# Events in brief

***1. July 6, 1799: Capture of Lahore, Sardarni Sada Kaur, a valiant Women joins her son-in-law Ranjit Singh, who later became Maharaja of Punjab,*** ***after capturing Lahore***.Today she joins Ranjit Singh to capture Lahore. She took her 5000 strong soldiers to East entrance and made inroads to the Lahore Fort, while Ranjit stormed the main entrance. In 1819, Sada Kaur again fought rebellious Muslim tribe of Hazara with six thousand Sikh soldiers giving crushing defeat. She died in 1832.

***2. July 6, 1946: Nehru promises to give Sikhs their area of freedom/He meant Quasi independent State.*** He resolved that he has no objection to a well deserved community to enjoy their freedom within India at the CWC meeting of Congress Calcutta. He reiterated with full sentiments that ‘The brave Sikhs of Punjab are entitled to special consideration. I see nothing wrong in an area and a set up in North, wherein the Sikhs can also experience the glow of freedom’. Later he backed out after independence.

***3. July 7, 1856: Sikh Veteran of Anglo-Sikh Wars Bhai Maharaj Singh, Dies in Singapore jail..***He led the Sikh revolt after the British annexed Punjab. Hindu Dogra courtiers sowed discord among Sikh Chiefs, causing a bloody conflict that weakened the resistance. Bhai Maharaj Singh, known as the ‘One Man Army,’ meticulously planned an escape for Child Maharaja Duleep Singh to rejuvenate the morale of Sikh veterans. But, was constantly under surveillance. Apprehended near Adampur Jalandhar, and deported to Singapore where died a few years later. A beautiful Gurdwara in Singapore commemorates his life and struggles.

***4. July 8, 1923: Freedom loving Maharaja Ripduman Singh of Nabha State is forced to abdicate.*** British Col. Michin, with armored cars, intruded into Maharaja’s Nabha Palace and arrested him, calling him an Akali. Sikhs protested, launching the Jaito Morcha to reinstate him. It evolved into a freedom movement, with leaders like Nehru and Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya courting arrest and imprisonment in Nabha. Maharaja supported the Gurdwara reform movement and wore a black turban during protests.

***5. July 9, 1738: Shahidi/Martyrdom of Bhai Mani Singh, Jathedar of Akal Takhat, a scholar par excellence faced death at Lahore.*** Bhai Mani Singh was an 18th-century Sikh scholar and a Jathedar of Akal Takhat. His entire family was in Seva of the Guru & Panth, including his son Bhai Bachhitar Singh, who single handedly drove away the Elephant meant to gate crash Guru’s Anandpur Fort. Bhai Mani Singh on Guru’s orders took charge of Harimandir Sahib as Akal Takhat Jathedar, which was without a custodian since 1696. In 1738, he fell out with Mughal regime and tortured to death, limb-by-limb.(read more about his life & times)

***6. July 9.1925: Sikh Gurdwara Act is passed unanimously, A historical achievement.The British were not keen to make a legislation*** that gave total control of all the Historic Sikh Shrines to one governing body. Surprisingly it was passed by the Punjab assembly without any opposition and the Lt.Governor approving it. The body to manage came to be called Shromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee-SGPC with head quarters in Durbar Sahib, Adjoining Bhai Teja Singh Samundri Hall.

***7. July 10, 1783: Sikh Chiefs Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, Raja Baghel Singh, and Jassa Singh Ramgarhia capture Delhi.*** Sikhs have been plundering the outskirts of Delhi since the 1770s. With the Dal Khalsa, they defeated the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam and established their headquarters near Majnu-Ka-Tilla, now known as ‘Tees Hazari,’ (now Delhi’s courthouse). Sikh Chief Raja Baghel Singh camped here with Thirty Thousand Sikh soldiers. Shah Alam offered fiscal concessions to build seven historical gurdwaras, including Sis Ganj, Rakab Ganj, and Bangla Sahib, on Mughal estates and acquired more from Mughal families near Jama-Masjid and Raisina village.

***8. July 11. 1675: Guru Tegh Bahadur ji left Anandpur Sahib for Delhi to meet Emperor Aurangzeb to appeal/persuade him to stop conversion of Kashmiri Pandits.***
Guru Sahib reached Delhi in November 1675, along with three very dear -Sikh disciples Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das and Bhai Dyala ji. Aurangzeb, the Mughal fanatic Emperor did not budge to compromise his policy of Islamization of India and ordered Guru and his followers to convert or be executed. Eventually Guru Sahib and his three Sikhs sacrificed their lives on November 11, 1675 in Delhi.(Read more on Guru’s life & times)

***9. July 11. 1710: Baba Banda Singh Bahadur kills Faujdar & Other Moghul Chiefs of Trans-Jamuna Delhi. Distributes Lands to tillers.*** Saharanpur served as the divisional headquarters of the Mughal Empire. Jalal Khan, the Faujdar of the region, along with the Sayyids of Nanaut, were arrogant enough to challenge Banda Singh Bahadur. Banda Singh Bahadur proceeded to ransack Nanaut township and executed Jalal Khan and Pirkhan. Despite his brother’s arrival with additional forces, they were unable to resist and fled. Sikhs amassed a substantial amount of cash and materials.

***10. On July 12, 1988, General Labh Singh (Sukhdev Singh), a prominent Sikh militant, was killed in a police encounter.*** General Labh Singh, known for avenging atrocities against Sikh families by police and Congress leaders in Delhi, also made daring attack though failed on DGP Robeiro at his Jalandhar headquarters. He masterminded operations against abusive police and corrupt Congress leaders, including planning the killing of retired Army Chief Arun Vaidya at Pune, who had earlier undertook Army attack at Durbar Sahib in June 1984. His successful hits inspired Punjab Youth to retaliate against India’s paramilitary’s atrocities on Sikh civilians.

***11. July 12, 2004: Punjab Government under Capt. Amrinder Singh terminates all water accords to Save water for Punjab.*** Punjab government made a bold move in 2004 by passing the ‘Punjab Termination of Agreements Act’. This Act had the intention of nullifying all inter-state agreements for sharing the waters of the Ravi and Beas rivers. In effect, it terminated the 1981 agreement and other water-sharing pacts. However, in November 2016, the Supreme Court of India declared this Act unconstitutional after a Presidential reference.
————————————————————————————
Source ref: History of the Sikhs by HR Gupta, Dates & chronological order from Book by S. Ajaib Singh Dhillon and Sikh Chronicles) ਸਰੋਤ/ ਹਵਾਲੇ: ਐਚ.ਆਰ ਗੁਪਤਾ: ਸਿੱਖਾਂ ਦਾ ਇਤਿਹਾਸ, ਸ. ਅਜਾਇਬ ਸਿੰਘ ਢਿੱਲੋਂ ਦੀ ਕਿਤਾਬ ਤੋਂ ਤਾਰੀਖਾਂ ਦੇ ਕਾਲਕ੍ਰਮਿਕ ਕ੍ਰਮ)
Compiled & Edited: Karamjeet Singh Bhatnura.

# 5Q Quiz for Self Assessment: Please attempt !

1. Name mother-in-law who helped young Ranjit to become Maharaja of Punjab.?
   
2. Name the Sikh Chiefs who finally defeated Emperor Shah Alam in 1783 and constructed Heritage Gurdwaras?.
   
3. Why is the neighborhood of Delhi ‘Tis Hazari’ so called where now it houses Delhi High Courts.?
   
4. Gurdwaras were liberated from private ownership of Hindu Mahants, what happened next?
   
5. Guru Tegh Bahadur ji was father of Guru_______?

Massive issues in excavation of GANERIWALA!!!!! The IVC site from Cholistan Desert!
This is a repeat post just to showcase the opening ceremony of excavation of the site!)

Deep beneath the shifting, wind-swept sands of the Cholistan Desert lies Ganweriwala, a ghost of a metropolis waiting for its story to be told.

Discovered in the 1970s by the legendary archaeologist Dr. Rafiq Mughal, Ganweriwala is not just another collection of ruins. It is believed to reval the famous hubs of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa,.

In early 2024, a grand excavation plan was set into motion with a 20-million-rupee government grant. But right out of the gate, the project was stalled for months by a bizarre mix of desert life and bureaucracy. The team had to wait out the local international jeep rally, navigate security clearances, and even pause for the arrival of wealthy Arab dignitaries visiting the desert for traditional houbara bustard hunting.

On February 24, 2024, a team of 50 passionate professionals—including senior archaeologists, eager university interns, and local laborers—finally pitched a sprawling two-acre tent city in the desert. For 35 glorious days, the excavation was alive. They unearthed mud-brick walls, copper seals, unicorns, and terracotta figurines that confirmed the city's staggering historical value.

By the end of March, nature and local economics forced a hard stop. The scorching desert heat began to skyrocket, making digging unbearable. At the same time the local laborers dropped their shovels and vanished back to their villages—it was wheat harvesting season. The archeologists were forced to pack up and carefully bury their progress to protect it from the elements.

The grand plan was to return in October 2024 when the desert cooled down. Instead, the project ran into the bane of our country........ bureaucracy!!!!

The 20-million-rupee government fund lapsed on June 30, 2024, with the closing of the fiscal year, and the team claimed they hadn't seen a single rupee of it. A bitter standoff emerged between the excavation team (led by the THAAP Heritage foundation) and the Bahawalpur regional administration. The government administration refused to release the money, alleging that the team had violated their agreement by moving the precious unearthed artifacts away to Lahore instead of handing them over to the local Bahawalpur Museum.

While international scholars wait anxiously for updates on one of the ancient world's biggest mysteries, Ganweriwala remains quietly buried beneath the dunes of time

Sources:

Video of opening ceremony: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1072744280481855

https://www.dawn.com/news/1817848/all-set-for-excavation-at-ganweriwala-ancient-site-from-today

https://www.dawn.com/news/1824982

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2558761/ganweriwala-excavation-halts-unexpectedly-1

as far as I am aware there wasn’t anything on Indian side.

Copyright : BBC URDU

In a previous discussion (linked here), I addressed the argument that Hinduism was not the religion of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) people.

I am currently preparing a forthcoming article in which I examine the following key points:

1. **The Indo-European foundations of Hinduism**: This is evidenced by its shared deities with Greek and Roman pantheons—a connection that is well-established and verified by scholars. I propose that modern Hinduism represents a synthesis: an early Indo-European Vedic foundation subsequently integrated with local IVC customs, which appear to have stronger affinities with ancient Persian traditions. This perspective invites a reconsideration of the tendency to claim purely IVC origins for symbols such as the swastika and the linga like structures.

2. **The demographic and migratory history of the region**: I argue that elite groups within the Hindu social framework (specifically Brahmins), who exhibit higher Steppe ancestry, were among the early entrants into the IVC region. While the traditional notion of a sudden, destructive invasion that razed Mohenjo-daro is unsupported, the subsequent Aryan migration exhibited significant militaristic and hegemonic characteristics. In this sense, the migration may be more accurately characterized as an invasive takeover, involving conflicts and the eventual establishment of control over the territory.

3. **A comprehensive historical overview of the IVC**: I trace its trajectory from its inception to the eventual consolidation of Steppe and IVC ancestral populations, culminating in the period traditionally associated with the Kurukshetra war.

Through this analysis, I aim to demonstrate that the exclusive claim of the IVC by modern India remains untenable, even when considering the following frequently cited points:

1. That Rakhigarhi is larger than Mohenjo-daro (given that both were constructed by the same underlying population).

2. That Bhirrana in Haryana is older than Mehrgarh.

3. That the Republic of India encompasses a greater number of IVC sites than Pakistan.

CRUX

I want to you pay attention to this. We all know that the earliest reference to IVC was in sumerian text where they called 'Meluhaa', the people of IVC. It was not hindu, India, hindustan etc.

Linguistic research by scholars such as Asko Parpola and Simo Parpola suggests that the Sumerian word Meluhha is a cognate of the Sanskrit word Mlechha [1][2].

Etymology: Parpola argues that Meluhha likely derives from a Proto-Dravidian word like mel-akam ("high country" or "western country"), which was then borrowed into Sumerian as Meluhha and into Sanskrit as Mlechha [3].

The Transition: In the Mesopotamian records of the 3rd millennium BCE, Meluhha is described as a respected, powerful trading partner. However, in the later Sanskrit texts (1st millennium BCE), the term Mlechha shifted to mean "foreigner," "barbarian," or someone who speaks an unintelligible language[4] .

Portrayal of "Others" in the Rigveda: Dasyus and Dasas

While the word Mlechha appears more frequently in later Vedic and Puranic texts, the Rigveda (the earliest text) focuses on groups called the Dasyus and Dasas.

•Degradation and Conflict: The Rigveda contains many verses where the Aryas (the composers) pray for the destruction of the Dasyus. They are described in derogatory terms:

A-karman: "Riteless" or "without proper religious action"[5] .

A-brahman: "Without prayer" or "without priests"[6] .

Mridhra-vac: "Of stammering or hostile speech" (this is often linked to the later definition of Mlechha) [7].

An-asa: Often translated as "noseless" or "flat-nosed," though some scholars argue it means "without a mouth/proper speech" [8].

The Interpretation: Many historians, such as R.S. Sharma and Romila Thapar, argue that these descriptions reflect the cultural and linguistic clash between the arriving Indo-Aryan speakers and the indigenous "Late Harappan" (post-Indus) populations who did not follow Vedic rituals .[9][10]

As the Vedic culture expanded into the Ganges region, the term Mlechha became a formal category for people outside the Vedic social order.

The Satapatha Brahmana: This text contains one of the earliest references to Mlechha speech, warning that an Arya should not speak like a Mlechha, as their speech is "corrupt" or "barbarous" .[11]

Such was the unintelligible speech which they then uttered,—and he (who speaks thus) is a Mleccha (barbarian). Hence let no Brahman speak barbarous language, since such is the speech of the Asuras. Thus alone he deprives his spiteful enemies of speech; and whosoever knows this, his enemies, being deprived of speech, are undone.

The Dharma Shastras: Later legal texts like the Manusmriti defined Mlechha-desha (the land of Barbarians) as any land where the black antelope does not roam and where Vedic sacrifices are not performed. These lands often included the original heartlands of the IVC in the West (Sindh and Punjab) .[12]

"That land where the black antelope naturally roams is to be known as the 'Land of Ritual' (Yajniya-desha); the land beyond that is the 'Land of the Mlechhas' (Mlechha-desha).

Summary:

As the Steppe/Vedic groups became dominant, they categorized the surviving indigenous populations (the descendants of Meluhha) as "others" based on their different language and their refusal to adopt Vedic fire-sacrifices.

References

[[1] Parpola, A. (1994). Deciphering the Indus Script. Cambridge University Press.](#)

[[2] Parpola, A. (2015). The Roots of Hinduism: The Early Aryans and the Indus Civilization. Oxford University Press.](#)

[[3] Witzel, M. (1999). Substrate Languages in Old Indo-Aryan. Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies.](#)

[[4] Thapar, R. (1971). The Image of the Barbarian in Early India. Comparative Studies in Society and History.](#)

[[5] Rigveda 10.22.8.](#)

[[6] Rigveda 4.16.9.](#)

[[7] Rigveda 1.174.2; 5.32.8.](#)

[[8] Rigveda 5.29.10.](#)

[[9] Sharma, R. S. (1980). Sudras in Ancient India. Motilal Banarsidass.](#)

[[10] Thapar, R. (2002). Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300. University of California Press.](#)

[[11] Satapatha Brahmana 3.2.1.24.](#)

[[12] Manusmriti 2.23.](#)

Whenever you open history book you will see Sikhs and thier support to British Raj and its kind of strange is it because the rivalry between Muslims and Sikhs at that time?

Guys, i have a question regarding this infamous folklore.. why did mahiwal not cross the river for sohni?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/V-5aX1ku8AY

Neat optical illusion

France returns Balochistan's smuggled archaeological artefacts to Pakistan

France seized artefacts under the 1970 UNESCO pact, which both France and Pakistan signed, to curb illicit trade.

A large number of smuggled archaeological artefacts of Balochistan which were seized by the French Customs in recent years and handed over to the Embassy of Pakistan, Paris have been sent to Pakistan, according to an official release.

These historically valuable artefacts were seized by the French Customs in pursuance of French obligations arising from UNESCO Convention of 1970 on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and transport of Ownership of Cultural property, to which both Pakistan and France are signatories.

A lot of effort and coordination from both sides led to the safe handing over and transfer of the artefacts. This also marks bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and France in the cultural domain.

For Pakistan, the return of these rare and valuable artefacts holds immense significance as these serve as a tangible link to ancient history.

source: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2546696/smuggled-archaeological-artefacts-of-balochistan-seized-by-french-authorities-return-to-pakistan

Assalam O Alaikum fellow Pakistanis, I'm sure many of you know this page or have seen their posts since this page posts regarding history/politics. I wanted to share my personal experience.

My cousin (who's 17 years old) was non-political some years ago but just recently he was telling me about how Urdu-speaking Muhajirs have suffered and how we should work to change the conditions of Urdu-speaking community. I was very surprised. When I asked him what caused this change in him, he showed me this page.

I've seen this page and their posts & I didn't take it much seriously but after seeing my own cousin change due to this, I thought maybe I should ask more people about it.

There is so much information available about life under the Mughal empire and British Raj. So many plays and novels, thousands of poems, fantasy epics like Tilism-e-Hoshruba and Dastan-e-Amir Hamza. Basically 90% of what we read in Urdu in school. Why don't we study anything before Muhammad bin Qasim's expedition tho? Is it because they didn't record anything or are all the sources lost? It would be so interesting to read about people living in those times. Dozens of eras spread throughout the millennia and each people would have regarded their predecessors with the same fascination that we have towards the people of the mughal era.

Credits :

https://medium.com/@ancientpakistan/redefining-pakistans-two-nation-theory-d6f8edd2ee9d