Akbari Mahal Kutub Khana and Archives

Akbari Mahal Kutub Khana and Archives The Heritage Centre (HC), an initiative by the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA), is located at Lahore Fort's UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Certificate Distribution Ceremony of the Gurmukhi Course (Level 1) at Akbari Kutab Khana, Lahore Fort.                  ...
07/08/2026

Certificate Distribution Ceremony of the Gurmukhi Course (Level 1) at Akbari Kutab Khana, Lahore Fort.

The story of Princess Bamba Sutherland—the last princess of the Sikh Empire and the granddaughter of Maharaja Ranjit Sin...
06/08/2026

The story of Princess Bamba Sutherland—the last princess of the Sikh Empire and the granddaughter of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Her life was shaped by the fall of an empire, colonial rule, and a forgotten legacy. Princess Bamba's story remains one of South Asia's most fascinating untold historical narratives.

In this documentary, we go beyond the myths through archival research and primary sources to uncover the truth behind her life, struggles, and final resting place.

🎥 Watch now:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQGjyMMYzaU

If you enjoy well-researched stories on history and heritage, don't forget to Like, Share, and Subscribe to support more documentaries like this.

The Sikh Empire was once one of the most powerful in the subcontine...

Plants of the PunjabColonel C. J. Bamber's Plants of the Punjab is a modest but valuable early twentieth-century botanic...
31/07/2026

Plants of the Punjab
Colonel C. J. Bamber's Plants of the Punjab is a modest but valuable early twentieth-century botanical key, published in Lahore in 1916 for amateur naturalists rather than academic specialists. Covering the Punjab, North-West Frontier Province, and Kashmir, Bamber, a Fellow of the Linnean Society and Indian Medical Service officer, organizes plants by easily observable traits (trees, shrubs, climbers, water plants, leafless parasites) before moving into finer botanical detail, following Bentham and Hooker's classification sequence. Each entry gives English and Urdu names, cross-references to Hooker's Flora of British India, and notes on habitat and use, making it an unusually accessible and practical guide for its time.
The book's strengths lie in its plain-language glossary, practical field advice (such as using a magnifying glass and examining young shoots), and its bridging of local and scientific plant knowledge. Its limitations are equally clear: minimal illustration, and nomenclature that has since been revised by modern taxonomy.
Overall, this is less a working field guide today and more a historical treasure, valuable for historians of science, botanists studying the Subcontinent's flora, and collectors of early Lahore publications.
Readers interested in exploring this rare volume in person will be pleased to know that it is preserved at Akbari Mahal Kutub Khana and Archives, where they are warmly welcome to visit and study it firsthand.

A New Outline of Modern KnowledgeEdited under the supervision of Alan Pryce-JonesA New Outline of Modern Knowledge is mo...
30/07/2026

A New Outline of Modern Knowledge
Edited under the supervision of Alan Pryce-Jones

A New Outline of Modern Knowledge is more than a reference work; it is a thoughtful response to one of the defining challenges of the modern age, the rapid expansion and increasing specialization of knowledge. In his perceptive preface, Alan Pryce-Jones argues that as disciplines become more fragmented, understanding the world requires a broader intellectual vision that bridges science, philosophy, the humanities, religion, and the arts.

The volume brings together eminent scholars and specialists from leading academic and cultural institutions to examine a remarkable range of subjects, including philosophy, psychology, astronomy, genetics, archaeology, architecture, economics, politics, law, and the arts. Rather than presenting these fields as isolated branches of learning, the contributors demonstrate how they intersect in shaping modern civilization.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its commitment to the educated general reader. It challenges the tendency to rely unquestioningly on experts, encouraging instead a spirit of curiosity, critical inquiry, and informed judgment. Even decades after its publication, the questions it raises about specialization, knowledge, and the role of humanistic learning remain strikingly relevant.

Both a historical document and an intellectual survey of its era, A New Outline of Modern Knowledge offers valuable insight into the ideas that shaped the mid-twentieth century. It remains an important resource for historians, researchers, and readers interested in the evolution of modern thought.

This volume is available for consultation at Akbari Mahal Kutub Khana & Archives.

22/07/2026
20/07/2026
The Crisis in the Punjab, from the 10th of May until the Fall of DelhiPublished: Lahore: Punjabee Press, H. Gregory, 185...
16/07/2026

The Crisis in the Punjab, from the 10th of May until the Fall of Delhi
Published: Lahore: Punjabee Press, H. Gregory, 1858.
The Crisis in the Punjab is an important contemporary account of the events of 1857, focusing on developments in Punjab from the outbreak of the uprising in May to the fall of Delhi. Published shortly after these events, the work documents how the British colonial administration perceived and responded to the political and military challenges that emerged across northern India.
The narrative proceeds chronologically, describing military engagements, administrative measures, and political developments in Punjab. Particular emphasis is placed on the actions of British civil and military officials, as well as the support extended by several Sikh chiefs and princely states, which the author presents as significant in maintaining British control over Punjab and contributing to the capture of Delhi.
The volume contains detailed information on administrative correspondence, troop deployments, and colonial decision-making, making it a valuable primary source for the study of the 1857 uprising. However, it must be read critically, as it reflects the assumptions and priorities of the colonial state. The narrative privileges British official perspectives, while giving comparatively limited attention to the motivations, experiences, and diverse viewpoints of Indian soldiers, civilians, and regional actors. As such, it is best understood as an example of nineteenth-century colonial historiography rather than as a comprehensive account of the events of 1857.
Despite these limitations, The Crisis in the Punjab remains an important source for researchers interested in colonial Punjab, the Uprising of 1857, and the functioning of the British administration during a period of profound political upheaval. Readers wishing to consult this rare historical work may consult it at Akbari Mahal Kutub Khana and Archives.

Professor Dr Shaukat Mahmood “Maxim” (1940 to 2026): Scholar, Educator, Conservationist and Political CartoonistProfesso...
10/07/2026

Professor Dr Shaukat Mahmood “Maxim” (1940 to 2026): Scholar, Educator, Conservationist and Political Cartoonist

Professor Dr Shaukat Mahmood, widely known by his pen name, Maxim, passed away on 10 July 2026. His death marks the conclusion of an extraordinary career that spanned more than six decades and encompassed scholarship, teaching, architectural conservation, art history and political cartooning.

Few Pakistani intellectuals have worked with comparable distinction across such varied fields. Dr Mahmood was an architectural historian, academic administrator, researcher, author, conservationist and one of Pakistan’s most prolific political cartoonists. Through his academic work, he contributed to the study and preservation of Islamic art, architecture and cultural heritage. Through his cartoons, he offered incisive visual commentary on politics, public administration, social inequality and the everyday difficulties faced by ordinary citizens.

Born in Peshawar in 1940, Shaukat Mahmood was the youngest of six siblings. He spent his early years in Gujrat and Rawalpindi before his family settled in Lahore, the city with which much of his academic and professional life would later be associated. He studied at Government College, Lahore, and subsequently completed a master’s degree in Fine Arts at the University of the Punjab. He secured first position in the degree programme and was awarded a gold medal.

His academic interests later took him to the United Kingdom, where he pursued advanced studies in environmental and architectural conservation at Heriot-Watt University. He subsequently earned a doctorate in Islamic architecture from the University of Edinburgh under the supervision of the distinguished architectural historian Professor Robert Hillenbrand. This rigorous academic training established the intellectual foundations of his later work in Islamic architecture, conservation, calligraphy and cultural history.

Dr Mahmood began his university teaching career in December 1962, when he joined the Department of Architecture at the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore. He became closely associated with the formative development of architectural education at the university. During his long service at the institution, he rose through the academic and administrative ranks, serving as professor, head of the Department of Architecture and Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Planning.

His contribution to the University of Engineering and Technology extended beyond classroom teaching. He helped establish academic standards, mentored students and participated in the institutional development of architectural education in Pakistan. Generations of architects, scholars and researchers benefited from his knowledge of architectural history, visual culture and conservation.

Dr Mahmood also taught and conducted academic work outside Pakistan. His international appointments included teaching positions in Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. At the International Islamic University Malaysia, he held the Al-Bukhari Chair for the advancement of Islamic art and culture. Contemporary accounts described him as the first Pakistani and the first non-Malaysian scholar to hold this position.

Following his return to Pakistan, he continued his academic service as a Higher Education Commission professor and became associated with the University College of Art and Design at the University of the Punjab. At the university’s Research Centre, he taught Islamic architectural history, coordinated postgraduate programmes and supervised MPhil and doctoral researchers.

He also served as editor of the research journal Jamal and provided academic guidance to scholars from several Pakistani universities. His contribution as a research supervisor was particularly significant. He encouraged younger scholars to approach art, architecture and cultural heritage through careful documentation, historical analysis and critical interpretation.

Dr Mahmood’s scholarly output was extensive. His research addressed Islamic architecture, architectural conservation, calligraphy, Mughal gardens, historic monuments, Western art movements and the visual traditions of South Asia. Institutional accounts attribute several hundred academic and research publications to him, reflecting both the breadth of his interests and the remarkable continuity of his scholarly activity.

Among his notable books was Islamic Calligraphy: Styles and Techniques, which examined the historical development and formal characteristics of Islamic calligraphic traditions. He also wrote on Western art and contributed to research projects concerning Muslim tomb architecture, the architectural heritage of Pakistan and the documentation of the historic forts of Cholistan.

His work as a scholar was guided by a strong concern for cultural preservation. He regarded architecture not merely as a collection of physical structures, but as a record of historical experience, religious expression, artistic achievement and collective memory. His research therefore contributed to a broader understanding of the importance of documenting and conserving Pakistan’s architectural heritage.

Although his academic achievements were considerable, the wider public knew him primarily as Maxim, the political cartoonist. His career in cartooning began during his student years, when financial necessity encouraged him to seek paid work. He initially contributed cartoons to the weekly publication Nusrat.

The poet Munir Niazi is reported to have advised him to adopt a shorter and more memorable artistic name. Inspired by the Russian writer Maxim Gorky, Mahmood first used the name Maxim Shauki and later shortened it to Maxim. The name became one of the most recognisable signatures in the history of Pakistani editorial cartooning.

His first cartoon collection, Dhol Ka Pol, was published in 1961. He subsequently contributed to several prominent newspapers and periodicals, including the Civil and Military Gazette, Nawa-i-Waqt and The Nation. His association with The Nation continued for approximately three and a half decades and established him as a major figure in Pakistani political satire.

Biographical records credit him with producing more than 200,000 cartoons during his career. Although the precise number may be difficult to verify independently, the estimate indicates the exceptional scale and consistency of his work. His cartoons documented political events, institutional failures, economic pressures and international conflicts across several generations.

Maxim’s cartoons were distinguished by clarity, economy and intellectual discipline. He possessed the ability to reduce complex political circumstances to a single visual metaphor. His work addressed the conduct of political leaders, the misuse of authority, bureaucratic inefficiency, corruption, social inequality and the suffering of ordinary citizens.

His political satire was often direct, but it was never without purpose. Humour functioned in his work as a method of criticism. His cartoons invited readers to recognise the contradictions between political promises and public realities. They also preserved a visual record of Pakistan’s changing political and social environment.

Collections such as Target Killing, WMD: The US Weapons of Mass Deceit and Democracy Is the Best Revenge demonstrated the seriousness with which he approached cartooning. These works showed that he regarded the political cartoon as more than a source of amusement. For him, it was a form of public argument, civic education and historical documentation.

His training in art and architecture contributed significantly to the strength of his visual language. His understanding of proportion, composition, structure and line enabled him to create caricatures that were immediately recognisable. At the same time, his academic knowledge allowed him to place contemporary political events within broader cultural and historical contexts.

Dr Mahmood received several important honours in recognition of his services to scholarship, art and cultural heritage. He was awarded the President’s Medal for Pride of Performance. His contributions to Islamic architecture and the arts were further recognised through the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, which was announced in 2010 and formally conferred in 2011. He also received institutional and academic awards for his research, teaching and work on Islamic calligraphy.

The significance of Professor Dr Shaukat Mahmood’s career lies in the relationship between his different intellectual pursuits. His work as an architectural historian sought to preserve cultural memory, while his political cartoons challenged public forgetfulness. At the university, he trained students to examine monuments, images and historical evidence critically. Through newspapers, he encouraged readers to examine political claims and public institutions with similar seriousness.

As a teacher, he influenced generations of students, architects, artists and researchers. As a scholar, he contributed to the documentation and interpretation of Pakistan’s architectural and artistic heritage. As Maxim, he became a visual chronicler of the country’s political history, recording its aspirations, disappointments and contradictions through the disciplined use of line and satire.

His passing represents a substantial loss to Pakistan’s academic, artistic and cultural communities. He leaves behind a considerable body of scholarship, an extensive archive of political cartoons and a lasting institutional legacy. His writings will continue to inform the study of Islamic art and architecture, while his cartoons will remain important visual documents of Pakistan’s political and social history.

Professor Dr Shaukat Mahmood will be remembered not simply for the range of his achievements, but also for the seriousness of purpose that connected them. Whether he was studying a historic monument, supervising a researcher, teaching architectural history or commenting on political power, his work reflected an enduring commitment to knowledge, cultural preservation and public responsibility.

His life stands as an example of intellectual versatility, sustained academic service and creative courage. His scholarship and art will remain an important part of Pakistan’s cultural and intellectual inheritance.

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