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75-569: Jilani was born into an influential family in Multan , his father Azhar Hussain Jilani and his elder brother Asghar Hussain Jilani both having been civil servants, the latter having served as Chief Secretary of the Punjab province, while former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani is his cousin. His uncle Tassadaq Jilani is the former Chief Justice of Pakistan , occupying the position in 2013–2014. He graduated with

150-742: A Bachelor of Law from Punjab University Law College and later on obtained an M.Sc degree in Defense and Strategic Studies. He then joined the Foreign Service of Pakistan in March 1979. A polyglot , besides Urdu and English, he’s also fluent in French, Arabic, Seraiki, Punjabi and Pashto. Jillani currently serves as a Minister in Interim PM Kakar’s Cabinet. He served as the deputy secretary at Prime Minister's Office between 1989 and 1992, and as

225-564: A "large city" commanded by a citadel that was surrounded by a moat. In the early 12th century, Multani poet Abdul Rahman penned the Sandesh Rasak , the only known Muslim work in the medieval Apabhraṃśa language. In 1175, Muhammad Ghori conquered Ismaili-ruled Multan, after having invaded the region via the Gomal Pass from Afghanistan into Punjab, and used the city as a springboard for his unsuccessful campaign into Gujarat in 1178. Multan

300-451: A centre for slave-trade, though slavery was banned in the late 1300s by Muhammad Tughluq's son, Firuz Shah Tughlaq . In 1397, Multan was besieged by Tamerlane 's grandson Pir Muhammad . Pir Muhammad's forces captured the city in 1398 following the conclusion of the 6-month-long siege. Khizr Khan the governor of Multan allied with Amir Timur. Timur captured Lahore and gave its control to Khizr khan as reward for his support. Also in 1398,

375-582: A decisive defeat. Delhi Sultan Alauddin Khalji dispatched his brother Ulugh Khan in 1296 to conquer Multan region which was governed by surviving family members of his predecessor. (Sultan Jalal-ud-din Khalji ) After usurping the throne of Delhi, Alauddin decided to eliminate the surviving family members of Jalaluddin, who were present in Multan. In November 1296, he sent a 30,000–40,000 strong army led by Ulugh Khan and Zafar Khan to Multan who successfully captured

450-547: A detail—perhaps from his own travels— about all revenue being forfeited to the Amir; however, the Amir was noted to have ensured that the priests had sufficient means. Rustah, yet another contemporary, found the temple to be a significant source of revenue especially with rich people dedicating their property to it. The idol was made of gold and 20 yards (18 m) in length; it was offered with rice, vegetables, and fish. In contrast, Al-Nadim's encyclopedic entry in al-Fihrist , noted

525-459: A devout Brahmin ruler who went on to bury enviable treasure underneath it. During Xuanzang's visit in 641 C.E., it was the only solar temple in Sindh; for a comparison, he had noted 299 Brahminical temples, a majority of which were of Saivite sect. Xuanzang described the temple to have a gem-studded golden idol; attracting pilgrims from far and wide, it was a magnificent structure and was patronaged by

600-427: A great centre of spirituality in entire South Asia and earning the city the sobriquet "City of Saints." The city, along with the nearby city of Uch , is renowned for its large number of Sufi shrines dating from that era. The origin of Multan's name is unclear. An ancient known name of the city was Malli-istan ; Malli was the name of a tribe that inhabited the region and city. The city name may have been derived from

675-625: A hundred and twenty thousand towns and villages". By the mid 10th century, Multan had come under the influence of the Qarmatian Ismailis. The Qarmatians had been expelled from Egypt and Iraq following their defeat at the hands of the Abbasids there. Qarmatians zealots had famously sacked Mecca , and outraged the Muslim world with their theft and ransom of the Kaaba 's Black Stone , and desecration of

750-527: A most populous part of the city. The Hindu temple was noted to have accrued the Muslim rulers large tax revenues, by some accounts up to 30% of the state's revenues. During this time, the city's Arabic nickname was Faraj Bayt al-Dhahab , ("Frontier House of Gold"), reflecting the importance of the temple to the city's economy. The 10th century Arab historian Al-Masudi noted Multan as the city where Central Asian caravans from Islamic Khorasan would assemble. The 10th century Persian geographer Estakhri visited

825-479: A road between Lahore and Multan to connect Multan to his massive Grand Trunk Road project. Sher Shah Suri also built (or renovated) Delhi-Multan road , the ancient trade route had existed since the time of King Ashoka or earlier. To improve transit in the areas between Delhi and Multan, leading to Kandahar and Herat in Afghanistan, eventually to Mashhad capital of Khorasan province of Iran. It then served as

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900-528: A time when the city became known as Dar al- Aman ( "Abode of Peace" ). During the Mughal era, Multan was an important centre of agricultural production and manufacturing of cotton textiles. Multan was a centre for currency minting, as well as tile-making during the Mughal era. Multan was also host to the offices of many commercial enterprises during the Mughal era, even in times when the Mughals were in control of

975-514: A trace of the temple when Ranjit Singh had occupied the town in 1818, converted a venerated tomb to a Gurdwara . That the fort-complex had a Dé gate and Dé drain which led directly to the recently-destructed Jami Masjid, he reasoned the site to be the original spot of the temple.  ; he claims of coming across coins of local rulers, from around the site, inscribed with the Sun God. [V]ery magnificent and profusely decorated. The image of

1050-515: Is a city in Punjab , Pakistan, located on the bank of river Chenab . It is one of the five largest urban centres of Pakistan in 2024 and is the administrative centre of Multan Division . It is a major cultural, religious and economic centre of Punjab region, Multan is one of the oldest cities of Asia with a history stretching deep into antiquity. Multan was part of the Achaemenid Empire of Iran in

1125-478: Is believed to have been originally built to be the tomb of Ghiyath ad-Din, but was later donated to the descendants of Rukn-e-Alam after Ghiyath became Emperor of Delhi. The renowned Arab explorer Ibn Battuta visited Multan in the 1300s during the reign of Muhammad Tughluq, and noted that Multan was a trading centre for horses imported from as far away as the Russian Steppe . Multan had also been noted to be

1200-560: Is believed to have been the Malli capital that was conquered by Alexander the Great in 326 BCE as part of the Mallian Campaign . The Mallian people , together with nearby tribes, gathered an army of 90,000 personnel to fight against an army of 50,000 Greeks. This was the largest army faced by Greeks in the entire subcontinent. During the siege of the city's citadel, Alexander reputedly leaped into

1275-619: Is regarded as a saint by both Sufis and Sikhs , was born in Uch, Multan province. In the second half of the 17th century, Multan's commercial fortunes were adversely affected by silting and shifting of the nearby river, which denied traders vital trade access to the Arabian Sea . Multan witnessed difficult times as the Mughal Empire waned in power following the death of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707. Under Mughal rule, Multan enjoyed 200 years of peace in

1350-576: The Delhi Sultanate . Earlier he spent his time in Multan and fought 28 battles against Mongols from there and saved the regions from advances of Mongols. He wrote in the jamia Masjid of Multan that he had fought 28 battles against Mongols and had survived, people gave him the title Ghazi ul Mulk. Ghiyath al din's son Muhammad bin Tughlaq was born in Multan. After Ghiyath's death he became the Sultan and ascended

1425-593: The Langah Sultanate. Multan province was one of the significant provinces of the Mughal Empire . In 1848, it was conquered by the British from Sikh Empire and became part of British Punjab . The city was among the most important trading centres and a great centre of knowledge and learning in the medieval Islamic Indian subcontinent, and attracted a multitude of Sufi mystics in the 11th and 12th centuries, becoming

1500-607: The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb at some point after 1666. The earliest extant Hindu text to mention of a solar cult is Samba Purana (c. 7th–8th century CE) — the legend on the origins of the cult made its way into the Bhavishya Purana and even a twelfth century inscription in Eastern India. After being cursed into a leper, Samba urged Krishna to restore his youth who expressed his inability and deferred to

1575-571: The Turkic king Iltutmish , the third Sultan of the Mamluk dynasty, captured and then annexed Multan in an expedition. The Punjabi poet Baba Farid was born in the village of Khatwal near Multan in the 1200s. Qarlughids attempted to invade Multan in 1236, while the Mongols tried to capture the city in 1241 after capturing Lahore – though they were repulsed. The Mongols under Sali Noyan then successfully held

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1650-419: The "Frontiers of gold" by Arab geographers, well into the fourteenth century. Al-Baladhuri 's Futuh al-Buldan (c. mid-9th century C.E.) remains the earliest narrative-history to cover the history of the temple under Umayyad rule; he noted that all wealth—amounting to thirteen thousand and two hundred maunds of gold —were confiscated from what was the "preeminent site of pilgrimage" for local Sindhis. It

1725-549: The 1300s during the reign of Muhammad Tughluq, and noted that Multan was a trading centre for horses imported from as far away as the Russian Steppe . Multan had also been noted to be a centre for slave-trade, though slavery was banned in the late 1300s by Muhammad Tughluq's son, Firuz Shah Tughlaq . The extent of Multan's influence is also reflected in the construction of the Multani Caravanserai in Baku , Azerbaijan — which

1800-732: The 19th century. Following the conquest of Upper Sindh by the Mughal Emperor Akbar , Multan was attacked and captured by Akbar's army under the command of Bairam Khan in 1557, thereby re-establishing Mughal rule in Multan. The Mughals controlled the Multani region from 1524 until around 1739. Emperor Akbar established province of Multan at Multan city, which was one of his original twelve subahs (imperial top-level administrative provinces) roughly covering southern Punjab, parts of Khyber and Balochistan bordering Kabul Subah , Lahore Subah , Ajmer Subah , Thatta Subah , Kandahar subah and

1875-593: The Arghun dynasty, who were either ethnic Mongols, or of Turkic or Turco-Mongol extraction. In 1541, the Pashtun king Sher Shah Suri captured Multan, and successfully defended the city from the advances of the Mughal Emperor Humayun . In 1543, Sher Shah Suri expelled Baloch dynasty , who under the command of Fateh Khan Mirrani had overrun the city. Following its recapture, Sher Shah Suri ordered construction of

1950-682: The Druze religion, which today survives in Lebanon, Syria , and the Golan Heights. Following Mahmud's death in 1030, Multan regained its independence from the Ghaznavid empire and came under the sway of Ismaili rule once again. Shah Gardez , who came to Multan in 1088, is said to have contributed in the restoration of the city. By the early 1100s, Multan was described by the Arab geographer Muhammad al-Idrisi as being

2025-464: The Hindus in Sindh were apparently only concentrated around the temple. However, al-Idrisi had never visited Multan and probably did not have access to Al-Biruni's work; the novel additions were likely to have been from older non-extant travelogues. Ibn al-Athir , a contemporary who probably did not visit Multan either, held the idol to be of Job . A century later, Zakariya al-Qazwini 's Āthār noted

2100-572: The Khwarazmian Empire, whose origins were rooted in Konye-Urgench in modern-day Turkmenistan. Uch and Sindh were also in control of Qabacha. Qabacha also captured Lahore many times and ruled all these regions. He repulsed a 40-day siege imposed on Multan city by Mongol forces who attempted to conquer the city. He gathered a large army from Uch, Multan and Bukkhar (Sukkur) and Mongols were repulsed. Following Qabacha's death that same year,

2175-754: The King and the regional elites. Alongside the temple, was a rest house that served to the visitors and the poor. During the conquest of Sindh by the Umayyad Caliphate in 8th century C.E. under the leadership of Muhammad bin Qasim , Multan fell after a long siege and the Brahmin dynasty was replaced. Upon the Umayyad conquest, Qasim obtained thirteen thousand and two hundred mans of gold upon excavation. This gain of treasures—by loot or revenue—would lead to Multan being regarded as

2250-502: The Persian Safavid empire . It was one of Mughal Empire's largest provinces by land area and population. In 1627, Multan was encircled by walls that were built on the order of Murad Baksh , son of Shah Jahan . Upon his return from an expedition to Balkh in 1648, the future emperor Aurangzeb was appointed Governor of provinces of Multan and Sindh – a post he held until 1652. In 1680, the renowned Punjabi poet, Bulleh Shah , who

2325-571: The Sun Temple, esp. in light of Al-Biruni explicitly holding Jalam responsible for the event and assassination of all priests, writing only a few decades hence. However, Maqdisi —a pro-Fatimid geographer— who had visited Multan c. 985 C.E. and recorded a host of novel information about the Shi'ite inhabitants, reiterated Istakhri's observations about the Sun-Temple, including locational specifics. The Sun Temple

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2400-458: The Sun-God. So, acting upon the advice of Narada , Samba left for the forests of Mitravan on the banks of Chandrabhaga , the sacred abode of Surya . There, he propitiated Surya into appearing before himself and secured a cure but, in return, had to accept setting up a solar temple. The next day, Samba received an icon of Surya while bathing in the river, and subsequently, the first solar temple

2475-664: The Sunni creed. He destroyed the Ismaili congregational mosque that had been built above the ruins of the Multan Sun Temple, and restored the city's old Sunni congregational mosque, built by Muhammad bin Qasim . The 11th century scholar Abu Mansur al-Baghdadi reported that the Ismaili community was still living in the city. Following the Ghaznavid invasion of Multan, the local Ismaili community split, with one faction aligning themselves with

2550-572: The Surya-deva is cast in yellow gold and ornamented with rare gems. Women play their music, light their torches, offer their flowers and perfumes to it. [..] The kings and high families of the five Indies never fail to make their offerings of gems and precious stones. They have founded a house of mercy, in which they provide food and drink, and medicines for the poor and sick, affording succor and sustenance. Men from all countries come here to offer up their prayers; there are always some thousands doing so. On

2625-861: The Zamzam Well with corpses during the Hajj season of 930 CE. The governor of Jhang, Umar bin Hafas, was a clandestine supporter of the Fatimid movement and the Batiniya influence spread in Southern Punjab. Then, the Qarmatians who had established contacts with the Fatimids in Egypt set up an independent dynasty in Multan and ruled the surrounding areas. They wrested control of the city from

2700-629: The area. At the time Mansura( the capital of Sindh) along with Multan were the only two major Arab principalities in South Asia. Arabic was spoken in both cities, though the inhabitants of Multan were reported by Estakhri to also have been speakers of Persian, reflecting the importance of trade with Khorasan. Polyglossia rendered Multani merchants culturally well-suited for trade with the Islamic world. The 10th century Hudud al-'Alam notes that Multan's rulers were also in control of Lahore , though that city

2775-507: The belt of service on my waist and put on the cap of companionship for another five years. I imparted lustre to the water of Multan from the ocean of my wits and pleasantries. In the 1320s Multan was conquered by Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq , he was made the governor of Multan and South Punjab, Sindh regions and of Depalpur. He was the founder of the Turkic Tughluq dynasty , the third dynasty of

2850-485: The centuries. In the mid-5th century CE, the city was attacked by White Huns , a group of Barbarian Hephthalite nomads led by Toramana . After a fierce fight they conquered Multan, but did not stay long. By the mid 7th century CE, Multan was conquered by Chach of Alor , of the Hindu Rai dynasty . Chach appointed a thakur to govern from Multan, and used his army to settle boundary disputes with Kashmir . Multan

2925-419: The city after two months of siege. Amir Khusrau , the famous Indo-Persian Sufi singer, musician, poet and scholar visited Multan on the invitation of Khan Muhammad. Multan at the time was the gateway to India and was a center of knowledge and learning. Caravans of scholars, tradesmen and emissaries transited through Multan from Baghdad , Arabia and Persia on their way to Delhi. Khusrau wrote that: I tied

3000-456: The city at the invitation of Shah Husayn. The Sultanate's borders stretched encompassed the neighbouring regions surrounding the cities of Chiniot and Shorkot, including present day Faisalabad . Shah Husayn successfully repulsed attempted invasion by the Delhi Sultans led by Tatar Khan and Barbak Shah. Multan's Langah Sultanate came to an end in 1525 when the city was invaded by rulers of

3075-670: The city to ransom in 1245–6, before being recaptured by Sultan Ghiyas ud din Balban , the ninth Mamluk Sultan. Multan then fell to the Qarlughids in 1249, but was captured by Sher Khan that same year. Multan was then conquered by Izz al-Din Balban Kashlu Khan in 1254, before he rebelled against Sultan Ghiyas ud din Balban in 1257 and fled to Iraq where he joined Mongol forces and captured Multan again, and dismantled its city walls. The Mongols again attempted an invasion in 1279, but were dealt

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3150-678: The city's Subjects remained mostly non-Muslim for the next few decades under the Umayyad Caliphate. By the mid-800s, the Banu Munabbih (855–959) also known as the Banu Sama , who claimed descent from Muhammad 's Quraysh tribe came to rule Multan, and established the Emirate of Banu Munabbih, which ruled for the next century. During this era, the Multan Sun Temple was noted by the 10th century Arab geographer Al-Muqaddasi to have been located in

3225-496: The days immediately after the conquest, the temple continued to maintain its prominence under Muslim Governors, in what Finbarr B. Flood , an art-historian, dubs as a regime of "mercantile cosmopolitanism". With the increasing influence of Fatimid Caliphate in the frontiers of Persia, arrived Jalam (var. Halam) in 959 C.E., to replace the old Da'ai who had not only exhibited "reprehensible syncretism" by allowing neo-converts to maintain their traditional practices but also disputed

3300-693: The deity of ancient Multan Sun Temple . Some have suggested the name derives from the Old Persian word mulastāna, 'frontier land', while others have ascribed its origin to the Sanskrit word mūlasthāna , The region around Multan is home to several archaeological sites dating to the Early Harappan period of the Indus Valley civilization between 3000 BC until 2800 BC. According to the Hindu religious texts, Multan

3375-401: The deputy high commissioner to India between 1999 and 2003. He headed the South Asia desk at the Foreign Office between 2003 and 2007, during which time he was also appointed the Ministry's Spokesman. In 2007, he was commissioned as Pakistan's High Commissioner to Australia and served until 2009, when he was tasked as Ambassador of Pakistan to European Union based out of Brussels . Jilani

3450-446: The early 6th century BC. The ancient city was besieged by Alexander the Great during the Mallian Campaign . Later it was conquered by the Umayyad military commander Muhammad bin Qasim in 712 CE after the conquest of Sindh. In 9th century it became a separate state, Emirate of Multan ruled by the Arab rulers. The region came under the rule of the Ghaznavids and the Mamluk Sultanate in medieval period. In 1445, it became capital of

3525-494: The elder Tamerlane and Multan's Governor Khizr Khan together sacked Delhi. The sack of Delhi lead to major disruptions of the Sultanate's central governing structure. Khizr Khan ruled the subcontinent on the name of Timur. In 1414, Multan's Khizr Khan captured Delhi from Daulat Khan Lodi , and established the short-lived Sayyid dynasty — the fourth dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate . A contemporary writer Yahya Sirhindi mentions in his Takhrikh-i-Mubarak Shahi that Khizr Khan

3600-429: The even more coveted city of Kandahar , given the unstable political situation resulting from frequent contestation of Kandadar with the Persian Safavid Empire . Nader Shah conquered the region as part of his invasion of the Mughal Empire in 1739. Despite invasion, Multan remained northwest India's premier commercial centre throughout most of the 18th century. Multan Sun Temple The Sun Temple of Multan

3675-403: The four sides of the temple are tanks with flowering groves where one can wander about without restraint. I saw an extraordinary dense mass, black as ink, with a clearly defined outline, rising slowly out of the fort. Gradually as it rose the upper part spread out assuming the form of a gigantic tree, but losing its sharp outline in upper air till it became a dark brown cloud hanging as a pall over

3750-447: The idol to be merely 7 yards (6.4 m) tall. whereas Abu Dulaf al-Yanbu’i not only assigned it a height of a hundred cubits but also asserted it to levitate mid-way between the floor and ceiling of the temple. Yohanan Friedmann, a scholar of Islamic History, interprets the evidence to attest to the accordance of Hindus with the status of dhimmi . While there appears to have been a total loss of financial autonomy when compared to

3825-419: The inner area of the citadel, where he faced the Mallian leader. Alexander was wounded by an arrow that had penetrated his lung, leaving him severely injured. After a fierce battle at the site of 'Khooni Burj' the Mallian army eventually surrendered, preventing further bloodshed. During Alexander's era, Multan was located on an island in the Ravi river , which has since shifted course numerous times throughout

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3900-401: The management of the temple except that a third of revenue did not go to Muslims but to the poor. Multiple Muslim sources—from voyager-historians like Istakhri , Al-Maqdisi , Al-Masudi , Ahmad ibn Rustah and Ibn Hawqal to encyclopedists like Ibn al-Nadim —describe the temple esp. in the late Abbasid phase. Istakhri (early 10th century C.E. ) provides the most detailed description of

3975-404: The noble origins of the Fatimids. Jalam took to preaching Isma'ilism aggressively and obtained success; he would have the ruling dynasty switch their allegiance from the Abbasids to Fatimids soon. C. 965 C.E., a letter from the Fatimid Caliph congratulated Jalam on destroying the SUN temple and constructing a mosque on the site. This has been understood by some to refer to the destruction of

4050-434: The pro-Abbasid Amirate of Banu Munabbih, and established the Emirate of Multan, while pledging allegiance to the Ismaili Fatimid Dynasty based in Cairo. During this period, Uch and Multan remained a central pilgrimage site for Vaishnavite and Surya devotees, and their admixture with Isma’īlīsm created the Satpanth tradition. Hence, the beginning of the eleventh century witnessed a sacral and political diversity in Uch that

4125-427: The provincial exchequer; the description of the idol ran similar to Istakhri's though he claimed ignorance about the identity of deity. Thus, it appears that the temple was restored at an unknown time. Alexander Cunningham , visiting Multan in 1853, noted local tradition to blame Aurangzeb for destructing the temple though no inhabitant was able to identify the site; he was also told that the Sikhs , upon not finding

4200-407: The starting point for trade caravans from medieval India departing towards West Asia. Multan served as medieval Islamic India's trans-regional mercantile centre for trade with the Islamic world. It rose as an important trading and mercantile centre in the setting of political stability offered by the Delhi Sultanate, the Lodis, and Mughals. The renowned Arab explorer Ibn Battuta visited Multan in

4275-427: The temple and the idol. The temple commanded pan-sectarian reverence and was located in the most populous part of Multan between the city's ivory and copper-smith bazaars. Wholly draped in red leather except for the eyes and studded with gems , the idol adorned a crown of gold and sat in a "quadrangular position" on a brick throne under the cupola with fists in the gyan mudra , rested on its knees. He also described how

4350-556: The temple in lieu of rights to a third of its revenues. Pilgrims were apparently compelled to pay a sum between one hundred and ten thousand dirhams, adjudged according to their financial capacity: a third went to the Muslims per Qasim's agreement, another third went to the maintenance of city facilities, and the rest went to the priests. Notably, inspite of being a ferocious polemicist against heretical practices, al-Jawzi did not record any act of defilation. 'Ali al-Shatibi al-Maghribi's (fl.1465 C.E.) history of Arabia reproduced al-Jawzi on

4425-482: The temple to be the Mecca for Hindus and would reiterate—relying on received knowledge—that the only Hindus in the region were those who lived in the temple. In 1640s, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier travelled across Multan on way to Delhi but did not record any information about the temple. However, Jean de Thévenot visiting Multan in 1666, under Aurzangzeb's rule (1658–1707), mentioned a Hindu temple — attracting pilgrims from far and wide — whose offerings contributed to

4500-473: The temple was leveraged by the Muslim rulers as an indemnity against potential invasion by neighbouring Hindu powers. Al Masudi, a contemporary of Istakhri, reiterates this strategical use of the temple; besides, he notes the ritual offerings—consisting of money, precious stones, perfumes, and especially aloe-wood of Kumar—as the greatest contributor to state revenues. Ibn Hawqal, yet another contemporary, reproduced Istakhri's narrative in toto but supplanted

4575-418: The temple with the eponymous institution; Chach Nama —which purports to be the translation by `Ali Kufi (13th century) of an early eighth century Arabic text—does refer to the temple as Mistravi and Minravi, both of which are derived from Mitravan. The antecedents of the temple remain unknown to historical certainty. Chach Nama offers a pre-history of the temple; it was supposedly constructed by Jibawin,

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4650-430: The throne in Delhi. The countryside around Multan was recorded to have been devastated by excessively high taxes imposed during the reign of Ghiyath's son, Muhammad Tughluq . In 1328, the Governor of Multan, Kishlu Khan, rose in rebellion against Muhammad Tughluq, but was quickly defeated. The Tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam was completed during the Tughluq era, and is considered to be the first Tughluq monument. The shrine

4725-421: Was a descendant of Muhammad . Multan then passed to the Langah , who established the Langah Sultanate in Multan under the rule of Budhan Khan, who assumed the title Mahmud Shah. The reign of Shah Husayn, grandson of Mahmud Shah, who ruled from 1469 to 1498 is considered to be most illustrious of the Langah Sultans. Multan experienced prosperity during this time, and a large number of Baloch settlers arrived in

4800-492: Was a temple dedicated to Surya , the Hindu Sun God, in the city of Multan in modern Pakistan . The location of the temple was demolised for building a mosque inside the fort; it is distinct from the Prahladpuri Temple . The temple commanded significant fame in the subcontinent — as a place of pilgrimage and wealth — under Hindu as well as Islamic rule before being destroyed in the late tenth century. It appears to have been reconstructed, before being purportedly obliterated by

4875-473: Was also recorded about how the Sindhis used to shave their beards and head before circumambulating it and offering riches. Al-Biruni , visiting the site about a century later, would record that the Sun Temple was spared by bin-Qasim only after he came to know about its prominent role in the regional economy; nonetheless, a piece of cow-flesh was mockingly hang around the neck of the idol. Ibn al-Jawzi (c. late 12th century C.E.) noted Qasim to have had spared

4950-479: Was both unique and precarious. The Qarmatian Ismailis opposed Hindu pilgrims worshipping the sun, and destroyed the Sun Temple and smashed its revered Aditya idol in the late 10th century. The Qarmatians built an Ismaili congregational mosque above the ruins to replace the city's Sunni congregational mosque that had been established by the city's early rulers. Mahmud of Ghazni in 1005 led an expedition against Multan's Qarmatian ruler Abul Fateh Daud . The city

5025-470: Was built in the 15th to house Multani merchants visiting the city. Legal records from the Uzbek city of Bukhara note that Multani merchants settled and owned land in the city in the late 1550s. Multan would remain an important trading centre until the city was ravaged by repeated invasions in the 18th and 19th centuries in the post-Mughal era. Many of Multan's merchants then migrated to Shikarpur in Sindh , and were found throughout Central Asia up until

5100-450: Was demolished only after Maqdisi's visit, perhaps during Mahmud 's brutal conquest of the city c. 1010 C.E. Al-Biruni, visiting the site in early 11th century, came across desolate ruins. Two centuries hence, Muhammad al-Idrisi 's geographical compendium (mid 12th century C.E. ) not only reproduced Istakhri's narrative in entirety but also added that the temple dome was gilded and that the idol—of unknown antiquity—had four arms; besides

5175-448: Was established in Sambapura. However, no Brahmins fit for worship were found in India and they had to be brought from among the inhabitants of Sakdwipa, a Vedic geography far away from India proper — most scholars deem this legend to reflect the migration of Magis of Persi to India in multiple waves and their's reinventing themselves as Maga Brahmins devoted to the cult of Mithra/Surya. Sambapura has been since identified with Multan and

5250-436: Was first invaded by a Muslim army after the reign of the caliph Ali , in 664 CE, when Mohalib, an Arab general, occupied the city. The expedition, however, seems to have been directed towards exploration of the country as no attempt was apparently made to retain the conquest. After his conquest of Sindh, Muhammad ibn Qasim in 712 CE captured Multan from Raja Dahir following a two-month siege. Following ibn Qasim's conquest,

5325-405: Was founded by the sage Kashyapa. These texts also assert that Multan was the capital of the Trigarta Kingdom ruled by the Katoch dynasty during the Kurukshetra War that is central to the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata . The city was visited by Greek admiral Skylax , who passed through the area in 515 BCE. The city was also mentioned by the Greek historian Herodotus in 400 BC. Multan

5400-560: Was promoted to the highest rank of BPS-22 grade in 2010 and consequently became the country's Foreign Secretary in March 2012, the top civil service official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Jilani emerged as a candidate for the role of Interim Prime Minister of Pakistan. This Pakistani diplomat-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Multan Multan ( Saraiki / Urdu : مُلْتَان ; local pronunciation: [mɵlˈtäːnᵊ] )

5475-491: Was surrendered, and Fateh Daud was permitted to retain control over the city with the condition that he adhere to Sunnism . In 1007, Mahmud led another expedition to Multan against his former minister and Hindu convert, Niwasa Khan, who had renounced Islam and attempted to establish control of the region in collusion with Abul Fateh Daud of Multan. In 1010, Mahmud led his third and punitive expedition against Daud to depose and imprison him, and suppressed Ismailism in favour of

5550-828: Was then annexed to the Ghurid Sultanate , and became an administrative province of the Mamluk Dynasty — the first dynasty based in Delhi. Multan's Ismaili community rose up in an unsuccessful rebellion against the Ghaurids later in 1175. Following the death of the first Mumluk Sultan, Qutb al-Din Aibak in 1210, Multan came under the rule of Nasiruddin Qabacha , who in 1222, successfully repulsed an attempted invasion by Sultan Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu of

5625-515: Was then lost to the Hindu Shahi. During the 10th century, Multan's rulers resided at a camp outside of the city named Jandrawār , and would enter Multan once a week on the back of an elephant for Friday prayers. Multan became capital of Emirate of Multan in 855. Al Masudi of Baghdad who visited Indus valley in 915 A.D mentioned in his book "Meadows of Gold" that it is one of the strongest frontier places of Muslims and in its neighbourhood there are

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