Pakistan scholar discusses Sikh history with students

Amritsar, Punjab: Former Principal of Lahore’s historic Aitchison College and a scholar of Sikh history, Fakir Syed Aijazuddin, shared information regarding his works with students of Khalsa College during an academic interaction here today.

He sought more research on Sikh history, especially on the times of Maharja Ranjit Singh. He said Sikh kingdom under the Maharaja was the most secular and forward-looking at that time. Aijazuddin recently published a book “The Resourceful Fakirs,’’ which gives an account of Punjab under Ranjit Singh and how tumultuous period saw the emergence of a unified kingdom.

The book, he said, traced the history of this period in an original and intriguing way i.e. through the career of three Muslim brothers of Fakir family, who were courtiers at the Sikh Darbar of Lahore.

Khalsa College Principal, Dr Daljit Singh, described Aijazuddin’s interaction with students of the History and Punjabi Department as useful peep into the history and honoured him during the seminar. The principal said Aijazuddin was an intellectual scholar, who had been the honorary member of the British Consul for United Kingdom at Lahore. He was also posted in Abu Dhabi apart from being the chairman, Executive Committee of Lahore Museum, and international counsellor of the Asia Society, New York.

Aijazuddin asked students to preserve living history in the shape of historic buildings and constantly pay a visit to historic places to study their relevance in the past and present. Khalsa College Dean, Dr Navreen Bawa, presented a vote of thanks. Others present during the event included head of the Punjabi Department, Dr Davinderpal Kaur, teachers and students.

Source: The Tribune