he first International Lyallpur History Conference, hosted by the Lyallpur Literary Council in Faisalabad, marked a significant step in preserving and promoting regional history. The event not only highlighted the rich historical and cultural heritage of Faisalabad but also opened new avenues for intellectual discourse on regional history.

The conference, dedicated to historian Khursheed Kamal Aziz, who had hailed from Lyallpur, brought together eminent historians, researchers and intellectuals from around the world.

In his keynote address on The Importance of Regional History, Musadaq Zulqarnain, president of the Lyallpur Literary Council, emphasised the need to focus on regional narratives amid the global discourse.

“Regions hold distinct cultural identities that need to be not only preserved but also celebrated,” he said. “By choosing Lyallpur as the conference venue, we not only acknowledge its historical importance but also foster local connections and promote regional studies, highlighting the city’s unique contribution to the broader historical narrative.”

Dr Pashaura Singh, a professor from the University of California, took to the podium to present a thought-provoking paper titled Rethinking the 1907 Agrarian Revolt (Pagri Sambhal Jatta) of Lyallpur in Relation to the Present Kissan Movement in India. He delved into the pivotal role played by Sikh leaders Ajit Singh in the farmers’ movement during the British era. Such movements, he argued, not only empowered farmers but also laid the groundwork for the independence movement in the subcontinent. Tracing this historic revolt to the contemporary farmers’ protests in Indian Punjab, he said that the tradition of resistance to unfair policy measures had endured.

Dr Anne Murphy from the University of British Columbia, Canada, paid tribute to Joshua Fazl-ud Din, a Christian lawyer from Lyallpur, who founded the Punjabi Darbar magazine in Shahmukhi script in 1928. She noted that Fazl-ud Din, despite his contributions to Urdu, Punjabi and English literature, remains underappreciated in Pakistan.

“Fazl-ud Din’s writings tackled issues like caste, untouchability, social diversity and life in British India, were ahead of his time and deserve greater recognition,” she said.

Dr Pippa Virdee from De Montfort University, UK, provided a comparative analysis of Lyallpur and Ludhiana, highlighting the intriguing historical parallels between the two cities. “Before the Partition, Ludhiana and Lyallpur were modest towns partially linked through the canal colonies,” she said.

She said that her research explored the consequences of mass migrations and lost ancestral homelands.

Dr Virdee said that while both cities had evolved into bustling urban centres symbolising wealth and prosperity post-partition, their shared past remained largely unrecognised. “During my research, I discovered two sweet shops - Lyallpur Sweet Shop in Ludhiana and Ludhiana Sweet Shop in Faisalabad - both owned by migrants,” said Virdee. “Despite the Partition, associations live on and historic ties, though fragmentary, still endure.”

Dr Philipp Zehmisch from the University of Heidelberg, Germany, presented a paper titled On the Relationship Between Historiography and Ethnography. He explored alternative epistemic approaches to historical thinking, focusing on subaltern perceptions of history. Using the example of Bhagat Singh, who was born in Lyallpur and executed by the British Raj at the age of 23, Dr Zehmisch sought to understand various forms of erasure.

“Bhagat Singh was celebrated as an anti-colonial freedom fighter in India. Yet his legacy has been largely forgotten in official narratives in Pakistan’s freedom struggle narrative,” he said. “How can we understand the legacy of Bhagat Singh and address the subalternisation of his contribution? That’s something we should all ponder on.”

The city and its history were at the heart of most discussions. Renaming of the city as Faisalabad was a topic that caught everyone’s attention. Two research papers were presented on the subject.

One of the paper linked the renaming to Saudi funding, suggesting it was an outcome of financial influence. Another paper associated the name change with the broader Islamisation trend of the era.

This was followed by a question-answer session. The audience took great interest in the topic and it soon became obvious that renaming of the city remains a contentious issue.

Both supporters and opponents of the name change indicated a need for further research and documentary evidence to fully understand the motivation and consequences of the decision.

Dr Muhammad Irfan presented a paper on climate challenges titled Rethinking Agriculture Production in the Indus Basin: Path Dependency, Technocratic Dominance and the Need for Sustainable Transition.

The paper examined the environmental challenges arising from Lyallpur becoming a canal colony. While the canal system promoted settlement and agricultural development in the region, it also had adverse effects on the local environment and population.

Dr Irfan said that the canal colonies were established primarily to produce agricultural raw materials needed by Britain. About 1.5 million farmers were allotted land and water through the canal system.

Although agricultural development in the eight districts of the Punjab irrigated by the Chenab and Sutlej Rivers was superior to that in the other 21 districts of the province, it came at a cost. “The water table in the area rose, leading to widespread health issues. Epidemics affected 50 to 75 per cent of the population in some villages,” he said.

Dr Irfan said that the farmers’ organisations in Pakistan were focused on protesting price hikes for agricultural inputs and crop prices rather than addressing the fundamental problems plaguing the agriculture sector.

Lahore-based Amir Riaz talked at length about the displacement of over 0.4 million people from Lyallpur in 1947. He said accurate statistics were unavailable but there was the 1941 census to fall back on.

“According to this census, Lyallpur district had a population of about 1.4 million, with Muslims making up 877,000, Scheduled Castes 68,000, Christians 51,000, Sikhs 262,737 (18.8 percent) and Hindus 9.7 percent,” he said. “Lyallpur was one of the six districts in the Punjab most affected by Partition.”

He also criticised the British language policy. “Imposition of this policy deprived the Punjab of its native language,” he said.

Quaid-i-Azam University researcher Irfan Valara presented a paper on the work and lifestyle of khojis [trackers] in the Punjab villages.

“The khojis played an important role in resolving cases of cattle theft. They used to identify bandits by their footprint and could often tell the age and breed of the stolen animals,” he said. “Now the advent of technology and modern transportation methods has diminished the status and significance of the khojis.”

The International Lyallpur History Conference delved into a wide range of topics, including the labour movements of Lyallpur, minorities’ rights, the impact of post-partition migration on women, the evolution of the educational landscape, the rise and fall of the Lahore Darbar and the city’s architectural heritage.

The conference also featured the screening of a documentary; Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: A Global Messenger of Qawwali Sufi Singing.

Dr Pierre Alain Baud, a French researcher and the producer of the documentary, gave a lecture highlighting the global significance of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s work. Dr Baud spoke about Khan’s pivotal role in bringing qawwali, a traditional Sufi devotional music form, to an international audience, thus bridging cultural divides and enhancing the global appreciation of South Asian musical heritage.

Most of the participants appreciated the efforts of the organising team, especially Musadaq Zulqarnain, the president of the Lyallpur Literary Council, the conference convener Dr Khola Iftikhar Cheema and Dr Toheed Ahmad Chattha.

The writer has been associated with journalism for the past decade. He tweets @ naeemahmad876