Before partition the students were taught Islamic knowledge in this mosque. At one side the Aligarh Movement, founded by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, was running and at the other hand the influence of Christianity grew and the preaching began openly as it was the British Raj
Amidst the narrow winding streets of Mochi Gate is the Mosque of Bakan Khan inside Mohallah Dhal. This small mosque is of huge importance. It was built by one of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s favourite courtier Mian Bakan Khan in 1841. A mosque already existed at that place but Mian Bakan Khan rebuilt it. As you enter the mosque you will also see Persian verses engraved on its main entrance. Inside is a small courtyard which used to be a small garden in the old times. On one side, like many other mosques seen inside the walled city, there were rooms for travellers and students learning Quran and Islamic teachings. It is said that a well was also constructed in the mosque traces of which are not seen now. The mosque is small with three arches leading to its prayer hall.
Before partition the students were taught Islamic knowledge in this mosque. At one side the Aligarh Movement, founded by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, was running and at the other hand the influence of Christianity grew and the preaching began openly as it was the British Raj. That was a turning point for this mosque. The local Muslims of that area known as Mochi Gate united in this mosque and originated Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam (“The Association for the Service of Islam”) on 24 September 1884. The association was founded by Khalifa Hameed-ud-Din. Its purpose was the educational uplift of Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. One of its major efforts was the foundation of a number of schools for Muslim girls and orphanages in the Punjab, where girls were taught Urdu, the Quran, mathematics, needlework, and crafts. It started a publishing house for appropriate textbooks for Muslim girls’ and boys’ schools, and these textbooks were used all over the Punjab and beyond. In 1939, it founded the Islamia College for Women in Lahore, the only one of its kind in the region, whose curriculum was the standard Bachelor of Arts program, supplemented by Islamic education. It also founded Islamia College Lahore in 1892. The Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam was a body that represented a spontaneous desire on the part of middle-class Muslims of Lahore to cooperate with each other for the common good. The Anjuman also played a vital role to provide a political platform for Indian Muslims. An orphanage by the same association was established in 1884. Other public schools like Dar-ul-Shafqat (male and female), Dar-ul-Aman (female), Dar-ul-Uloom Dinia (male and female) were also established.
Now the point of explaining Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam here was to highlight the importance of this mosque which is now lying in shambles. Unfortunately like many other places inside walled city this mosque is also an ignored site. Other than the residents of the place, no one knows the importance and history of this place, and that’s embarrassing for everyone who loves history and heritage. There is no proper maintenance of the mosque and still the locals gather funds for its upkeep. A very little architectural value is left but the historical importance cannot be ignored even in the days to come. My question is why is it not a tourist point? It should be taken up by the government and declared as a protected piece. The locality near the mosque is commercialised now and there is hardly a neat and clean access to the mosque. I wonder why we hide our treasure.
If we talk about the name of this gate, then according to historic references, it is named after Moti, a guard of the gate during the Mughal era, who guarded and looked after the gate all his life. The most likely origin of its name, however, seems to be from the word Morchi, which means trench soldier
Let me also tell you a little about the famous and historic Mochi Gate which is one of the thirteen gates of the walled city built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. In Urdu, Mochi means cobbler (cavalry saddles and shoes repair person) which indicates that the bazaar was a market for shoes and repair shops. Mochi Gate is also known for the ancient Mosque of Muhammad Saleh Kamboh, teacher of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.
If we talk about the name of this gate, then according to historic references, it is named after Moti, a guard of the gate during the Mughal era, who guarded and looked after the gate all his life. The most likely origin of its name, however, seems to be from the word Morchi, which means trench soldier. The governor’s “Piada” units were stationed here during the pre-Mughal dynasty rule. This is further borne by the fact that the different streets (Mohalla’s) which still bear their old names are the Mohalla Teer-garan (arrow craftsmen), Mohalla Kaman-garan (bow craftsmen). The bazaar around the Mochi Gate is renowned for its shops of dried fruit, kites and fireworks. At present the art of fireworks and kite making is dying inside the walled city as basant festival has been banned and fireworks have been declared dangerous. I see that now these two trades are also fading away like our heritage. Further inside is the Mohalla Shia, where people still gather annually, during Moharram to carry out the Majaalis (religious gatherings) and mourning to commemorate the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain. We also see a huge number of Imam Bargahs in different Havelis inside Mochi Gate. The presence of these Imam Bargahs is also one of the reasons making this gate famous. Apart from their religious significance, some are a masterpiece depicting the architecture of their times. Mubarak Haveli, Nisar Haveli and Laal Haveli are, but a few examples. A Kebab Shop (Saeein Kabab wala), a sweet mart (Fazal Sweets and Rafiq Sweets) and an Old Khoo (water well)(Lal Khoo) are some of the well known features of Mohalla Shia. In front of the Laal Haveli is the Mochi Baagh. This, until recently, was a lush green patch with shady trees, it is barren now due to its landscaping to become a “speaker’s corner” in the light of its history of it having numerous renowned political leaders addressing the crowds at this place. Until the late 1980s, it was commonly held that unless a politician could deliver a speech to a packed Mochi Baagh crowd s/he was not worth his/her political salt. Now this Garden is used for wedding ceremonies by locals and for playing cricket by the local boys.
