Camel, Multan, Pakistan
Multan is a Pakistani city and headquarters of Multan District in the province of Punjab. Located on the banks of the Chenab River, Multan is Pakistan's 5th most populous city, and is the premier cultural and economic center of southern Punjab.
Multan's history stretches deep into antiquity. The ancient city was site of the renowned Multan Sun Temple, and was besieged by Alexander the Great during the Mallian Campaign. Multan was one of the most important trading centers of medieval Islamic India.
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 noted that the city of Multan was approximately half the size of Sindh's Mansura, which along with Multan were the only two Arab principalities in South Asia. Arabic and Sindhi were 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.
In 1541, Sher Shah Suri ordered construction of a road between Lahore and Multan in order to connect Multan to his massive Grand Trunk Road project. Multan then served as the starting point for trade caravans from medieval India departing towards West Asia.
The 15th century Multani caravanserai in Baku, Azerbaijan, was built to house visiting Multani merchants in the city.
Multan served as medieval Islamic India's trans-regional mercantile center for trade with the Islamic world. It rose as an important trading and mercantile center in the setting of political stability offered by the Delhi Sultanate, the Lodis, and Mughals. 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.
The extent of Multan's influence is also reflected in the construction of the Multani caravanserai in Baku, Azerbaijan — which 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 center 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 the 19th century.
Picture taken in 1983.
Camel, Multan, Pakistan
Multan is a Pakistani city and headquarters of Multan District in the province of Punjab. Located on the banks of the Chenab River, Multan is Pakistan's 5th most populous city, and is the premier cultural and economic center of southern Punjab.
Multan's history stretches deep into antiquity. The ancient city was site of the renowned Multan Sun Temple, and was besieged by Alexander the Great during the Mallian Campaign. Multan was one of the most important trading centers of medieval Islamic India.
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 noted that the city of Multan was approximately half the size of Sindh's Mansura, which along with Multan were the only two Arab principalities in South Asia. Arabic and Sindhi were 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.
In 1541, Sher Shah Suri ordered construction of a road between Lahore and Multan in order to connect Multan to his massive Grand Trunk Road project. Multan then served as the starting point for trade caravans from medieval India departing towards West Asia.
The 15th century Multani caravanserai in Baku, Azerbaijan, was built to house visiting Multani merchants in the city.
Multan served as medieval Islamic India's trans-regional mercantile center for trade with the Islamic world. It rose as an important trading and mercantile center in the setting of political stability offered by the Delhi Sultanate, the Lodis, and Mughals. 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.
The extent of Multan's influence is also reflected in the construction of the Multani caravanserai in Baku, Azerbaijan — which 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 center 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 the 19th century.
Picture taken in 1983.