Bhera-1 I City of Peace I Sacked & Destroyed Several Times I Victim of Flood or Torment, A Mystery

#bhera #pakistanhistory #historydocumentary
Bhera-1 I City of Peace I Sacked & Destroyed Several Times I Victim of Flood or Torment, A Mystery

Videography: Saqib Shehzad
Drone Shots: Naveed Javed
Turntable Video: Syed Shaz Gilani
Pak Rover
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Music: Binu Kumar, Kerala, India [Sound SFX]

Bhera is a city and tehsil of Sargodha District, Punjab province of Pakistan. The city is known for wood-carved items, textiles (such as quilts and khussas), and certain desserts (such as pheonian and pateesa).

The city is made up of the Old Town and the surrounding newer development. The Old Town is surrounded by tall walls with eight gates, and is divided up into mohallas, or neighborhoods; historically, different castes lived in different mohallas.

Bhera comes on the pages of history from Greek historians while writing about Alexander’s campaign on the banks of river Jhelum in 326 BCE. Greek historian Arrian while writing on Alexander’s campaigns in India in Anabasis, mentions “Palace of Sopeithes” on the banks of Hydaspes (Jhelum) river which is believed to be the kingdom of Bhera. The book ‘Alexander’s Campaign in Southern Punjab’ by Eggermonts deliberates on Kingdom of Sopeithes. As per the authors it comprised greater part of Jhelum – Chenab (Jech) Doab as well as the district of Salt Range towards the west of Jhelum River. The oldest mention of name ‘Bhera’ is in the shape of Bheda, and this comes to us from the chinese traveler Fa Hian and that was year 400 CE. We don’t hear much about Bhera from Fa Hian other than the mention of the prosperity of Buddhism in the country. Tareekh e Ferishta of Muhammad Qasim Hindu Shah mentions Bhera as an ancient city, where one Raja Keid stayed after capturing Punjab. As per Ferishta this was the time after the death of Rustam, 7th century CE. Alexander Cunnigham tells us that this Keid Raja of Ferishta was a prominent Gakkhar Chief and that as per Gakkhar chronology existed around 4th century CE. In both situations, Bhera’s ancient status gets furhter verified.

Bhera pops up from the pages of history again during the Battle of Bhatia, an early 11th century expedition by Mahmud of Ghazni. Mahmud defeated Biji Rai, the ruler of Bhera and ransacked the town. Next time Bhera faced another intruder was in 13th century CE and this time it was the Mongol onslaught on India. It’s said that Genghis Khan after the battle of Indus in Attock district near a village that goes by the name Sojhanda, had dispatched two detachments in pursuit of fleeing Jalaluddin of Khwarzum. One of these detachments under General Turtai attacked and destroyed Bhera before taking this rampage onto Multan.

We fast forward to the year 1519, and it was 17th of February when Mughal Emperor Babar crossed Indus eyeing the fertile and rich lands of Bhera. Babar took the city and stayed here for little less than a month. We move ahead by a count of a few years and it’s now 1540. Sher Shah Suri having defeated Mughal army of Humayun at Kanauj was on hot pursuit and is said to have halted at Khushab near Bhera. From here he dispatched a force to Pharwala Fort seeking allegiance of Gakkhar cheiftains Adam Khan and Sarang. Ghakkars were Mughal allies from the times of Babar and our beloved travel writer Salman Rashid tells us that Sarang Khan dispatched two lion cubs with all the sarcasm hinting at Sher Shah to pet these cubs hence learn the true chivalry. Now our Suri King took pleasure in adorning himself with the title Sher Shah (the Lion King), whereas, Gakkhars regarded him as a traitor to have revolted against the Mughal throne of Babar of which Sher Shah had been an obedient subject. History tells us that as Pharwala campaign resulted in a humiliation, Sher Shah Suri decided to stay in Khushab to deliberate upon safeguarding against Gakkhar ingress across Jhelum into Punjab heartland. It was here that the plan and selection of site to build Rohtas Fort was finalized. The work on construction at Rohtas started in 1541 when Sher Shah had already left for Bengal, but during his stay here the king had commissioned a grand mosque, the Sher Shahi Masjid at Bhera.

Attacks on Bhera through history

Alexander the Great
Mahmud of Ghazni sacked the city in 1004 CE
Genghis Khan
Babar held it for ransom in 1519
Mirza Muhammad Hakim sacked the city in 1566 C.E.
Ahmad Shah Durrani attacked in 1757

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