Fakir Aijazuddin: The Fakir Brothers at the Sikh Court of Lahore- Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi

Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi organised a slide lecture by renowned art historian from Pakistan, Fakir S Aijazuddin. Mr. Aijazuddin gave an audio visual presentation, supported by images of a large number of paintings, maps and other visual material regarding his latest book, " The Resourceful Fakirs" on 6th February at the Government Museum and Art Gallery, Sector 10, Chandigarh, India.

FAKIR SYED AIJAZUDDIN
Fakir Aijazuddin is one of Pakistan's leading scholars and art-historians whose specialty has been the history of the Punjab. He belongs to the famous Fakir family of Lahore which achieved considerable prominence during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
The wise Maharaja used Fakir Azizuddin as his spokesperson on all matters relating to foreign affairs, employing him to conduct negotiations with his British neighbours in the east and the Afghans in the west. The level of confidence the Maharaja had in Azizuddin can be gauged from the fact that for almost 25 years - from 1810 to the death of the Maharaja in 1839 -- there was no diplomatic negotiation or treaty that was concluded without Azizuddin's involvement. His services were as valuable to Ranjit Singh's successors -- Maharajas Kharak Singh, Naunihal Singh and Sher Singh.
Two other Fakir brothers who were an integral part of the Sikh Court of Lahore were Fakir Imamuddin (Keeper of the Govindgarh Fort, Amritsar) and his younger brother Fakir Nuruddin (Member of the Regency Council for Maharaja Duleep Singh).
Fakir Aijazuddin has published a number of books on this period of Punjab history. The first was Pahari Paintings and Sikh Portraits in the Lahore Museum (1977), a catalogue of the miniature paintings collection in the Lahore Museum. The counterpart to it is in the Government Museum & Art Gallery, Chandigarh.
His second book Sikh Portraits by European Artists (1979) was a biographical study of the paintings in the Princes s Bamba Collection, Lahore Fort. The collection had once belonged to Maharaja Duleep Singh.
Amongst his other books are two books on Lahore, one on maps of Pakistan, an account of Henry Kissinger's secret visit to China in 1971, another on US-Pakistan diplomatic relations between 1969 and 1974.
He is a regular columnist for Pakistan's leading daily DAWN.

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