Situated inside Mochi Gate near Bazar Hakiman, Mubarak Haveli Lahore was built in 1863 on eight canals of land and was the single-family abode of the Qizilbash family. Nawab Ali Raza, who was a hakim began it, and then his three sons, Nadir Ali, Bahadur Ali and Bahar Ali, added to it and completed it.
The background of this historic building starts when the Nawab passed away; it was divided into two units: the Faqir family and the Syed Family. When Shah Shuja Durrani of Afghanistan had to flee from there in 1813, he came to Maharajah Ranjit Singh for help in Lahore. The Maharajah instead imprisoned the deposed king to put him under house arrest here, and seized the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond from him along with other crown jewels.
The Afghan king had to escape with his family in disguise to save his life! After the British overthrew the Mughals, this haveli was returned to the Qizilbash's in 1927 and taken over by the grandsons, and one portion was licensed as the Imam Bargah. It is said that the Qizilbash came to the Subcontinent with Emperor Humayun from Persia. In 1857 when the British needed help, the Nawab raised a troop of horses by mortgaging his house and property in Lahore and forming part of the celebrated Hodson's Horse troops.
Nawab Fateh Ali Khan Qizilbash (1862 - 1923) was nominated as a member of the Punjab Legislative Council and was a guest at the Delhi Darbar twice. He promoted education amongst Muslims, understanding the fact that if they did not learn English, they would be left behind in the colonial atmosphere. He started a college in Lucknow and built a block at the Mayo Hospital in Lahore. This trait of philanthropy has been passed down over the generations and still exists today.
Courtesy: Muhammad Affan
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