History and architectural character of the Lahore Railway Station
1. Introduction
The industrial revolution, with all its technological advancements, introduced rail roads as a new mode of transportation. In the first quarter of the 19th century, the emergence of steam engine gained extraordinary importance due to its revolutionary transformation in transport structure and introduction of new technologies. The first railway was opened in Stockton & Darlington Railway, UK in 1825 (
Acharya, 2000).
“The British never really conquered India. But the railways did” (
Christian, 2017). Imagining Pakistan (India at that time) without the contribution of railway networks is difficult.
The arrival of the British was the most fascinating change. Rail roads largely impacted the urban growth patterns, technology, building techniques, architectural design, and the economic development of the country. Railways were introduced in India through the steam boat by Rowland MacDonald Stephenson, who was a young employee of the first Steam Navigation Company; he was later acknowledged as the “Father of the Indian Railways” (
Berridge, 1969).
In 1845, he persuaded the directors of the East India Company to establish railways in India/Pakistan. In 1849, Lord Dalhousie contributed his best to accelerate the establishment of this new era of rail networks. Tracks of more than 23,000 miles were laid, and railways became the most costly project undertaken by the British.
In Pakistan, the first railway track of 105 miles between Karachi City and Kotri City was opened for public traffic on May 13, 1861. A double line of 21 miles was later built between Karachi City and the Karachi cantonment. The railway network gradually spread in the country and connected the whole country similar to a web. The network soon became the symbol of power and identity of the British.
The selection of the Lahore railway station for studying history and design development has many reasons. Lahore was an important historical city long before the Mughals. Mughal emperors attracted the commerce and residents by making the city a provincial capital from the 16th to 18th century. They gave the city a grandeur in the form of beautiful architecture. Sikh followed their footsteps, and the city remained the central attention of Punjab as political and commercial capital of Ranjeet Singh Kingdom (1801–1849).
The British ruled Lahore as the last foreign invaders from 1849 to 1947. They built many buildings incorporating their ideologies and styles of construction. They soon realized the historical and geographical importance of Lahore and established the rail network in the city. The Lahore railway station was one of the earliest built railway stations in Pakistan. It was the junction (worked by the Sindh, Punjab, and Delhi Railway Company) and the headquarter of North Western railways.
This system enhanced the importance of the city and the railway station. Given that the system was built shortly after the war of independence in 1857, it incorporates the features of a train station and a defensible post. The railway system was established in Punjab as Punjab Railway Company in 1862, and the Lahore railway station housed all the administrative setup.
An extensive study has been conducted since the beginning of railways (in 1853) to explore different aspects of British Indian railways, its history, engineering, associated infrastructure, railroad construction, and administrative setup. One of the key descriptions of the development and expansion of railways in Pakistan was that by Malik (
Malik, 1962). It includes data about the history, track lengths, development, and income and expenditure with reference to years. Some other books also have significant contribution toward the British Raj and the development of colonial India. Kerr in his book (
Kerr, 2007) explained the initiation, pioneering decades, and expansion of railways in India (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh) and how it marked the social improvement and advancement. Christian Wolman is a popular railway historian and described the creation, influence, and legacy of Indian railways in his latest volume.
The book covers present Indian cities; thus, the architectural history of the Lahore railway station remained a neglected part (
Christian, 2017). An excellent effort was also done by
Berridge (1969), who served North Western railways for 20 years. He explained the opening and construction of various lines in Punjab and discussed steel bridges and long-span structures. Railways of the Raj have also been discussed in the historical development of railways in India (
Satow and Desmond, 1980). Railways were the single most costly project by the British in India.
The current study mainly aims to understand the historical importance and visual character of one of the most important railway stations of the colonial period in India. No comprehensive study is available at present to introduce the tangible and intangible qualities to communicate the architectural significance of the Lahore railway station among practitioners and researchers. Architects and historians should not only preserve but also document the heritage buildings that have stored a rich architectural history of their existence.
This research is based on the documentation and analysis of the history of Lahore railway station design. The main objective here is to describe the importance of station design at that period and the factors to consider to ensure functional and secure buildings. To achieve the objectives, qualitative methods are used including several other approaches, namely, literature review, archival data collection, analysis of photographs, and study of architectural drawings and old maps. First, this study uses primary and secondary data to describe the history of the Lahore railway station from its inception to final execution.
Second, it explores the criteria adopted by the British for its site selection to make the station a defensible post. The research finding includes the visual features that enhanced the architectural character of the building. The Lahore railway station is also compared with other railway stations of Punjab to have a clear picture of that region where Lahore is considered the most important city that must be defensible.
2. Significance of architectural character
Buildings are unique due to their identity and distinguished architectural character. Many aspects make historical buildings significant. Character, including shape, materials, decoration, craftsmanship, site, and environment (
Nelson, 1988), defines the physical and visual appearance of buildings. Identifying the architectural characteristics of buildings and learning the lessons are important. Skills, expertise, and knowledge of traditional builders can keep the local identity alive and contribute to the growth of highly sustainable environment (
Asquith and Vellinga, 2006). Buildings tell many stories and can embody the past in the form of memory and feelings associated with events and people. Buildings are never alone and achieve their meaning through context. Site selection is important for defining the character of buildings, particularly historical ones. Given that building location is important for the Lahore railway station, we highlight the history, site selection, and character that define the aspects of the station building.
3. Construction of the lahore railway station
The walled city of Lahore was irregular trapezium in shape with its longest side toward the north. The north-west side of the city was at a right angle to the Ravi River flowing nearby, as shown in
Fig. 1. During the Mughal period, the city gained considerable attention and many tombs, mosques, and other building were constructed in the suburbs of the walled city. The Sikh nobility following their footsteps built gardens mostly on the eastern side; however, they misused the Mughal buildings and took away the precious gems and stones. The decayed and ruinous suburbs were described by the travelers during the Ranjeet Singh reign (
Glover, 2008,
Qadeer, 1983).
Fig. 1. Lahore (1839), red color showing walled city with river Ravi flowing on the western side and suburbs with ruins of Mughal gardens (rendered by the author).
The British took control of the city and made it the capital of the province because of its historical importance. The houses and offices of the first British residents were confined to the neighborhood of the old cantonments, which occupied a strip of alluvial soil to the south of the city and running parallel with an old bed of the Ravi.
However, as the European population increased in numbers, their station gradually spread eastward. The map of Lahore in
Fig. 2 clearly shows no village or garden on the north or west side of the Ravi River because this area may be subject to flooding. The civil station and the Anarkulli cantonment were already established on the south side. Anarkulli was abandoned as a cantonment in the period of 1851–1852 due to the terrible morality among the troops stationed there.
The cantonments of Meean Meer was established on the east of the civil station at about 3 miles distance due to the unhealthiness of the former cantonments at Anarkulli (
Gazetteer, 1883–1884). As a result, the east side was finalized for the development and expansion of the railway. An additional advantage of the present site is its location near the Ravi River, which can be used as an alternate transportation route. Initially, the purpose of the railway station was to accommodate the staff, store goods, and facilitate passengers moving to and from the city.
Although the site has a drawback due to the presence of ruins of the old city, laying the foundations on firm soil is difficult. However, the above-mentioned convincing advantages make the local administration and railway company bear all the difficulties and high cost of construction.
Fig. 2. Plan of the city and environs of Lahore (1867), showing Civil Station, Anarkulli, Cantonment and Railway Station. Source: Mapping Lahore tracing geography of city through maps. Rendering and illustration by the author.
The first evidence about the introduction of railways in Lahore was found in Lahore Chronicle published in June 1852. The article encouraged the idea of rail transport between two cities as it will support the commercial activities, which will be beneficial for the government. However, the first step for the development of railway lines from Lahore to Amritsar was taken when a letter was written from the civil engineer's office on February 3, 1853.
According to the letter, “To lay a single line of Rails on one side of the Grand Trunk Road from Lahore to Amritsar leaving the remaining width of the road for the ordinary traffic … which after deduction of cost of maintenance will secure a surplus income of 267,9325 rupees …, length of the line would be 36miles” (
Punjab Government Civil Secretariat, 1853). It took few years for the finalization of the project and on July 15, 1857.
Chief Engineer William Brunton presented the architectural drawings of the Lahore railway station to the Scinde Railway Company (
Khan, 2013). He also wrote a report on the selection of the site. The report indicated that generating revenue through the railway transport was the motivation of the British. According to the report, “I have consulted the wants of the Meean Meer cantonment and have allotted a station at each end of their lines. The stations at Lahore, Umritsir, and Mooltan, I have placed more especially with a view to native passenger traffic, which will be the main source of revenue from passengers: they are also in suitable positions for the delivery and reception of goods” (
Andrew, 1857).
In the period of 1857–1858, Indian troops rebelled against the British for using animal grease in guns that was religiously forbidden for Muslims and Hindus. That rebellion was known by several names as Indian Mutiny, revolt of 1857, and the war of independence by the natives. They not only occupied British quarters and institutions but also killed many Europeans. The blood shed during the war send shock waves to the Colonial Britain, and the British did not consider it a safe place to live.
Given that the project of the Lahore railway station was already delayed, this fear of natives greatly influenced the design of the railway station; they designed it more similar to a fortress. Now, the foremost concern of the government was securing the British troops and civilian against any native uprising. Thus, along with the availability of land, the location, and damage from flood, the safety from any future revolt was the top priority. The station meant to be grand and imposing.
In 1854, the station was located within the cantonment, but Brunton forwarded the case and argued that it should be defensible in every aspect. Thus, the final location of railway stations that was previously based on population density and nature of land had a new factor added; after the mutiny in 1857, strategic location and defensible design were considered (
Satow and Desmond, 1980).
In 1859, the foundation stone was laid by Sir (afterwards Lord) John Lawrence, who was the Late Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab, with the trowel inscribed with Latin motto “tam bello, quam pace,” which means both war to peace (
Talbot, 1988). It described the façade of the station. The Lahore railway station was constructed by the late Mohamed Sultan, who was the contractor to the Public Works Department. In 1860, the first train from Lahore to Amritsar ran for public traffic. The whole building was castellated and one of the finest and the most substantial specimens of modern brick work in the country that costed half a million rupees. By the end of l86l, l09 ¾ miles of the line were constructed. The chronological order for construction dates of the Lahore railway station is shown in
Table 1.
Table 1. Events in the construction of the Lahore railway station in chronological order.
| Year | 1852 | 1857 | 1857–1858 | 1859 | 1860 |
|---|
Events | Proposal of the project | Presentation of the architectural drawing | Project delayed due to the mutiny in 1857 | Foundation stone laid | First train ran from the Lahore railway station |
