Daily Times

‘Kos Minar’ might sound new to you or a bit strange, because this term is not used anymore, nor are these Kos Minars seen prominent in the city or country.

Kos Minars were the milestones which were constructed during the Mughal rule from 1556 to 1707 AD. The word “Kos” literally means a medieval measurement of distance denoting approximately 3 km and “Minar” is a Persian word for tower. Thus the Kos Minar means the tower that measures distances and a kind of milestone.

It is said that the Kos Minars measured more than thirty feet in height and were once erected by the Mughals marking their royal route from Agra to Ajmer via Jaipur in the west, from Agra to Lahore via Delhi in the north and from Agra to Mandu via Shivpuri in the south.

Abul Fazl stated in the great historic reference and record ‘Akbar Nama’ that in the year 1575 AD, Mughal Emperor Akbar issued an order that at every Kos (3 kilometers) on the way from Agra to Ajmer, a pillar or a Minar should be erected for the comfort of the travelers so that they find their way easily and also get a place to rest. It is also said that small rest houses near the Kos Minars were built for the travelers as their resting place. I am sure it would have been an interesting site and now we do not have any similar thing rather the directional boards have taken over this ages old trend of milestones but if you are travelling on the Grand Trunk Road you will come across several milestones but those are not Kos Minars.

The word “Kos” literally means a medieval measurement of distance denoting approximately 3 km and “Minar” is a Persian word for tower. Thus the Kos Minar means the tower that measures distances and a kind of milestone

This is why it is also believed that Akbar derived inspiration to build Kos Minars from his predecessor, Sher Shah Suri, who built many roads and repaired and revived the ancient route of the Mauryas henceforth termed the Sher Shah Suri Marg or the Grad trunk Road. Being milestones, they were an important part of communication and travel in a large empire.

As the Mughals also ruled this part of the subcontinent where we are living today that is why we have one or two Kos Minars in Lahore as well.  It is said that out of the few surviving Kos Minars in Lahore one can be seen on Grand Trunk Road near the tomb of Ali Mardan Khan, which itself is seeking help as it is dilapidating now. This Kos Minar probably lined the original Grand Trunk Road, a few hundred meters north of it. Over the years these road monuments have gone into a state of disrepair and are almost lost in obscurity and I think many of us do not even know that area completely and what monuments stand there.

Along India’s old highways, particularly the Grand Trunk Road, one still finds Kos Minars but in Lahore probably only one or two are left and I think that is sad as we could not preserve those pieces. The clearly seen one and now restored is located on G.T.Road and I think it’s a must visit site to know our history and its importance.

The Kos Minar in Lahore on G.T. Road is a solid round pillar which stands on a masonry platform built with bricks and plastered over with lime. Kos Minars became a foundation during the rule of the Mughals and Emperor Jahangir and Shah Jahan, both added to the network of Kos Minars and thus they increased in numbers as the empire extended. In the north they were extended as far as Peshawar and in the east to Bengal through Kanauj.

The historic references tell us that as per the geographic span there were almost three thousand kilometers of Mughal highways, with almost 1000 Kos Minars, which means 1 after every 3 kilometer. So far there is no record that how many of them have survived but I think we are lucky enough to have one or two here in Lahore as a mark of the Mughals. Some historians also claim that there must have been around 3000 such structures.

The Kos Minars were never looked at as architecturally impressive structures and were simple in design and not embellished. I guess that the number in which they had to be built limited the design to be simpler without embellishments, but the height itself is a unique feature. It is only when we view them in the totality of a much larger design that their real significance emerges and through their height we get to know that at that time there were not much high rise buildings and the travelers could easily see them from a far distance.  Historians also say that before these Kos Minars were constructed, Banyan trees used to play the role of measuring distance and demarcating the road and in the past some of the trees were seen near the location of these Kos Minars. The only one left here in Lahore has no such trees with it now, but I can imagine the past greenery in this region.

Another interesting fact is that the Kos Minars proved vital in the governance matters at that time because at every Kos Minar there was a horse with a rider and a drummer who communicated the royal messages with great speed to the others and sometimes to the palaces and fort as well. This is why the Kos Minars were an imperative site for disseminating messages and also for guiding the travelers and commuters.  Today we have sign boards placed on roads and most of them are in pitiable condition as the writing is rubbed or washed away from them and most are covered with posters. Such terrible sign boards fail to guide the commuters and I still that that such milestones were better.

Unfortunately we are left with only one or two Kos Minars here in Lahore and most of the people are unaware of those structures and importance. I think that the younger generation should also be informed and educated about the medieval structures and educational tours to such places should be planned by the schools and universities.

I think so far the north of Lahore is ignored when we come to tourism and I hope there will be a time when those monuments which are located on the GT Road side are also explored by people and most importantly those monuments are restored. If we will not pay any attention to that side of Lahore I am afraid that we might not lose the precious gems which are located there and they might not get buried under the dusts of time.

Published in Daily Times, December 22^nd 2018.