I recently heard Haroon Rasheed saying that Lahore was a small village before Data Ganj Bux and its due to his blessings that Lahore developed into one of the biggest cities of the region and therefore, we call it ‘Data ki Nagri’.
Data came to Lahore during Ghaznavis period.
So what was the major cities of Punjab (considering Lahore a small village) before Muslim invasion?
Re: Punjab before Muslim Invasions
^ before ghaznavids, Punjab was part of Hindu Shahi rule which was afghanistan based and before that we can see gandhara civilization in northern Punjab. Considering this taxila would be one city which comes into mind from the current Punjab.
Re: Punjab before Muslim Invasions
I am not really sure about Lahore, but the Lahore fort was already there before muslim invasions. They just destroyed and rebuilt it again, pretty much as how US does these days I believe. :D
Re: Punjab before Muslim Invasions
^ before ghaznavids, Punjab was part of Hindu Shahi rule which was afghanistan based and before that we can see gandhara civilization in northern Punjab. Considering this taxila would be one city which comes into mind from the current Punjab.
Wiki uncle says that:
**
Al-Hujwiri came to Lahore under orders from his Pir as successor to Shaikh Husain Zanjani at a time when as a result of irruption of the Seljuks on one side and the rising tide of Hindu resistance on the order, the Ghaznavid Empire began to dismember rapidly, and life in Ghazni itself was disrupted. The saint had to leave Ghazni in difficult circumstances, leaving his books behind. According to Faw'id-ul-Fu'ad, Ali Hujwiri reached Lahore at night and in the morning found the people bringing out the bier of Shaikh Husain Zanjani whom he replaced in Lahore**
This means Muslims had presence in Lahore before Ghaznavi period due t sufi saints.
Re: Punjab before Muslim Invasions
Some information about Hindu Shahi rule, replace the below paragraph with Muslim and what comes into your mind. 
Brahmana Hindu Shahis of Afghanistan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brahmana Hindu Shahis of Afghanistan[3]
This long Kshatriya rule in Kabul is confirmed by Al-Biruni also.[SUP][4][/SUP]:
**The Hindus had kings residing in Kabul, Turks who were said to be of Tibetan origin. **The first of them, Barhatakin … brought these countries under his sway and ruled them under the title of Shahis of Kabul. The rule remained under his descendants for generations, the number of which is said to be sixty… The last king of this race was Lagaturman, and his Vazir was Kallar, a Brahman … Lagaturman had bad manners and a worse behaviour, on account of which people complained of him greatly to the Vazir. Now the Vazir put him in chains and imprisoned him for correction, but then he himself found ruling sweet … and so he occupied the royal throne. After him ruled the Brahaman kings Samand (Samanta), Kamlu, Bhim, Jaypal, Anandapal, Trojanpal (Trilochanapala). The latter was killed in A.H. 412 (AD 1021) and his son Bhimapala five years later (AD 1026)… We must say that in all their grandeur, they never slackened in the ardent desire of doing which is good and right, that they were men of noble sentiment and noble bearing.
Re: Punjab before Muslim Invasions
Lahore to bhut purana hai 
Re: Punjab before Muslim Invasions
I am not really sure about Lahore, but the Lahore fort was already there before muslim invasions. They just destroyed and rebuilt it again, pretty much as how US does these days I believe. :D
Again Wiki uncle helps :D
The origins of Lahore Fort are obscure and are traditionally based on various myths.However, during the excavation carried out in 1959 by the Department of Archaeology, in front of Diwan-e-Aam, a gold coin of Mahmood of Ghazni dated AH 416 (1025 AD) was found at a depth of 7.62 metres from the level of the lawns. Cultural layers continued to a further depth of 5 metres,** giving strong indications that people had lived here long before the conquest of Lahore by Mahmood in 1021 AD**. Further mention of the fort is traceable to Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Ghuri's successive invasions of Lahore from 1180 to 1186 AD.
Re: Punjab before Muslim Invasions
ab ye mat kehna ke baba Adam yahan utare gae the 
Re: Punjab before Muslim Invasions
Meine yeh to nhe kaha lakin mera Lahore bhut purana aur unique shehar hai
Re: Punjab before Muslim Invasions
During ptolemys time (around 100 AD) Lahore was part of Kashmir :hmmm:
History of Lahore - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
History of Lahore
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Street_scene_of_Lahore%2C_1890s_2.jpg/220px-Street_scene_of_Lahore%2C_1890s_2.jpg
An old street-scene in Lahore.
Ptolemy, the celebrated astronomer and geographer, mentions in his Geographia a city called Labokla[SUP][2][/SUP] situated on the route between the Indus river and Palibothra or Pataliputra (Patna), in a tract of country called Kasperia (Kashmir), described as extending along the rivers Bidastes or Vitasta (Jhelum), Sandabal or Chandra Bhaga (Chenab), and Adris or Iravati (Ravi).
The oldest authentic document about Lahore was written anonymously in 982 and is called Hudud-i-Alam.[SUP][3][/SUP] It was translated into English by Vladimir Fedorovich Minorsky and published in Lahore in 1927. In this document, Lahore is referred to as a small shahr (city) with “impressive temples, large markets and huge orchards.” It refers to “two major markets around which dwellings exist,” and it also mentions “the mud walls that enclose these two dwellings to make it one.” The original document is currently held in the British Museum.[SUP][4][/SUP]
Re: Punjab before Muslim Invasions
Wiki uncle says that: ** Al-Hujwiri came to Lahore under orders from his Pir as successor to Shaikh Husain Zanjani at a time when as a result of irruption of the Seljuks on one side and the rising tide of Hindu resistance on the order, the Ghaznavid Empire began to dismember rapidly, and life in Ghazni itself was disrupted. The saint had to leave Ghazni in difficult circumstances, leaving his books behind. According to Faw'id-ul-Fu'ad, Ali Hujwiri reached Lahore at night and in the morning found the people bringing out the bier of Shaikh Husain Zanjani whom he replaced in Lahore**
This means Muslims had presence in Lahore before Ghaznavi period due t sufi saints.
Aap nay doosray thread ka massla khud hi Hal kardiya, ghaznavid ka aik acha kaam tou aap nay khud hi mention kar diya, ghaznavi hakoomat doli tou data sahib Lahore aayay.
Re: Punjab before Muslim Invasions
Aap nay doosray thread ka massla khud hi Hal kardiya, ghaznavid ka aik acha kaam tou aap nay khud hi mention kar diya, ghaznavi hakoomat doli tou data sahib Lahore aayay.
But Hussain Zanjani was already there. I think had there been no invasions by Ghaznavi and other Muslim rulers, Islam might have got its route in Indian society.
Besides Lahore, what was the status of other cities of Punjab before Muslim invaders?
Re: Punjab before Muslim Invasions
Multan has a lot of history attached to it, which can also be explored.
Re: Punjab before Muslim Invasions
Multan has a lot of history attached to it, which can also be explored.
explore and don't get shocked when you come across the news that Multan was part of Sindh at the time of Arab invasion :D
Re: Punjab before Muslim Invasions
Well, it can be. It was visited by some Chinese traveller in 641 AD, and it had very large temples temples, the sun temple could host upto 6000 people.
Re: Punjab before Muslim Invasions
explore and don't get shocked when you come across the news that Multan was part of Sindh at the time of Arab invasion :D
Muhammad bin qasim nay tou fatah Kiya tha multan ko with sindh, the sun temple was also destroyed by your favorite looter. :D
Re: Punjab before Muslim Invasions
I think we should not ignore areas now forming part of Indian Punjab, as those areas also got important history and are mentioned in vedic literature.
Re: Punjab before Muslim Invasions
Yes I am not aware of many of them, Amritsar should have some historical context.
Re: Punjab before Muslim Invasions
You mean MBQ also destroyed some temples? I heard that though he was 17 at the time of conquest, but he behaved quite mature by not attacking any temples to win hearts of people. 
Re: Punjab before Muslim Invasions
No ghaznavi :)
