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Syad Muhammad Latif Khan Bahadur, Lahore: Its History, Architectural Remains and Antiquities with an Account of its Modern Institutions, Inhabitants, their Trade, Customs, &c., Lahore: New Imperial Press, 1892

xiii, v, iii, 426 pages and xii, plus 105 monochrome plates, plus 1 large folding city map (56 x 59.5 cm); bound in original brick red cloth with gilt lettering to spine
24.5 x 16 x 4 cm

The first and only contemporary edition of the first comprehensive history and guidebook of Lahore, by the eminent Indian historian Syad Muhammed Latif, the engaging text is lavishly illustrated with 105 plates of illustrations of the city’s great Mughal and British masterpieces, plus an excellent large format folding map of the city, published in Lahore.

This text is the first comprehensive guidebook on the history of Lahore, summing up what must have been the wonderous environment of the late 19th century city, with its numerous masterpieces of Islamic architecture, lush gardens, and some of the British Empire’s finest colonial edifices. The work is a pageant of imagery and includes 105 full-page illustrations of Lahore’s main buildings and sites, as well as its archaeological heritage. This text provides a thorough, yet entertaining, description of the city, as it was and as it became in contemporary times. It stands out as one of the finest 19th century works on any Indian city, as well as one of the seminal pieces that epitomised the growing trend of Indian writers taking control of the narrative of their own country’s history, which had hitherto been dominated by European voices.

Latif notes, in his preface, that there was no comprehensive history of Lahore written in any language prior to the publication of this work. Though the colonial civil servant T H Thornton had published A Brief Account of the History and Antiquities of Lahore, 1873, which was a work of high quality, it remained true to its title, in that its scope was far too limited to provide an adequate overview of the city and its heritage. Latif, a brilliant and well-connected scholar, with peerless access to archives and historical sites, dedicated a great deal of energy in creating the present text.

Latif’s text explores the history of Lahore from its inception until the late 19th century, in fluid and easily read prose, interspersed with Persian and Arabic quotes. The work is illustrated with 105 monochrome plates, based upon original sketches, that illustrate virtually all the important edifices and monuments of Lahore, including some of the world’s finest examples of Islamic and British colonial architecture, as well as great masterpieces of ancient art from archaeological finds in the region. The text includes a preface, followed by five chapters.

The text also includes a large folding map (56 x 59.5 cm) titled Sketch Map of Lahore and its Environs, which, executed to a scale of 880 feet to 1 inch, is one of the finest plans of the city made during the first half of the British colonial era. Printed after a manuscript drafted by a local cartographer, the map shows the old walled city of Lahore, with its dense warren of streets, prominently featuring the fort, in the upper left, while the new city is built on the spacious plain to the north, south and east.

Latif’s Lahore is a very rare book to appear in the market. Although we can trace around a dozen institutional examples, we can only find a single sales record from the last 30 years, whereupon an example appeared in auction in 2019. The present 1892 issue is the first edition and the only contemporary issue. The work remains of considerable interest and has been reprinted several times since 1981.

Syed Muhammad Latif (c. 1845 - 1902) was one of the most prominent Indian historians from the second half of the 19th century, as well as a respected linguist and jurist. Born into a scholarly family in Delhi, he received stellar tutoring in Arabic and Farsi from an early age, and later mastered Hindi, Sanskrit, English and French. Following his move to Lahore in the late 1860s, Latif became the editor and translator of the Punjabi newspaper. In 1868, he was appointed to the lucrative post of head translator of the Chief Court of the Punjab and was subsequently promoted to become a district and sessions judge. Despite his heavy professional workload, Latif found the time to write. His first book was a work of poetry, Dewan-e-Latif (1870), although he soon turned his energies towards the study of history.

Latif was able to solidly anchor his works due to his fluency in many languages, his superb knowledge of religious and academic texts, his contacts with leading librarians, as well as his privileged access to historical sites. His writing style was lucid and engaging, enlivened with intriguing vignettes and curious facts, making his books a pleasure to explore even for today’s readers. Other well-known works by Latif include History of the Panjab from the Remotest Antiquity to the Present Time (1889) and Agra Historical and Descriptive with an Account of Akbar and his Court and of the Modern City of Agra (1896).

In 1902, Latif was appointed to become senior judge of the Chief Court of the Punjab but, sadly, he died suddenly before he could take up his post. However, he left behind an estimable legacy, as his works remain popular, and have been reprinted on many occasions. He also epitomised the trend by which Indian scholars gradually reasserted control over the historical narrative of their own country after a period when Indian history was generally written by Europeans.

References: British Library: General Reference Collection 010057.k.8.; Victoria & Albert Museum (National Art Library): 4.C.72.

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