Zamzama
Encyclopedia
The Zamzama Gun, also known as Kim’s Gun or Bhangianwala Toap is a large bore cannon
. It was cast in 1757 in Lahore
, now in Pakistan
but at the time part of the Durrani Empire
. It is currently on display in front of the Lahore Museum
in Lahore, Pakistan.
, was cast at Lahore
along with another gun of the same size in 1757 by Shah Nazir under the directions of Shah Wali Khan, who was prime minister
in the reign of the Afghan
King Ahmed Shah Durrani.
The gun has the date of manufacture, names of the monarch and the technician along with verses in Persian
molded with floral patterns all over the barrel.
who were asked to give their kitchen utensils for the gun. According to some writers, some metal was obtained through jizya
, metal vessels having been taken from Hindu
household
s in Lahore.
: "From reason I enquire of the year of its manufacture; Struck with terror it replied, 'Wert thou be willing to surrender thine life, I wouldst unfold unto thee the secret.' I agreed, and it said, laden with innuendo: - 'What a cannon! 'Tis a mighty fire dispensing dragon!'"
, in 1761. After the battle, on his way back to Kabul, he left it at Lahore with his governor, Khawaja Ubed, as the carriage that was supposed to take the gun to Kabul was not ready. The other gun he took with him but that one was lost in passage through the Chenab.
In 1762, Hari Singh
went into battle with Khawaja Ubed. Bhangi attacked the then-village of Khawaja Said two miles from Lahore
(now part of the city of Lahore), where the Mughal
governor Khawaja Ubed had his arsenal, and seized his artillery, arms and ammunition. Amongst the guns captured was the Zamzama Gun itself. It was renamed by its Sikh captors Bhangi Toap. For the next two years, it lay in the Shah Burj of the Lahore Fort
. Thereafter, Lehna Singh and Gujjar Singh Bhangi got hold of it and they gave it to Charat Singh Shukerchakia as his share in the spoils. The Bhangi Sardars thought that Charat Singh would not be able to carry this gun with him and it would remain with them. But contrary to their expectations, Charat Singh successfully carried this gun to his fort at Gujranwala.
From Charat Singh, Zamzama was snatched by the Pashtuns of Chatha
who took it to Ahmadnagar where it became a bone of contention between the Pathan brothers Ahmad Khan and Pir Muhammad. In the fight that ensued, two sons of Ahmad Khan and one of Pir Muhammad were killed. In this fight, Gujjar Singh Bhangi sided with Pir Muhammad. After the victory, the gun was restored to Gujjar Singh. After two years, the gun was wrested by Charat Singh Shukerchakia from whom it was once again snatched by the Pashtuns.
Next year, Sardar Jhanda Singh Bhangi defeated the Pashtuns of Chatha
and brought the gun to Amritsar
. In 1802, Ranjit Singh
, after defeating the Bhangis, got hold of the gun. He used it in the battles of Daska
, Kasur
, Sujanpur, Wazirabad
and Multan
. In the siege of Multan, the gun was badly damaged.
in 1870.
When the present building of the museum was constructed it was removed further west and placed opposite the University Hall Repaired in 1977, the cannon now rests on Mall Road (Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam) with Department of Fine Arts, University of Punjab on one side, and National College of Arts (NCA) and Lahore Museum on the other.
It came to be known as Kim's Gun after Rudyard Kipling
in whose childhood memoirs it obtained frequent mention. The novel Kim
opens with the protagonist straddling the gun.
It was also called Bhangianwala Toap, because it was used by the Sikh chief Sardar Hari Singh Bhangi. Maharaja Ranjit Singh defeated Hari Singh in 1802 and took the gun into his possession.
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
. It was cast in 1757 in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, now in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
but at the time part of the Durrani Empire
Durrani Empire
The Durrani Empire was a Pashtun dynasty centered in Afghanistan and included northeastern Iran, the Kashmir region, the modern state of Pakistan, and northwestern India. It was established at Kandahar in 1747 by Ahmad Shah Durrani, an Afghan military commander under Nader Shah of Persia and chief...
. It is currently on display in front of the Lahore Museum
Lahore Museum
Lahore Museum , established in 1894, is located in The Mall, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Rudyard Kipling's father, John Lockwood Kipling, was one of the famous curators of the museum. Over 250,000 admissions were registered in 2005.-Attractions:...
in Lahore, Pakistan.
The Gun
The gun is 14 feet, 4½ inches (4.38 metres) in length, with a bore at its aperture of 9½ inches (24.13 centimetres). This gun, one of the largest ever made in the sub-continentIndian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
, was cast at Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
along with another gun of the same size in 1757 by Shah Nazir under the directions of Shah Wali Khan, who was prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
in the reign of the Afghan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
King Ahmed Shah Durrani.
The gun has the date of manufacture, names of the monarch and the technician along with verses in Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
molded with floral patterns all over the barrel.
Gun alloy composition and metal acquisition
The Zamzama was said to have been 'made of copper and brass'. Its construction was funded by the people of LahoreLahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
who were asked to give their kitchen utensils for the gun. According to some writers, some metal was obtained through jizya
Jizya
Under Islamic law, jizya or jizyah is a per capita tax levied on a section of an Islamic state's non-Muslim citizens, who meet certain criteria...
, metal vessels having been taken from Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
household
Household
The household is "the basic residential unit in which economic production, consumption, inheritance, child rearing, and shelter are organized and carried out"; [the household] "may or may not be synonymous with family"....
s in Lahore.
Persian inscriptions
The cannon bears two Persian inscriptions. The front one reads: "By the order of the Emperor, DuriDurran, Shah Wali Khan wazir made the gun named Zamzama or the Taker of Strongholds." The longer versified inscription at the back eulogizes its bulk and invincibility: "A destroyer even of the strongholds of the heaven." Verses at the end of the inscription contain a chronogramChronogram
A chronogram is a sentence or inscription in which specific letters, interpreted as numerals, stand for a particular date when rearranged. The word, meaning "time writing", derives from the Greek words chronos and gramma . In the pure chronogram each word contains a numeral, the natural chronogram...
: "From reason I enquire of the year of its manufacture; Struck with terror it replied, 'Wert thou be willing to surrender thine life, I wouldst unfold unto thee the secret.' I agreed, and it said, laden with innuendo: - 'What a cannon! 'Tis a mighty fire dispensing dragon!'"
War service
The gun was used by Ahmed Shah in the battle of PanipatPanipat
Panipat بَنِبَت is an ancient and historic city in Panipat district, Haryana state, India. It is 90 km north from Delhi and 169 km south of Chandigarh on NH-1. The three battles fought at the city were turning points in Indian history. The city is famous in India by the name of "City of...
, in 1761. After the battle, on his way back to Kabul, he left it at Lahore with his governor, Khawaja Ubed, as the carriage that was supposed to take the gun to Kabul was not ready. The other gun he took with him but that one was lost in passage through the Chenab.
In 1762, Hari Singh
Hari Singh
Maharaja Hari Singh was the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir in India.He was married four times...
went into battle with Khawaja Ubed. Bhangi attacked the then-village of Khawaja Said two miles from Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
(now part of the city of Lahore), where the Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
governor Khawaja Ubed had his arsenal, and seized his artillery, arms and ammunition. Amongst the guns captured was the Zamzama Gun itself. It was renamed by its Sikh captors Bhangi Toap. For the next two years, it lay in the Shah Burj of the Lahore Fort
Lahore Fort
The Lahore Fort, locally referred to as Shahi Qila is citadel of the city of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located in the northwestern corner of the Walled City of Lahore...
. Thereafter, Lehna Singh and Gujjar Singh Bhangi got hold of it and they gave it to Charat Singh Shukerchakia as his share in the spoils. The Bhangi Sardars thought that Charat Singh would not be able to carry this gun with him and it would remain with them. But contrary to their expectations, Charat Singh successfully carried this gun to his fort at Gujranwala.
From Charat Singh, Zamzama was snatched by the Pashtuns of Chatha
Chatha
Chatha ) is a Punjabi Jatt tribe that inhabits parts of the Punjab in India and Pakistan. - History :The Chatha tribe were originally settled Gujranwala District, in which district they hold 184 villages...
who took it to Ahmadnagar where it became a bone of contention between the Pathan brothers Ahmad Khan and Pir Muhammad. In the fight that ensued, two sons of Ahmad Khan and one of Pir Muhammad were killed. In this fight, Gujjar Singh Bhangi sided with Pir Muhammad. After the victory, the gun was restored to Gujjar Singh. After two years, the gun was wrested by Charat Singh Shukerchakia from whom it was once again snatched by the Pashtuns.
Next year, Sardar Jhanda Singh Bhangi defeated the Pashtuns of Chatha
Chatha
Chatha ) is a Punjabi Jatt tribe that inhabits parts of the Punjab in India and Pakistan. - History :The Chatha tribe were originally settled Gujranwala District, in which district they hold 184 villages...
and brought the gun to Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
. In 1802, Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Early life:...
, after defeating the Bhangis, got hold of the gun. He used it in the battles of Daska
Daska
Daska is a growing industrial city with a population of around 440,200 in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The town is the capital of Daska Tehsil one of four tehsils of Sialkot District. It is located at 32°19'60N 74° 20' 60E-Name:The name Daska is said to be a distortion of "Dah Kos"...
, Kasur
Kasur
Kasur , the capital of Kasur District in Pakistan. Kasur is located adjacent to the border of Ganda Singh Wala between Pakistan and India, and is a tourist attraction because of the daily occurring Flags lowering ceremony...
, Sujanpur, Wazirabad
Wazirabad
AYAZ KHANWazirabad is an industrial city located in Gujranwala District, Punjab, Pakistan. Wazirabad is situated on the banks of the Chenab River nearly 100 kilometres north of Lahore on the Grand Trunk Road. It is 45 kilometres from Sialkot, 30 kilometres from the district capital - Gujranwala...
and Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
. In the siege of Multan, the gun was badly damaged.
Decommissioning
Zamzama was severely damaged due to its use in the aforementioned wars and it had to be brought back to Lahore, unfit for any further use. It was placed outside Delhi Gate, Lahore, where it remained until 1860. When in 1864, Maulawi Nur Ahmad Chishti compiled the TahqiqatiChishti, he found it standing in the Baradari of the garden of Wazir Khan, behind the Lahore Museum. In 1870, it found a new asylum at the entrance of the Lahore Museum, then located in the Tollinton Market. It was placed in this position on the occasion of the Duke of Edinburgh’s visit to LahoreLahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
in 1870.
When the present building of the museum was constructed it was removed further west and placed opposite the University Hall Repaired in 1977, the cannon now rests on Mall Road (Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam) with Department of Fine Arts, University of Punjab on one side, and National College of Arts (NCA) and Lahore Museum on the other.
Other names
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
in whose childhood memoirs it obtained frequent mention. The novel Kim
Kim (novel)
Kim is a picaresque novel by Rudyard Kipling. It was first published serially in McClure's Magazine from December 1900 to October 1901 as well as in Cassell's Magazine from January to November 1901, and first published in book form by Macmillan & Co. Ltd in October 1901...
opens with the protagonist straddling the gun.
It was also called Bhangianwala Toap, because it was used by the Sikh chief Sardar Hari Singh Bhangi. Maharaja Ranjit Singh defeated Hari Singh in 1802 and took the gun into his possession.