Lahore's origin dates back to antiquity. The city has been inhabited for around two millennia, although it rose to prominence in the late 10th century with the establishment of the Walled City, its fortified interior.[24] Lahore served as the capital of several empires during the mediaeval era, including the Hindu Shahis, Ghaznavid Empire and Delhi Sultanate. It reached the height of its splendour under the Mughal Empire between the late 16th and early 18th centuries, being its capital city for many years. During this period, it was one of the largest cities in the world.[25]The city was captured by the forces of the Afsharid ruler Nader Shah in 1739. Although the Mughal authority was re-established, it fell into a period of decay while being contested among the Afghans and the Sikhs between 1748 and 1798, eventually becoming capital of the Sikh Empire in the early 19th century. Lahore was annexed to the British Raj in 1849 and became the capital of British Punjab.[26] Lahore was central to the independence movements of British India, with the city being the site of both the Declaration of Indian Independence and the resolution calling for the establishment of Pakistan. It experienced some of the worst rioting during the partition of British India preceding Pakistan's establishment.[27] Following the success of the Pakistan Movement and the subsequent partition in 1947, Lahore was declared the capital of Pakistan's Punjab province.
Located in central-eastern Punjab, along the River Ravi, it is the largest Punjabi-speaking city in the world. Lahore exerts a strong cultural and political influence over Pakistan.[28] A UNESCO City of Literature and major centre for Pakistan's publishing industry, Lahore remains the foremost centre of Pakistan's literary scene. The city is also a major centre of education,[29] with some of Pakistan's leading universities based in the city.[30] Lahore is home to Pakistan's Punjabi film industry, and is a major centre of Qawwali music.[31] The city also hosts much of Pakistan's tourism industry,[31][32] with major attractions including the Walled City, the famous Badshahi and Wazir Khan mosques, as well as several Sikh and Sufi shrines. Lahore is also home to the Lahore Fort and Shalimar Gardens, both of which are UNESCOWorld Heritage Sites.[32]
^"History". 22 April 2008. Archived from the original on 29 December 2008. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
^Shelley, Fred (16 December 2014). The World's Population: An Encyclopedia of Critical Issues, Crises, and Ever-Growing Countries. ABC-CLIO. p. 356. ISBN978-1-61069-506-0. Lahore is the historic center of the Punjab region of the northwestern portion of the Indian subcontinent
^"Lahore attack: Pakistan PM Sharif demands swift action on terror". BBC. 28 March 2016. Archived from the original on 16 December 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2016. Lahore is one of Pakistan's most liberal and wealthy cities. It is Mr Sharif's political powerbase and has seen relatively few terror attacks in recent years.
^Kudaisya & Yong (2004), p. 175, :"Of all the capital cities caught in the drama of partition, it was Lahore that experienced the worst of the violence and carnage that took place in 1947. It became the most disputed territory in the claims and counter claims that were made before the Boundary Commission. All three communities of the Punjab—Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus—staked a claim to it. The violence which Lahore experienced was unprecedented even by the horrific standards of 1947, and when it had subsided, what emerged was a city which had been completely 'cleansed' of its 'minority' communities.".
^S. Akbar Zaidi (15 October 2012). "Lahore's domination". Dawn. Pakistan. Archived from the original on 20 November 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
^ abWindsor, Antonia (22 November 2006). "Out of the rubble". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
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