The book, under prologue, gives a very concise history of the category of fort, although it is a subject worth tackling in a much wider context and over full volumes. The individual articles then examine the major historical and regional traditions of fort architecture, spanning over some five thousand years and encompassing almost all parts of Pakistan. The forts, of fortresses, having their place in the following treatise are found today in their physical form, either excavated from under tons of earth or simply lying above ground. But by no means they are the only ones that exist in the country. In fact the whole of Pakistan is literally strewn with remains or buildings representing forts. However, the accounts of only those have been included here as were found more representatives in the context of geographical, historical or architectural perspective. Here it would also be relevant to note that the forts in this treatise follow a loose chronology and are mentioned in ascending order that is starting from the earliest to the latest periods. Some of these forts in their present shape do not necessarily belong to the period as they were first founded. In such cases effort has been made to reckon their date of origin to set their order, though the description matches best their present condition.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ihsan H Nadiem
Born at Sahiwal, Ihsan H Nadiem got his higher education at the Government College, Lahore, and did his Master’s in Geography from the Punjab University. He was trained as archaeologist on scholarship by the Government of Pakistan. He studied at CAVILAM, Vichy (France) for certificate in French language. He also did specialized studies in Museology on French government scholarship. In architecture, he benefited from the scholarship of Dr. Bernard M. Feilden, Director Emeritus, ICCROM, Italy. He joined the Department of Archaeology, Pakistan and excavated at Banbhore, Swat, Moenjodaro and Tulamba. As a curator he held the charge of museums at Harappa, Umerkot, Moenjodaro, Lahore Fort and Taxila. He commanded the Regional Archaeological Offices at Peshawar and Quetta, and the Departmental Publications Branch, which he successfully reactivated after it had remained dormant for over 13 years. He is credited with raising the Pakistan Institute of Archaeological Training and Research (PIATR), where he served as its head to run a number of courses of archaeology, museology and conservation. He has also served as Director in both Northern and Southern Circles of Archaeology, covering the whole of Pakistan. As a Professor in the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, he structured courses and taught Conservation of Architectural Heritage as full-fledged subject for Master’s degree. In addition to nine books on cultural heritage of Pakistan he has published over twenty five research Papers in different journals of international repute, more than 250 popular articles appearing in various national dailies and periodicals, and a two-volume Report on archaeological excavations at Panr (Swat) from Rome. He also edited Pakistan Archaeology, Volumes 10-22.
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