dr.fazia-farooq

Dr. Fouzia Farooq

HomeGuest Speaker Lectures

Dr.

Fouzia Farooq

On February 28, 2024, Dr. Fouzia Farooq, Assistant Professor in the History Department at Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), delivered a captivating lecture to the AIMH Internship Batch 4. The lecture, titled "Architecture of Pakistan: The Medieval Heritage," provided a comprehensive overview of Pakistan's architectural evolution, focusing particularly on the medieval period. Dr. Fouzia, adeptly navigated through Pakistan's historical timeline, delineating the distinct periods: Ancient (pre-7th century), Medieval (7th to 18th century), and Modern (18th century onwards).

Architecture of Pakistan: The Medieval Heritage

The lecture delved into the pre-modern architectural marvels of Pakistan, each a testament to the rich historical and cultural tapestry of the region. She elucidated various architectural styles and structures that emerged over millennia, ranging from the Neolithic marvel of Mehr Garh to the grandeur of the Indus Valley Civilization, the Gandharan civilization, and landmarks like Takht-i-Bahi, Katas Raj, and Nalanda Fort (Salt Range).

A significant portion of the lecture was dedicated to unraveling the intricacies of medieval architecture in Pakistan. Dr. Fouzia meticulously delineated the diverse types of medieval cities that dotted the landscape, including walled cities, Shikargah, mandi-towns, trade & manufacturing towns, necropolis, and temporary cantonments or fort cities. She further elucidated on the various types of medieval constructions prevalent in the region, ranging from forts, mosques, palaces, tombs, shrines, and mousuleums to gardens, sarai, baoli-stepwells, baradaris or summer pavilions, baths, minarets, chauburji, necropolis, and old city gates and walls.

Moreover, Dr. Fouzia provided valuable insights into the materials used in medieval constructions, highlighting the significance of stone, brick, lime plaster, inlay work, and marble in shaping architectural masterpieces. The lecture also delved into the symbolism embedded within architectural elements such as the dome, inner roof, arch, minaret, lotus, and paradise garden, elucidating the deeper cultural and religious connotations associated with these features.

A highlight of the lecture was Dr. Fouzia's detailed exposition on the design elements and delicate ornamentation prevalent in medieval Pakistani buildings. Her vivid descriptions and insightful analysis offered attendees a profound understanding of the aesthetic and functional aspects of architectural marvels from the medieval era.

Lt-Gen-Tariq-Parvaiz

Lt Gen Tariq Parvaiz

HomeGuest Speaker Lectures

Lt. Gen

Tariq Parvaiz

Lt Gen Tariq Parvaiz was invited as a guest speaker at AIMH on February 21, 2024, to share his experience with interns Batch 4 and NUML students, a total of approximately 50 students. He gave a riveting account of his experiences during the 1971 War and subsequent escape from a Prisoner of War (POW) camp. Gen Tariq provided invaluable insights into leadership, planning, and resilience in the face of adversity.

Escape from POW Camp and Lessons Learned

Gen Tariq recounted the surprise attack on the enemy during the outbreak of the War. The move to Khulna and occupation of delaying positions resulted in 47 casualties inflicted on the enemy, demonstrating excellent fire discipline and tactical positioning. Following surrender, Gen Tariq's 6 Punjab battalion took up defensive positions and repulsed enemy attacks. Eventually, they became POWs and were initially held in smaller camps before being transferred to Fateh Garh main camp, where officers were segregated based on rank.

Gen Tariq expressed the meticulous planning and execution of their escape, including the excavation of a 75-meter tunnel over a ten-month period. The journey spanned three countries and eleven cities, covering a total distance of 10,889 kilometers.

Gen Tariq emphasized the importance of leadership, initiative, devotion to cause, and comradeship. Other lessons included the significance of detailed planning, maintaining secrecy and security, and staying composed under pressure. Additionally, awareness of the environment and knowledge of local customs were highlighted as crucial factors in their successful escape.

The lecture provided good insights into the resilience and determination exhibited by Gen Parvaiz and his comrades. Their ability to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges through meticulous planning, camaraderie, and unwavering faith serves as a testament to the human spirit's resilience in the face of adversity.

ilhan-niaz

Dr Ilhan Niaz

HomeGuest Speaker Lectures

Dr

Ilhan Niaz

(Chairman Dept of History, QAU)

Professor Dr Ilhan Niaz was one of the guest speakers in the 3rd internship batch. The focus of his talk on 19 July 2023 was on ‘Historical Consciousness & Thinking about Large Scale Problems’. Prof Ilhan covered his talk in three parts:

Part I: Basics in theory

Part II: Decision making in history

Part III: How can thinking historically Help?

najam-abbas

Dr Najam Abbas

HomeGuest Speaker Lectures

Dr

Najam Abbas

(Senior Research Fellow (West and Central Asia) East West Institute, UK)

Dr Najam delivered a talk to the AIMH faculty on Acquisition, Preservation and Transmission of Military History, on 2 March 2023.

Salient of his talk were:

  1. Notable practices for preserving military history in terms of the range of tools available.
  2. How possibilities are being explored to use digital tools for preserving military history, and what are the modes of dissemination in terms of publications, i.e books and monographs on military history, greater audience and wider appeal.
  3. How to best document past records? Worldwide models toward preserving the history of the war, initiatives and techniques applied.