The Genesis of Rawalpindi Cantonment and its History from 1851

[FOOLS_NIGHTMARE]

Strategically located Rawalpindi attracted the attention of successive invading forces. Protected as a Sikh garrison town and astride the Grand Trunk Rd, it eventually grew in importance as a trading centre, before coming to the attention of the British, who seized the city from the Sikhs in 1849. The city became a permanent garrison of the British army in 1851. Owing to the British expeditions to further north and on to Afghanistan, Rawalpindi soon became a military cantonment. In 1851 the British Army established their General Headquarters in the south of the city, and shortly afterwards the headquarters of a Division. In 1886 the need for having a railway link arose after Lord Dalhousie made Rawalpindi the headquarters of the Northern Command and thus making it the largest British military garrison in British India.Its connection with the main railway system by the extension of the North-Western Railway to Lahore and later Peshawar immensely developed both its size and commercial importance.
The cantonment, with a population in 1901 of 40,611, was the most important in British India. It contained one battery of horse and one of field artillery, one mountain battery, one company of garrison artillery, and one ammunition column of field artillery; one regiment of British and one of Native cavalry; two of British and two of Native infantry; and two companies of sappers and miners, with a balloon section. An arsenal was established here in 1883.
Below is a brief trip to a bygone era, i hope everyone will find it informative and interesting(without prejudice).
Rawalpindi Railway Station-1884

Rawalpindi in 1885, 2nd Cheshire Regiment

Rawalpindi Club 1890

Lockhart’s Memorial, Rawalpindi- 1900

Rawalpindi Manoeuvres 1905

Cavalry Barracks, Westridge, Rawalpindi, 1910

The Mall Road, 1915

Queen Victoria’s Statue

There are many more historic pictures and buildings to show, will leave them for some other time.
The General Headquarters(GHQ) of the Pakistan Army is still based in Rawalpindi Cantonment. The new GHQ site in Islamabad has been selected and will hopefully portray the modern face of Pakistan for times to come.

 

[Jf Thunder]

where did Queen Victoria's statue go?

 

[FOOLS_NIGHTMARE]

where did Queen Victoria's statue go?

It was given back to the British High Commission in 1957.

 

[Jf Thunder]

It was given back to the British High Commission in 1957.

thats sad
it was such a historical monument

 

[FOOLS_NIGHTMARE]

thats sad
it was such a historical monument

This place has become the main entrance gate for GHQ on the mall.

 

[Path-Finder]

I have actually met ex British Army servicemen who were stationed in Rawalpindi long ago. It was the biggest military cantonment in the world until pentagon.

 

[Jf Thunder]

This place has become the entrance gate for GHQ on the mall.

wait
didnt GHQ exist at that time as well
where was its entrance then?

 

[FOOLS_NIGHTMARE]

The purpose of this huge cantonment was to invade Afghanistan and beyond. Damn the Germans who kept the British occupied in Europe in the Great Wars. I would have loved Pakistans borders stretching to the Caspian Sea.

didnt GHQ exist at that time as well
where was its entrance then?

Today we probably have four or more enclosed entrance gates for the GHQ. The GHQ then had an entrance gate roughly the same place on the mall,but with less check points.

 

[Jf Thunder]

The purpose of this huge cantonment was to invade Afghanistan and beyond. Damn the Germans who kept the British occupied in Europe in the Great Wars. I would have loved Pakistans borders stretching to the Caspian Sea.


Today we probably have four or more enclosed entrance gates for the GHQ. The GHQ then had an entrance gate roughly the same place on the mall,but with less check points.

so does that mean we remove a historical monument?

 

[FOOLS_NIGHTMARE]

so does that mean we remove a historical monument?

Most of our countrymen dont like the past, there was another Statue of QV in Charing Cross Lahore removed.

 

[ali_raza]

I have actually met ex British Army servicemen who were stationed in Rawalpindi long ago. It was the biggest military cantonment in the world until pentagon.

interesting

 

[FOOLS_NIGHTMARE]

interesting

British Veteran soldiers specially the old always remember Rawalpindi and Karachi fondly. In the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Rawalpindi Cantonment and its exploits is mentioned numerously in their curricula.

 

[ali_raza]

British Veteran soldiers specially the old always remember Rawalpindi and Karachi fondly. In the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Rawalpindi Cantonment and its exploits is mentioned numerously in their curricula.

but how did we took it from there up or down
m sure later is the answer

 

[FOOLS_NIGHTMARE]

but how did we took it from there up or down
m sure later is the answer

We have added some modern infrastructure after partition. Our New GHQ will be in Islamabad in the near future.

 

[gangsta_rap]

thats sad
it was such a historical monument

she was a witch and there is absolutely no reason for anyone from the subcontinent to honor her