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Etymology of Lahore

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The origin of Lahore's name is unclear. The first document that mentions Lahore by name is the Hudud al-'Alam ("The Regions of the World"), written in 982 CE.[1]

Variant transcriptions

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Lahore's name had been recorded by early Muslim historians as Al-Ahwar, A'lahwur, Luhawar, Lūhār, and Rahwar.[2] The Iranian Polymath and Geographer, Abu Rayhan Al-Biruni, referred to the city as Luhāwar in his 11th century work, Qanun,[2] while the poet Amir Khusrow, who lived during the Delhi Sultanate, recorded the city's name as Lāhanūr.[3] Yaqut al-Hamawi records the city's name as Lawhūr, mentioning that it's famously known as Lahāwar.[4] Al Idrisi in his 12th century work the Nuzhatulmushtak-fi-Iftikharul Afak, also writes of a city named Lohawar.[5] Later Rajput sources recorded the city's name as Lavkot.[3]

Etymological theories

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Sita, Lava, and Kusha in the hermitage of Valmiki

One theory suggests that Lahore's name is a corruption of the word Ravāwar, as R to L shifts are common in languages derived from Sanskrit.[6] Ravāwar is the simplified pronunciation of the name Iravatyāwar - a name possibly derived from the Ravi River, known as the Iravati River in the Vedas.[6][7] The suffix"Awar" is a corruption of the Sanskrit word Awarna, meaning fort, and is affixed to many place names in the Subcontinent, such as Peshawar, Sanawar, Bijawar,.

Another theory suggests the city's name may derive from the word Lohar, meaning "blacksmith."[8]

According to Hindu legend,[9][10] Lahore's name derives from Lavpur or Lavapuri ("City of Lava"),[11] and is said to have been founded by Prince Lava,[12] the son of Sita and Rama. The same account attributes the founding of nearby Kasur, which was actually founded by Afghans in the Mughal period,[13] to his twin brother Kusha.[14] In the Deshwa Bhaga, Lahore is called Lavpor, which at once points to its origin from Lav, the son of Rama whose Lava temple built during the Sikh era in the 19th century,[15] is located empty inside the Lahore Fort, while in the ancient annals of Rajputana the name given is Loh Kot, meaning “the fort of Loh,” which, again, has reference to its mythical founder, Rama’s son.[16]

References

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  1. ^ Hudud al-'Alam, The Regions of the World: A Persian Geography, 372 A.H. – 982 A.D. Translated by V. Minorsky. London: Oxford University Press. 1937.
  2. ^ a b Latif, Syad Muhammad (1892). Lahore: Its History, Architectural Remains and Antiquities: With an Account of Its Modern Institutions, Inhabitants, Their Trade, Customs, &c. Printed at the New Imperial Press.
  3. ^ a b Suvorova, Anna (22 July 2004). Muslim Saints of South Asia: The Eleventh to Fifteenth Centuries. Routledge. ISBN 1134370059.
  4. ^ al-Hamawi, Yaqut. "Mu'jam al-Buldan". arabiclexicon.hawramani.com/. Retrieved 14 March 2020. لَوْهُور: بفتح أوله، وسكون ثانيه، والهاء، وآخره راء، والمشهور من اسم هذا البلد لهاور: وهي مدينة عظيمة مشهورة في بلاد الهند.
  5. ^ Nadiem, Ihsan H. (1996). Lahore, a Glorious Heritage. Sang-e-Meel Publications. ISBN 978-969-35-0718-8.
  6. ^ a b Journal of Central Asia. Centre for the Study of the Civilizations of Central Asia, Quaid-i-Azam University. 1978.
  7. ^ Boltz, William G.; Shapiro, Michael C. (1 January 1991). Studies in the Historical Phonology of Asian Languages. John Benjamins Publishing. ISBN 9027235740.
  8. ^ Journal of Asian Civilisations. Taxila Institute of Asian Civilisations. 2001.
  9. ^ Gazetteer of the Ferozpur District: 1883. 1883.
  10. ^ Haroon Khalid. "How old is Lahore? The clues lie in a blend of historical fact and expedient legend". Dawn. A legend subsequently grew that connected the history of the city with Valmiki's Ramayana. According to this narrative, Valmiki lived on a mound on the banks of the Ravi when he hosted Ram's consort Sita after she was banished from Ayodhya. It is here that she gave birth Lav and Kush, the princes of Ayodhya, who later founded the twin cities of Lahore and Kasur.
  11. ^ Bombay Historical Society (1946). Annual bibliography of Indian history and Indology, Volume 4. p. 257. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
  12. ^ Baqir, Muhammad (1985). Lahore, past and present. B.R. Pub. Corp. pp. 19–20. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
  13. ^ Nadiem, Ihsan H. (2005). Punjab: Land, History, People. Al-Faisal Nashran. ISBN 978-969-503-434-7.
  14. ^ Nadiem, Ihsan N (2005). Punjab: land, history, people. Al-Faisal Nashran. p. 111. ISBN 9789695032831. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
  15. ^ Zamir, Sufia (2018-01-14). "HERITAGE: THE LONELY LITTLE TEMPLE". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  16. ^ History of Lahore
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