According to a myth, there are two Sahabas’ graves (12 feet long) under an old Banyan tree in Zainpur graveyard, Bhera
The two extraordinary graves about twelve feet long in Zainpur graveyard always makes one inquisitive.The myth is that these belonged to two Sahabas who came here at the time of Hazrat Usman Ghani ( RA) , born in 573 AD . ( It is not that people were so tall at that time , long graves were made for specific distinct persons in certain areas ).
I tried to discover the facts but could not find any logical proof or satisfactory answer from anyone about the Sahabas’ long graves . I read a book ,” History of Sargodha by Prof Sahibzada Muhammad Abdur Rasul.” On page 69 he has mentioned,
” Muslim armies reached the Punjab through land route in 664 AD in the reign of Amir Mauwiya. This was the period when Muslim generals were conquering different parts of the known world and the Muslim kingdom was extending to the far -flung areas. As a result of this , the traders began to visit these areas with the merchandise and the caravans began to enter South Asia through the land route. It is an historical fact that the Arabs established their trade relations with the Punjab as early as the days of Hazrat Usman and the city of Bhera was the most important among the trade centres. Apart from being a centre of trade and commence, the Arabs made this city a centre of preaching Islam. It was here at Bhera, that a school of ” Fiqh” and Islamic learning founded : at Kufa by Abdullah bin Masud, the renowned companion of the Holy Prophet, flourished and various scholars of this school came here and were responsible for the spread of Islam and its teachings” Prof Sahibzada has given the reference of a Urdu book ,” Muqalat Illami aur Adabi by Prof Molvi Muhammad Shafi.” Vol – 1, P – 6 .
There appears to be some truth in Sahibzadas’ writing , because Alexander the Great came to Bhera in 326 BC, about 897 years before the Holy Prophet Muhammad ( PBUH) . At that time Bhera was on the right bank of river Jhelum , opposite present Bhera . Present Bhera was established by Sher Shah Suri in 1540 AD. History tells us that old civilisations flourished along the banks of rivers : like Nile valley civilization, Indus valley civilization etc. The old Bhera was on the right bank, near village Ahmedabad and Burarian mounds. A Chinese traveler Fa Haian called Bhera as Pl’ tu’ ( Bheda), he came from Bannu ( Pa- na) and crossed the Indus about 400 AD , approximately two hundred years before the advent of Islam. Mahmud of Ghazi also passed through Bhera around 1000 AD on his way to India.
The well known archaeologist Dr Ahmed Hassan Dani and Prof Muhammad Salim from Taxila Institute of Asian Civilization , Quaid- i -Azam University did some research on old Bhera – Bhrarian mounds . They found antiquities of Iran Age , Achanemenian ( 553 – 330 BC ), Greek ( 321 – 184 BC) and Mauryan periods in an excavation from the Greek city of Bhera. That means the old Bhera existed thousands of years before the Holy Christ. There are still old Hindu temples in the surrounding areas of the Salt Range. According to historians the Vedic religion dated from about 1900 BCE to 1400 BCE. As per Hindus Vedas were written along the banks of River Jhelum.
In the recorded history of more than 2500 years the trade existed along the Silk Route . Traders , scholars in various fields , and preachers traveled to different parts of the world through land and sea. It is just possible that these two Sahabas came to old Bhera , but later settled or buried in Zainpur , opposite old Bhera. The river Jhelum near Bhera has changed its course many times in history. Nothing can be said with certainty, more research is required to find out the authenticity of Sahabas’ graves in Zainpur’s graveyard.
References :
1.History , Archaeology and Architecture of Bhera – Reference article in the book , ” Historic Town of Punjab : Ancient and Medieval Period” by Dr Abdul Rehman, published by Feroz Sons ( Ptv) Ltd , Lahore 1987.
- Alexander ‘s Crossing of the River Jhelum with Reference to Stien by Dr M Salim.
- Antiques of Iran Age , Achaemenian, Greek Mauryan periods discovered at Bhera ( Dawn, December 6, 2003).
Note : Achaemenian Dynasty was founded in 550 BCE and
Mauryan Empire was from 322 BCE to 187 BEC.
- Bhera by Abu Umar Nauman ( Urdu Digest , Apr 2002)
- Many Bheras ( Dawn : Sunday ,11 Dec 1999 )
- Preservering Bhera Grandeur by Sadiq Iqbal ( Dawn, Friday, 24 Dec 1999)
- Brochure on Sargodha including Bhera by PTDC .
Zahid Mumtaz
