The old Bhera, known as Ahmedabad and Burarrian was located on the right of river Jhelum, just across

the present day Bhera, thousands of years before the Christ. Alexander the Great forces moved out
from old Bhera around 326 B.C. in two portions, one force went through river Jhelum to Multan, to Port
of Deebal, close to present day Karachi and then to Macedonia; the other force, went on foot to
Baluchistan to West Asia and then to Macedonia. Somehow, the old Bhera was completely destroyed
most probably due to heavy floods in river Jhelum and by the forces of Sher Shah Suri in mid 16th
century. The present day Bhera was constructed by Sher Shah Suri 1540 AD.

There are about twenty-six small and big mounds at old Bhera i.e. Ahmadabad and Burarrian scattered
in four to five kilometres area. The remains of old civilization are visible at old Bhera. There is
requirement for the detailed research on old Bhera by the Archeology Department of Pakistan and
Archeology Department of Khyber Pakhtun Khaw, Taxila Institute of Asian Civilizations, Quaid-i-
Azam University and Archeology Department of Punjab, Sind and Baluchistan universities and
International Organizations. Taxila Institute of Asian Civilizations, Quaid-i-Azam University did
some research work at the time Dr Dani. For more information on old Bhera see articles in English/Urdu
of website www.bhera.com: -

a. History, Archeology and Architecture of Bhera – Reference article in book - Historic Town of
Punjab: Ancient and Medieval Period by Dr Abdul Rehman (published by Feroze Sons (Pvt)
Ltd, Lahore 1987.
b. Alexander’s Crossing of the River Jhelum with Reference to Stein by Dr M Salim.
c. Antiquities of Iron Age, Achaemenian, Greek Mauryan periods discovered at Bhera (Dawn
November 6, 2003).
d. Pakistan‘s Toledo.
e. Many Bheras (Dawn, Sunday, December 11, 1999).
f. Preserving Bhera Grandeur By: Sajid Iqbal (Dawn, Friday, December 24 ,1999).
g. Bhera by Abu Umar Nauman (Urdu Digest April 2002).

A few pictures of old Bhera i.e. mounds at Ahmedabad and Burarrian are attached for your information,
please.
 It was nice meeting with you on 15 October 2012 for a brief time. I hope you are planning to
make School’s website and collecting other material for the archives including old teachers and
students’ directory. Detail a dedicated teacher for the needful. Please locate and place the old boards
on which headmasters’ names are written at the suitable place in the school. Brief details regarding my
father are in the succeeding paragraph.

“My father Sheikh Muhammad Mumtaz was born at Bhera on 8th Oct 1910 and died on
20th March 2003 at the age 93. He was headmaster Dennys’ High School Rawalpindi from 1954 to 1957.
Headmaster Hassan Abdal High School 1960-1961 (probably) and from here he was posted as District
Inspector of Schools Cambellpur (Attock). Retired from government service in Feb 1966 at the age of
55 years (at that time retirement age was fixed as 55 years). Other details regarding him are given in an
article about him by his student”.

I would request you to locate any teacher or student who was in the school when my father was
the Headmaster Hassan Abdal High School that is 1960-1961. Send me his telephone number and
address I will contact him myself. Also forward your e-mail address so that I can send you his pictures of
my father.

Lt Col (Retd)
Zahid Mumtaz
16 Oct 2012