Sir Harry Burnett Lumsden was born in 1821. He had served as interpreter and quartermaster in the British army in its campaigns in Afghanistan in 1842. He was appointed assistant political agent to Sir Henry Lawrence for the north-western provinces of India and took part in many operations against the hill-tribes along the Afghan border. As a young subaltern of only 25 years Lt. Lumsden was directed by Sir Henry Lawrence to raise the Corps of Guides at Peshawar. It was to be an irregular force, initially comprising one troop of cavalry and two companies of infantry, whose purpose was to serve as “guides” for the British army. It was the most famous of the Indian Army regiments during the period of British rule. The Corps of Guides from which other ramifications such as the Frontier Force or ‘Piffers’ etc have emerged, had a “reputation for bravery and efficiency that was the envy of all the other units.” (The Story of the Guides by Col. G.J. Younghusband, C.B.) Lumsden chose the tomb of Nawab Sayid Khan as Guides Headquarter and personal accommodation for himself. An inscription on a marble tablet inside the dome reads: “THIS TABLET WAS ERECTED BY THE OFFICERS OF THE QUEEN VICTORIA’S OWN CORPS OF GUIDES TO COMMEMORATE THE FACT THAT THE CORPS WAS RAISED ON THE 14TH DECEMBER 1846 AT PESHAWAR BY LIEUT. H.B LUMSDEN WHO USED THIS BURJ AS HIS HEADQUARTERS BOTH IN HIS MILITARY AND CIVIL CAPACITY DURING THE YEARS 1849-1851.” Today no traces of the governor’s grave can be found. Moreover, it is difficult to verify the history of the dome during the previous Sikh rule in Peshawar and it is quite probable that the original grave was somehow removed during that era. However, this tomb-turned-military headquarter became the focus of a good deal of activity as the newly formed Guides distinguished themselves in 16 engagements in the span of only five years during 1847-1852. Peshawar became the birthplace of the Khaki (from the local word "khak" meaning dust) and Lumsden is accredited for introducing this shade of uniform worn by the armies around the world. Lumsden bought all the white cotton he could find in Peshawar and “had it taken to the river where it was soaked and impregnated with mud.” The Guides had originally chosen this colour for their uniform and rest of the British army followed suit and abandoned the traditional scarlet (red) of their uniforms, which was too conspicuous and unsuited to the frontier warfare and adopted Khaki as the fighting dress of the Empire. As time passed, the Guides shifted their base to Mardan and the military headquarter at Peshawar eventually became a place for Divine worship. On 19 December, 1853 a meeting was arranged under Commissioner of Peshawar Sir Herbert Edwardes to discuss a Christian Mission to Peshawar. It was the Day of the Races, and somebody suggested that the meeting should be deferred on this account. "Put off the work of God for a steeple-chase!" exclaimed the Commissioner. "Never!" and so a small group met in the presence of Rev. Worthington Jukes and established the Peshawar Mission. The Church Missionary Society (CMS) was approached for assistance and the first missionaries sent to Peshawar were the Rev. C. G. Pfander and the Rev. Robert Clark who reached here in January, 1855. The CMS Afghan Medical Mission started in 1896-97 when two brothers Dr Arthur Lankester and Dr Cecil Lankester - forty-first in the line of missionaries sent to Peshawar - founded a hospital in a camel caravanserai in the walled city. The missionary hospital proved so popular that within few years it was necessary to move to new, larger premises outside the old city gates, inside the Dabgari gardens – the present site of the Mission Hospital Peshawar founded in 1904. A visit to this beautiful heritage monument is a wonderful evocation of Peshawar’s glorious past. An original rare photograph of Sir Harry Lumsden hangs at the entrance. Old Victorian photos and names of the aforementioned pioneer missionaries and many others who followed them subsequently adorn the walls of the Mughal dome. Interestingly, the site serves as a chapel today, which was established in 1926. The interior consists of two levels and the congregation is held upstairs. Until 1977, the interior was mostly wooden, but an electrical fire that year destroyed it completely and the floor had to be replaced with red marble. The ceiling is not original either. However, the outside of the building still looks attractive and retains its antique appearance and charm. With a little bit of planning and restorative effort, this unique site can become a leading tourist destination in Peshawar. It would not be a bad idea if television documentaries were made to highlight its significance and to remind the world that Peshawar, once described as the “City of Flowers” by Mughal emperors is more than just a paradise for smuggled Bara goods, city of booming shopping plazas, refugees and MMA as commonly perceived by outsiders these days.
(The writer is a member of Sarhad Conservation Network)
Words: 1100, Feb 5/2006, Dr Ali Jan | | Click on Images
to view Full Size 
The Main Burj which Serves as the Chapel Today
Interior of the Chapel & Its Entrance
Timelines
Portrait of Lumsden
View of Tablet
Church Organ
19th Century Missionaries in Peshawar
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