Revelations by the Architect Who Earned a Doctorate on Model Town Lahore (Episode 11)

Last paragraph of the previous episode:

“… But the question is: the land granted to the Model Town Society by the government was legally Crown Estate, owned by the British Government. Then why, at the time of transferring possession, was the Islamic term ‘Hayazat’ used in the official documents?”

Beginning of the new episode:

The word “Hayazat” is of Arabic origin and, in the Indian subcontinent, it has long been understood to mean the lawful right of occupation or possession of land. The British administrators did not abolish such traditional terms. They retained them in their own legal framework and defined them clearly within laws such as the Land Revenue Act 1887 and the Land Alienation Act 1900.

For this reason, when the Model Town Society was allotted land, even though the property formed part of the Crown Estate and was legally owned by the British Government, the act of transferring control was described in revenue terminology as granting hayazat. The term signified possession for the purpose of use and development.

It may therefore be understood that ownership of the land remained with the Crown Estate, the right of transfer was given to the Model Town Society, and hayazat, meaning practical possession for development, was handed over to the Society. In this context, hayazat was not a religious term but a legal one, used in the administrative and revenue language of that period. The possession granted in 1923 was administrative and developmental in nature, not proprietary. The Society received the right to plan and build upon the land, while ownership continued to rest with the government. Consequently, official records described the transaction as a Grant of Possession, indicating possession for use only. In 1941, following the registration process, this possession was converted into ownership.

In the case of Model Town, after the Governor of Punjab gave his approval in June 1922, the Society was formally granted hayazat, meaning lawful possession, in return for a substantial payment. This possession was for developmental purposes and did not constitute a transfer of ownership.

To understand how much this payment amounted to, we must turn to the doctoral research of the architect Dr. Shama Anbrine, who earned her PhD on Model Town Lahore.

Dr. Shama Anbrine completed her PhD in Architecture from the University of Liverpool, England, in 2014. Her dissertation presents a comprehensive study of Lahore’s colonial era urban planning, architectural development, and social framework.

In her thesis titled The Co operative Model Town Society Lahore History Planning and Development, she records the financial details of the land purchase as follows:

“The Society purchased the land from the Government of Punjab at the rate of Rs 400 per acre. The total area was 1,963 acres. The price of land amounted to Rs 7,85,200, while the value of standing trees was fixed at Rs 1,54,500. Thus, the total amount came to Rs 9,39,700, which the Society duly deposited into the treasury of the Government of Punjab.”

Dr. Anbrine further writes that the payment was made in two stages. The first was paid to the Revenue Department as the price of the land, and the second to the Forest Department as compensation for the trees. She also clarifies that since the land was forested in nature, the Society was required to purchase the entire forest area to ensure unified ownership. According to her research, the payments are verified through revenue records and correspondence from the Forest Department, and all these transactions were completed before the Governor’s formal sanction in June 1922.

In her own words:

“The land was purchased in two distinct payments, one to the Revenue Department for the proprietary rights of the banjar qadim and forest land, and a second to the Forest Department for the compensation of standing timber. Both payments were finalised and recorded before the Governor’s sanction on 27 June 1922. The entire block had to be acquired as a single unit because of its classification as reserved forest, ensuring unified ownership for the Society. Formal possession was transferred in June 1923, over a year after financial clearance and administrative approval.”

Dr. Anbrine clearly states in her thesis that the purchase of Model Town land was completed in two separate payments. One was to the Revenue Department for ownership of the banjar qadim and forest land, and another to the Forest Department for compensation of the trees. According to her, “Both payments were finalised and recorded before the Governor’s sanction on 27 June 1922,” which indicates that all financial and administrative processes had been completed before the Governor’s approval. However, formal possession was granted in June 1923.

It is historically verified that the financial settlements did not conclude entirely in 1922. They continued in several stages until 1941, when the Partition of Registry was completed and the ownership structure of Model Town was fully regularised.

To be continued in the next episode.

(This article is excerpted from my forthcoming book

The Birth of Model Town in Colonial Lahore (“برطانوی لاہور میں ماڈل ٹاؤن کا جنم”).

The book will soon be available through the Real Estate Think Tank and the web portal SyedShayan.com. A comprehensive documentary on the same subject is also in its final stage of production. Individuals or institutions wishing to share historical documents, research material, or photographic records are most welcome to contribute. Such material will be invaluable for scholarly reference and historical authenticity. Current or former residents of Model Town who wish to share their memories, photographs, or reflections for this historical book or documentary may contact

mail@syedshayan.com

Syed Shayan )