Masood Jhandir Research Library Mailsi: A Pride for Pakistan By

1. Masood Jhandir Research Library Mailsi: A Pride for PakistanBy Khalid Mahmood Sanghera Librarian Government College for Elementary Teachers Rangeel Pur Multan,  Ph.D. Student University of The Punjab, Lahore kmsanghera@gmail.com

2. Introduction • Research libraries play a pivotal role in the overall development of a country • Researchers use these libraries for their research purposes which exposes a new horizon of knowledge for them • In Pakistan, different departments and number of organization have their own research libraries with hardly any public access to them

3. Introduction • It is a matter of great pleasure that some people of means have established good private libraries, which they have thrown open for the research scholars • The best example in this regard is the “Masood Jhandir Research library” at Sardar Pur Jhandir Tehsil Mailsi district Vehari in the Punjab province Pakistan • It is claimed to be the biggest Private Library in Pakistan.

4. Introduction • It is situated in a town Sardar Pur at Mailsi Dunya Pur road Its distance • From Mailsi and Kehror Pacca is twenty kilometers • From Dunyapur is 25 kilometers • From 9/L Multan Mailsi road is 15 kilometers • Sardar Jhandir railway station is 8 kilometers on north side

5. Introduction It is • 80 kilometers away from Multan and • 70 kilometers away form Bahawalpur (Masood Jhandir Research Library: the largest private Library of Pakistan; a broacher of Masood Jhandir Research Library)

6. Introduction • Metal roads link the town Sardar Pur Jhandir with different cities • Facilities like electricity, post office, telegraphic office, girls and boys middle schools, rural dispensary, veterinary hospital, bank, telephone exchange, internet and optic fiber media, petrol pump and public transport are available in the town (Mahmood ( 2003) & Saqib(2007))

7. Research Methodology • Content Analysis was done as under: -historical Investigation of published and unpublished articles , - perusal of visitor’s suggestions books to examine the views of intellectuals, literary figures and other visitors about the library • An interview of Mian Ghulam Ahmed Jhandir, a member of management committee of the library was also conducted • Observation tool was used to check the organization, management and arrangement of material, services and other physical facilities provided to the researchers by the library.

8. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDIES • To study the development of the library from creation to date. • To explore services and functions of the library. • To determent the nature and extent of research material. • To suggest a mechanism to government and other organizations to establish such kind of research libraries for common public

9. Findings of Research Study Historical Development of the Library • Malik Ghulam Muhammad Chogatta (1865-1936) a landlord of the area migrated from Delhi to this area • He was a great lover of books. (Jahania, 2011). • He started a library in 1890 as personal collection (Sajid, 2013)

10. Historical Development of the Library • This library was handed over to his grandson Mian Masood Ahmed Jhandir as an inheritance according to his will • After this Mian Mahmood Ahmed Jhandir and Mian Ghulam Ahmed Jhandir younger brothers of Mian Masood Ahmed Jhandir joined hands with him in this noble task • The library was now called “Masood Jhandir Library” after the name of elder brother (Mahmood, 2005)

11. Historical Development of the Library • In 1990, a century after its foundation was laid, library was made available for use and mainly reserved for postgraduate research scholars, therefore, it was renamed as “Masood Jhandir Research Library” • At the moment this name is internationally known and recognized • People from within Pakistan and abroad come to the village Sardar Pur and do research work according to their needs in this library (Bukhari, 2004)

12. Library Building • In 1952, The Library was started in a single room • Then it was housed in 25 rooms 1990s • Due to the influx of new material and inadequacy of present building Jhandir brothers have donated two acres of land for the construction of new library complex • This complex provide facilities to house the total stock of books and periodicals along with cubical rooms for research scholars

13. Library Building • The new library complex had been completed in 2007 • It is built on 21,000 sq. ft. covered area • It consists of 8 commodious halls, auditorium, committee room, multimedia workstation, reception hall, office and a hostel • The library is surrounded by a 5- acre attractive park (Qalandri, 2013) • Future plans include construction of digital library and scholar’s hostel, electronics museum, and formation of a trust for library

14. Stock of the Library At present Masood Jhandir Research Library contains • More than 2,15,000 books • 118,000 periodicals, • 4050 manuscripts besides • 1153 rare manuscripts copies of Holy Quran • There are more than 7,000 reference books, nearly on all subjects

15. Stock of the Library • The books are classified according to DDC and are well maintained • The library is clean and tidy. • The books are often purchased from local publishers but a large number of books have been purchased from Iran, India, Saudi Arabia, Europe, and America • A good number of books were donated by Jhandir relatives of the patrons of the library • Jhandir brothers purchased 15 private libraries

16. Donations to The Library • The different dignitaries donated books to the library These include • Allama Abdul Hameed Rizwani, • Allama Attique Fiqri, • Sadiq Qureshi Silani, • Kafi Jampuri, • Prof. Kawaja Hamid -ud- Din Shahid, • Prof. Einul Haq Farid Koti, • Prof. Iqbal Salahuddin,

17. Donations to The Library • Allama Shorish Kashmiri, • Prof. Dr. Ali Nawaz Shauq, • Dr. Ashiq Javed, • Sardar Muhammad Saz, • Prof. Dilshad kalanchvi , • Prof. Dr. Rafiuddin , • Basheer Ahmed Zami, • Dr. Siddique Javed,

18. Donations to The Library • Sardar Muhammad Musafir, • Jana -i- afsun, • Allama Abdul Rehman, • Qazi Abdullah and • Abdul Majeed Khan Sajid (Shah, 2001)

19. Stock of the Library • Moreover, different goshas/sections have been established in the names of worthy donors • Their names are Dr. Arash Siddique, Syed Qasim Mahmood, Allama Maztar Abbasi, Prof. Muzaffar Mahmood Awan, Prof. Aasi Kernali, Prof. Khalid Pervez, Munshi Abdul Rehman Khan, Sufi Barkat Ali and Mian Mehfooz Ahmed Arain

20. Library Stock • The library holdings include books in different languages of the world like • Urdu, • English, • Persian, • Arabic, • Punjabi • Sarariki, • Sindhi, • Pashto, • Balochi, and • Esperanto etc.

21. Stock of the Library The Subjects of Library material include • Philosophy, • Ethics, • Religions, • Social Sciences, • Linguistics, • Science and Technology, • Arts, • Agriculture, • Literature, • Biographies and Autobiographies, • History and Geography etc.

22. Stock of the Library • The library has a considerable number of national and international journals and periodicals on religion, literature, politics, medical science, agriculture and other fields • It is also notable that 4,000 periodicals are in English language • The library has near about 700 years old rare manuscripts on Islam, philosophy, logic, medicine, language, poetry, literature, tasawuf, history, and mathematics etc.

23. Library Stock • The library has a 3’-6”X 2’-6” sized unique copy of Holy Quran which consists of ten chapters, weighing 100 kgs • Moreover it has also 1.5” X 2.5” and • 1.4” X 1.4” sized copies of Holy Quran which are smallest in size and easily readable

24. Library Stock • In addition to these there are 600 printed copies of Holy Quran translated in different languages of the world • Manuscripts of Holy Quran are housed with full respect in a separate room naming Riaz-ul- Quran • The oldest printed book in the library is “the cause of the decay of piety in Christianity by Richard Ulstery” • It was published in 1679 A.D.

25. Management Of The Library • Mian Masood Ahmed Jhandir • Mian Ghulam Ahmed Jhandir • Mian Mahmood Ahmed Jhandir • Mian Zaka Sardar • Dr. Muhammad Faisal Masood • Mian Zia Mahmood Sardar • Mian Muhammad Haroon Musa • Prof. Farhana Batool They are policy makers as well.

26. Services Rendered By The Library • The library is catering to the needs of a vast community of both local and foreign scholars (Azhar, 2005) • Actually, it is a working place for the post graduate scholars for in-depth research of Philosophy, Religion, History, Linguistics of Urdu, Arabic, English, Persian and Punjabi /Saraiki • Because the library is situated in a village far-flung form the city area, therefore, the scholars are provided residential facilities as well

27. Services Rendered By The Library • Library opening hours for visitors are7:00am to 11:00am in summer and 9:00am to 12:00noon in winter, • The library caters the needs of scholars, researchers at 24 hours • Researchers can do their research work 16 hours daily (Mahmood, 2003)

28. Services Rendered By The Library • Photocopy facility is not provided by the library • In alternate to photocopy, the research scholars are required to bring with them a digital camera of more than 6 mega pixel capacity to get the view of their required material

29. Membership of the Library • Only casual membership is allowed • No dues are charged for membership • Membership of the library is open to any reader, Pakistani or foreign, who is engaged in solemn research work and who is doing his Master, M. Phil., Ph. D. and Post-Doctoral research work • Books and other items are not lent by the library

30. Award • In recognition to the services rendered by the library, the President of Pakistan has conferred Pakistan civil award “Tamgha-i-Imtiaz” to Mian Ghulam Ahmed Jhandir on the occasion of Independence Day, 14th August, 2013 (Malik, 2013)

31. Comments By Visitors Local and foreign worthy intellectuals, literary figures, research scholars, political leaders, honorable judges, foreign ambassadors and officers who visited the library have assessed it as light house, great research centre, wonderland, an oasis, an educational charity, kaaba of learning, beacon, fort of knowledge, an ocean for thirsty researchers, golden ray of hope, an indispensable institute for research, city of scholars in shape of books, a beautiful Island in sea of ignorance, a heaven for research scholars, a great seat of learning, treasure house, Khuda Bakhsh Library of Patna in Pakistan etc.etc. (visitor’s comment books).

32. Conclusions • Library was started in a single room with few books. • The library belongs to mediocre land-owners • They grow crops and buy books by their income from agricultural farms • They have collected and preserved religious, cultural, historical, and literary heritage and upgraded them • It has so far received no funds from government or any other donor agency/person

33. Conclusion • The library provides research facilities to the researchers • It is a fact that library is situated in far flung villager area but the owners of the library provide residential facilities to the researchers • They keep them as their honourable guests • They fully entertain them wholeheartedly • Researches do their research work in full peace and calm • Library is promoting research culture in the country

34. Conclusion • It is a role model for literary figures, government and NGOs • It has fallen an impact on the visitors in this regard as mentioned in their comments in visitor’s books.

35. Suggestions • Government should arrange to build such libraries in different cities of the country • Rich persons should do their efforts to build such libraries • NGOs should utilize their funds to make such kind of research libraries for the benefit of common public

36. THANKS