Masood Jhandir Research Library
Mailsi: A Pride for Pakistan
By
Khalid Mahmood Sanghera
Librarian
Government College for Elementary Teachers
Rangeel Pur Multan,
Ph.D. Student
University of The Punjab, Lahore
kmsanghera@gmail.com
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
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.
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
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)
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))
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unpublished articles ,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
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
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)
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)
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)
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
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
Stock of the Library
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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
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
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,
Donations to The Library
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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,
Donations to The Library
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Sardar Muhammad Musafir,
Jana -i- afsun,
Allama Abdul Rehman,
Qazi Abdullah and
Abdul Majeed Khan Sajid
(Shah, 2001)
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
Library Stock
• The library holdings include books in different
languages of the world like
• Urdu,
• English,
• Persian,
• Arabic,
• Punjabi
• Sarariki,
• Sindhi,
• Pashto,
• Balochi, and
Stock of the Library
•
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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.
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.
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
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-ulQuran
• 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.
Management Of The Library
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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.
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 farflung form the city area, therefore, the
scholars are provided residential facilities as
well
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)
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
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
Award
• In recognition to the services rendered by
the library, the President of Pakistan has
conferred Pakistan civil award “Tamgha-iImtiaz” to Mian Ghulam Ahmed Jhandir
on the occasion of Independence Day, 14th
August, 2013
(Malik, 2013)
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).
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
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
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.
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
THANKS