A groundbreaking initiative at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) is offering the public a unique glimpse into the lost treasures of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s royal treasury, digitally recreating priceless artifacts that were dismantled and scattered following the East India Company’s annexation of Punjab in 1849.
According to a statement today, the showcase, titled ‘Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Toshakhana: The Material Splendour of 19th Century Punjab,’ employs a blend of rigorous historical research and advanced digital reconstruction to reexamine the region’s royal material heritage. Running from December 12 to December 19, 2025, the display is hosted at the university”s Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School of Humanities and Social Sciences (MGSHSS).
This interdisciplinary project is curated by Dr. Nadhra Shahbaz Khan, an Associate Professor of Art and Architectural History, and Dr. Murtaza Taj, an Associate Professor of Computer Science. Their collaboration combines historical inquiry with modern digital methodologies to allow visitors to engage with the material culture of the 19thcentury Lahore Darbar in an immersive manner.
Through video narratives, infographics, and reimagined models, the installation presents nuanced accounts of famed possessions like the KohiNoor diamond and provides digital reconstructions of destroyed relics. A notable example is the revival of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s silver bangla, a twostoried mobile throne whose silver sheets were melted down for bullion after annexation. The creative content was developed by a team of young researchers, including Abdullah Ahmad, Anas Kashmiri, Zeenat Nabi, Ayesha Ali, and Hamza Salar Hassan.
Explaining the curatorial vision, Dr. Khan stated, ‘The intention is not to mourn what has been lost, but to recall or reimagine, and then read these objects as living portraits of their age; of the hands that shaped them, the eyes that admired them, and the refined aesthetics of a society that brought them into being.’
At the opening ceremony, LUMS Vice Chancellor Dr. Ali Cheema highlighted the broader purpose of such scholarly work. ‘Heritage at LUMS aims to centre heritage as a way for us to discover who we are as a people, and to reflect on what inclusive futures could look like,’ he remarked.
The event’s Chief Guest, eminent scholar Fakir Syed Aijazuddin, underscored the importance of historical engagement, cautioning, ‘Those who forget history are not condemned to be liberated; they are condemned to forfeit it. And that is the danger that confronts us.’ Guest of Honour and Founding Pro Chancellor, Syed Babar Ali, added that a significant portion of Punjab”s heritage remains dispersed across global collections, awaiting proper documentation.
This display is a key component of the wider Heritage at LUMS initiative. Dr. Ali Raza, Chair of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, mentioned complementary projects like the LUMS Digital Archive and the preservation of the Lutfullah Khan Archive, a collection of over 2,500 hours of recordings entrusted to the university.
The exhibition underscores the university”s commitment to using interdisciplinary scholarship and technology to foster a more inclusive and accessible dialogue about cultural history.