The Cannon of Bhangian, Lahore

Standing in front of the Lahore Museum, this cannon became known as "Bhangian Di Top" (Cannon of the Bhangis) after it was captured by Hari Singh Bhangi and his forces in 1762, one of the Sikh confederacies. When Hari Singh's army attacked Lahore, they seized the cannon from Khwaja Ubaid, the governor of Lahore who had been entrusted with it by Ahmad Shah Durrani. The Bhangi Sardars Lahina Singh and Gujjar Singh maintained possession of the massive weapon until 1764. The cannon would later become known as "Kim's Gun" after being featured prominently in Rudyard Kipling's novel "Kim," (1901) but its identity as the Bhangian cannon preceded this literary connection and seems to have survived on this postcard some years after the novel appeared. The massive 80-pound gun was more notable as a symbol of power and marvel of ordnance than for its actual battlefield effectiveness.