~Multan~ (30.1 N., 71.3 E.), though now the smallest of the four great towns of the Panjab, is probably the most ancient. It is very doubtful whether it is the fortress of the Malloi, in storming which Alexander was wounded. But when Hiuen Tsang visited it in 741 A.D. it was a well-known place with a famous temple of the Sun God. Muhammad Kasim conquered it in 712 A.D. (page 166). It was not till the savage Karmatian heretics seized Multan towards the end of the tenth century that the temple, which stood in the fort, was destroyed. It was afterwards rebuilt, but was finally demolished by order of Aurangzeb, who set up in its place a mosque. Under the Moghals Multan was an important town, through which the trade with Persia passed. Its later history has already been noticed (pages 183 and 186). ~The Fort~ contains the celebrated Prahladpuri temple, much damaged during the siege in 1848, but since rebuilt. Its proximity to the tomb of Bahawal Hakk, a very holy place in the eyes of the Muhammadans of the S.W. Panjab and Sindh, has at times been a cause of anxiety to the authorities. Bahawal Hakk and Baba Farid, the two great saints of the S.W. Panjab, were contemporaries and friends. They flourished in the thirteenth century, and it probably would be true to ascribe largely to their influence the conversion of the south-west Panjab to Islam, which was so complete and of which we know so little. The tomb of Bahawal Hakk was much injured during the siege, but afterwards repaired. Outside is a small monument marking the resting place of the brave old Nawab Muzaffar Khan. Another conspicuous object is the tomb of Rukn ud din 'Alam, grandson of Bahawal Hakk. An obelisk in the fort commemorates the deaths of the two British officers who were murdered on the outbreak of the revolt. A simpler epitaph would have befitted men who died in the execution of their duty. ~Trade and Manufactures.~--Though heat and dust make the climate of Multan trying, it is a very healthy place. The population rose steadily from 68,674 in 1881 to 99,243 in 1911. The chief local industries are silk and cotton weaving and the making of shoes. Multan has also some reputation for carpets, glazed pottery and enamel, and of late for tin boxes. A special feature of its commerce is the exchange of piece goods, shoes, and sugar for the raw silk, fruits, spices, and drugs brought in by Afghan traders. The Civil Lines lie to the south of the city and connect it with the Cantonment, which is an important military station.