What is Zam Zama?
Q: What is Zam Zama?
A: Zam Zama is an old cannon that was made of brass and was made in Lahore in 1762 on the orders of the Afghan king Ahmad Shah Durrani.
Q: Why is Zam Zama called the 'terror of Northern India'?
A: Zam Zama is often called the 'terror of Northern India' because it had tremendous fire-power, and all armies opposing the Afghans were terrified of it in the region.
Q: How was Zam Zama captured by the victorious Sikh Khalsa forces of Maharaja Ranjit Singh?
A: Zam Zama was later damaged in a military campaign and sank to the bottom of the Chenab River from where it was recovered and captured by the victorious Sikh Khalsa forces of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Q: What superstition arose after the Punjab region fell under Sikh rule?
A: After the Punjab region fell under Sikh rule, a superstition arose that 'whoever holds Zam Zama holds the Punjab'.
Q: Where was Zam Zama installed outside?
A: Zam Zama was installed outside the old Lahore Museum and then later on shifted outside the present museum building in the 1890s, opposite to the old campus of the University of the Punjab.
Q: When was Zam Zama restored and cleaned up?
A: Zam Zama was later restored and cleaned up in the 1990s.
Q: Who mentioned Zam Zama in his book published in 1901?
A: The writer Rudyard Kipling mentioned Zam Zama in the opening pages of his book Kim (published in 1901) during the period of British India.
