Editing Lahore (section)

== Etymology ==
{{Main|Etymology of Lahore|}}

The origin of Lahore's name is unclear. The city's name has been variously recorded by early Muslim historians as ''Luhawar'', ''Lūhār'', and ''Rahwar''.{{sfnp|Latif|1892|p=5}} The Iranian polymath and geographer, [[Al-Biruni|Abu Rayhan al-Biruni]], referred to the city as ''Luhāwar'' in his 11th century work, ''Qanun'',{{sfnp|Latif|1892|p=5}} while the poet [[Amir Khusrow]], who lived during the [[Delhi Sultanate]] period, recorded the city's name as ''Lāhanūr''.<ref name=":22">{{Cite book |last=Suvorova|first=Anna|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cI1_AgAAQBAJ&pg=PT241|title=Muslim Saints of South Asia: The Eleventh to Fifteenth Centuries|date=22 July 2004 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=1134370059}}</ref> [[Yaqut al-Hamawi]] records the city's name as ''Lawhūr'', mentioning that it was famously known as ''Lahāwar''.<ref>{{cite web|last=al-Hamawi|first=Yaqut|title=Mu'jam al-Buldan |url=http://arabiclexicon.hawramani.com/%D9%84%D9%8E%D9%88%D9%92%D9%87%D9%8F%D9%88%D8%B1/?book=53|access-date=14 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802231217/http://arabiclexicon.hawramani.com/%D9%84%D9%8E%D9%88%D9%92%D9%87%D9%8F%D9%88%D8%B1/?book=53 |archive-date=2 August 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Persian historian [[Firishta]] mentions the city as ''Alahwar'' in his work, with ''al-Ahwar'' being another variation.<ref name="briggs">Briggs, J. trans. [[Firishta|Mohammad Kasim Firishta]], "History of the Rise of the Mahomedan Power in India Till the Year A.D. 1612", Volume VI</ref>{{sfnp|Wink|2002a|p=121}}

One theory suggests that Lahore's name is a corruption of the word ''Ravāwar,'' as R to L shifts are common in languages derived from [[Sanskrit]].<ref name=":32">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8sdgrE8pn-cC&q=iravatyawar |title=Journal of Central Asia |date=1978|publisher=Centre for the Study of the Civilizations of Central Asia, Quaid-i-Azam University}}</ref> ''Ravāwar'' is the simplified pronunciation of the name ''Iravatyāwar,'' a name possibly derived from the [[Ravi River]], known as the Iravati River in the ''[[Vedas]]''.<ref name=":32" /><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Boltz|first1=William G. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j-hJB2279EAC&pg=PA136 |title=Studies in the Historical Phonology of Asian Languages |last2=Shapiro|first2=Michael C.|date=1991|publisher=John Benjamins Publishing|isbn=9027235740}}</ref> Another theory suggests the city's name may derive from the word ''Lohar'', meaning "blacksmith".<ref>{{Cite book|title=Journal of Asian Civilisations|date=2001|publisher=Taxila Institute of Asian Civilisations |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JfhwAAAAMAAJ&q=Lahore+blacksmith+etymology}}</ref>

According to a legend,<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VJwIAAAAQAAJ&pg=RA2-PA131 |title=Gazetteer of the Ferozpur District: 1883 |date=1883}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Haroon Khalid |date=31 December 2018 |title=How old is Lahore? The clues lie in a blend of historical fact and expedient legend |work=Dawn |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1454665/ |quote=A legend subsequently grew that connected the history of the city with Valmiki's Ramayana. According to this narrative, Valmiki lived on a mound on the banks of the Ravi when he hosted Ram's consort Sita after she was banished from Ayodhya. It is here that she gave birth Lav and Kush, the princes of Ayodhya, who later founded the twin cities of Lahore and Kasur. |access-date=1 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190101120014/https://www.dawn.com/news/1454665 |archive-date=1 January 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> Lahore's name derives from ''Lavpur'' or ''Lavapuri'' (City of ''[[Lava (Ramayana)|Lava]]''),<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FAS2AAAAIAAJ&q=Lahore+Lavapuri |title=Annual bibliography of Indian history and Indology, Volume 4 |publisher=Bombay Historical Society |year=1946 |page=257 |access-date=29 May 2009}}</ref> and is said to have been founded by Prince Lava,<ref>{{cite book |last=Baqir |first=Muhammad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-pAcAAAAMAAJ&q=Lahore+Lava |title=Lahore, past and present |publisher=B.R. Pub. Corp |year=1985 |pages=19–20 |access-date=29 May 2009}}</ref> the son of [[Sita]] and [[Rama]]. The same account attributes the founding of nearby [[Kasur]] to his twin brother [[Kusha (Ramayana)|Kusha]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Nadiem |first=Ihsan N |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pyFuAAAAMAAJ&q=Kasur+Kusha |title=Punjab: land, history, people |publisher=Al-Faisal Nashran |year=2005 |isbn=9789695032831 |page=111 |access-date=29 May 2009}}</ref> though it was actually established in the 16th century.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Nadiem |first1=Ihsan H. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pyFuAAAAMAAJ&q=kasur+pashtun |title=Punjab: Land, History, People |year=2005 |publisher=Al-Faisal Nashran |isbn=9789695034347}}</ref>