The Nicholson monument at Margalla Pass is a granite obelisk about 40 feet tall, put up in 1868 on a rocky hill above the GT Road between Islamabad and Taxila, in memory of the British officer John Nicholson. It is about 40 km from Islamabad, visible from the road, and reached by a flight of steps. Right beside it, a short stretch of the old limestone-paved Grand Trunk Road, attributed to Sher Shah Suri, survives as a protected monument. Together they make a quick stop of half an hour on the way to Taxila.
It is also one of the more contested colonial monuments in Pakistan. This guide covers what the obelisk says, who Nicholson was, the old road beside it, and how to fit the stop into a Taxila day.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Where | Margalla Pass, Rawalpindi district, on the N-5 between Islamabad and Taxila |
| From Islamabad | About 40 km |
| Built | 1868 |
| Height | About 40 feet (12 m) |
| Material | Granite |
| Next to it | Remains of the old GT Road, about 1540, protected |
| Entry | Open hillside; no ticket reported |
| Time needed | 20 to 40 minutes |
Who was John Nicholson?
John Nicholson was born in Lisburn, in the north of Ireland, in December 1822 and joined the East India Company's army in 1839. He fought in the First Anglo-Afghan War and in both Anglo-Sikh wars. In the second, in 1848, he made his name by riding from Peshawar to seize the fort at Attock before the Sikh forces could, keeping the British line of communication open.
After the Company annexed Punjab in 1849, he was posted as Deputy Commissioner at Rawalpindi, and later at Bannu from 1852 to 1854. In the uprising of 1857 he led a mobile column of troops from Punjab to Delhi. He was mortally wounded leading the assault on the city on 14 September and died on 23 September, after hearing that Delhi had fallen. He was buried near the Kashmiri Gate in Delhi.
To Victorian Britain he was a hero, and Rudyard Kipling and others wrote him into their fiction. Historians today are blunter. Writing in Dawn in 2019, one author drew on William Dalrymple's work to describe Nicholson's open contempt for Indians and Afghans and the brutal punishments he handed out in 1857, and argued that the monument should stay but with that history told beside it. That is a fair way to look at it when you visit.
What does the obelisk say?
The memorial tablet, as reported by Dawn in 2014, records that the column was erected by Nicholson's friends, "British and Native", and lists four campaigns: Kabul in 1840, the First Sikh War in 1845, the Second Sikh War in 1848 and the uprising of 1857, which the inscription calls the Sepoy Mutiny.
There is a room at the base, more than ten feet high, with iron steps up to a door that Dawn found locked. Wikipedia mentions a small memorial fountain at the foot of the hill. The obelisk stands on the high point, so the view from the top of the steps takes in the pass and the traffic on the GT Road below.
What is the old road beside it?
The Department of Archaeology lists the Grand Trunk Road Remains, Margalla Pass, as a protected monument: a stretch of the old road surfaced in limestone and attributed to Sher Shah Suri, around 1540, on the route that ran from Kabul to Bengal. The department notes that the road probably followed a much older trade route through the pass, used by armies from the Achaemenids to Alexander. A signboard near the old road describes its history.
This is the part many visitors find more interesting than the obelisk. You can walk on a short section of a road that carried Mughal armies and caravans, a few metres from the modern highway. Wear proper shoes, as the old surface is uneven.
For the wider story of the road and its milestones, see our guide to kos minars in Pakistan.
How do you get there?
Take the GT Road (N-5) west from Islamabad towards Taxila and Peshawar. The obelisk is at the Margalla Pass, where the road cuts through the western end of the Margalla Hills, before you reach Taxila. You will see it on the hill from the road. It is roughly 40 km from Islamabad and, according to Dawn, about half an hour's drive from Hasan Abdal.
Traffic here is fast and heavy, with a lot of goods vehicles. Pull off only where there is room to stop safely, and keep children close to you near the carriageway. There are no facilities at the site, so bring water.
The obelisk sees few visitors; Dawn described it in 2014 as a place not often visited by tourists. Expect a quiet roadside monument rather than a staffed site.
What to see nearby
The pass sits between Islamabad and the Taxila valley, so it fits easily into a day of sightseeing on this side of the twin cities:
- Taxila, further along the same road, with its museum, Sirkap and the Buddhist monasteries. Our places to visit in Taxila and how to reach Taxila guides cover the day.
- Sarai Kharbuza, a Mughal-era roadside inn on the Islamabad side of the pass; see our Sarai Kharbuza guide.
- Wah Gardens, the Mughal garden near Wah Cantonment; see our Wah Gardens guide.
Our experiences page has more heritage day-trip ideas around Islamabad.
Is it worth stopping?
As a short break on the way to Taxila, yes. The old Sher Shah road is a real piece of history you can stand on, the obelisk is a striking object whatever you think of the man, and the stop costs you very little time.
It is not worth a separate trip from Islamabad. If you are not interested in colonial history or old roads, drive on to Taxila, which has far more to see.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Nicholson monument?
At the Margalla Pass on the GT Road (N-5), in Rawalpindi district, about 40 km from Islamabad on the way to Taxila.
When was Nicholson's Obelisk built?
In 1868, eleven years after John Nicholson's death at Delhi in 1857.
How tall is the Nicholson monument?
About 40 feet, or 12 metres, in granite, on a rocky hill above the road.
Can you go inside the obelisk?
There is a room at the base with iron steps to a door, but Dawn found it locked. Treat it as a monument to see from outside.
Is there an entry fee?
No ticket or fee has been reported. It is an open hillside next to the highway.
