General Jacob's Tomb

General John Jacob, the British officer who founded Jacobabad and gave it his name, is buried in the city he created. The tomb is a modest colonial-era structure in keeping with Jacob's practical character — he was not a man interested in monuments to himself. His regiment headquarters, which he established here, remains the spiritual home of what is now the 19 Lancers of the Pakistani Army.

The tomb is a quiet spot in a city that is not quiet. For travellers interested in the complex legacy of the British in the subcontinent, Jacob is a fascinating figure — genuinely progressive by the standards of his time, effective as an administrator and soldier, and largely forgotten outside specialist military history circles.

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John Jacob was one of the most remarkable British officers in the history of the Indian subcontinent. He raised and commanded Jacob's Horse — a cavalry regiment that still exists in the Pakistani Army — and virtually single-handedly developed what is now Jacobabad, building an irrigation network, court system, and civil administration. He was known for going into the field without backup to negotiate with tribal leaders, and for his unusual policy of treating the Sindhi and Baloch people as people rather than subjects. When he died of a brain haemorrhage in 1858 at age 44, his regiment mourned as if for a family member.