Bricks have been manufactured in Punjab for thousands of years, with some of the earliest evidence coming from the ancient city of Harappa. Over time, brickmakers developed different sizes, firing techniques, and methods of construction, supplying materials for houses, wells, city walls, religious buildings, and forts.
From standardised bricks of the Indus Valley Civilisation to the Nanakshahi bricks, brick making in Punjab has a history that is often overlooked.
Brickmaking in Ancient Punjab
Brickmaking was already an established craft at Harappa during the Early Harappan period, by the mature Harappan period (c. 2600–1900 BCE), brickmakers would use two types of bricks - sundried mud bricks or kiln-fired bricks.
The sun-dried bricks were made from prepared mud and hardened by sun exposure. They were cheaper to manufacture as they didnt require fuel to fire a kiln, but they were more vulnerable and less durable than kiln-fired bricks which were baked in a large kiln to solidify the clay into brick. The kiln-fired bricks were more water resistant and therefore useful for drains, bathing areas, wells, and other water-exposed structures.
The standard Harrapan Proportions:
One of the most distinctive features of Harappan brickmaking was the widespread use of standard proportions.
Many bricks followed a thickness-to-width-to-length ratio of 1:2:4. A smalle size brick measured approximately 7 × 14 × 28 centimetres, while larger bricks measuring around 10 × 20 × 40 centimetres were used for substantial walls and platforms. These proportions were useful for construction. The length of a brick was twice its width, allowing builders to alternate the direction of bricks and create overlapping joints. This helped distribute loads and strengthen walls.
Harappan builders also produced specialised bricks. Wedge-shaped examples were used in circular wells, where their curved form allowed bricks to follow the curve of the structure.
What Happened to Harappa's Bricks?
During the nineteenth century, ancient bricks from Harappa were removed and reused as construction material.
In the 1850s, large quantities were taken for railway construction, including ballast - a type of crushed rock for the expanding railway network. The bricks were valuable because they had already been fired and could be reused without manufacturing entirely new material.
This means that some bricks originally manufactured during the Bronze Age were reused for nineteenth-century infrastructure, more than three thousand years after they were first produced.
The Types of Bricks Used in Punjab
Brickmaking did not follow one unchanging tradition throughout Punjab's history. Brick dimensions, materials, and construction methods varied considerably between periods, locations, and the type of building.
Kachchi bricks: These were unfired mud bricks, hardened through drying rather than kiln firing. They were commonly associated with less expensive construction and could be used with mud mortar or plaster.
Pakki bricks: These were fired bricks, generally stronger and more resistant to water than unfired bricks. They were useful for permanent masonry, wells, and structures requiring greater durability.
Lahori or Lakhori bricks: These were thin, relatively flat fired bricks widely associated with Mughal and later North Indian architecture. Their dimensions varied, and they could be arranged in narrow joints, curved structures, and decorative brickwork.
Nanakshahi bricks: This name is commonly associated with thin bricks found in historic Punjabi buildings, specifically those associated with the Sikh period.
Note: Lakhori and Nanakshahi bricks often overlap and have similar features.
How Did Traditional Brickmakers Work?
Traditional brickmaking required a sequence of specialised activities. Although methods varied, the main stages involved preparing clay, moulding bricks, drying them, firing them, and sorting the finished products.
1. Preparing the Clay
Brickmakers first selected suitable soil, usually containing enough clay to hold its shape when mixed with water.
Punjab's alluvial plains provided access to fine-grained sediments, although not every soil deposit was suitable for brick production and soils containing excessive organic matter, stones, or certain salts could produce defective bricks.
The selected soil was broken down and mixed with water. This process, known as tempering, helped distribute moisture evenly and produce a workable mixture.
The consistency mattered. Clay that was too wet could deform when removed from a mould, while material that was too dry might not fill the mould properly.
2. Moulding the Bricks
The prepared clay was pressed into rectangular moulds, traditionally made from wood.
Sand or another separating material could be used to prevent the wet clay from sticking.
The excess material was removed, leaving a brick of approximately uniform dimensions.
In some production systems, workers used moulds that impressed identifying marks into the surface of the brick.
The freshly moulded bricks were known as green bricks, meaning they had not yet been fired.
3. Drying the Bricks
Green bricks were placed outdoors to lose moisture before firing.
Drying was essential because water trapped inside a brick could turn into steam when heated, causing cracks or breakage.
Bricks were initially placed on relatively level ground before being rearranged to expose more surfaces to air.
This stage depended heavily on the weather. Extended rain, high humidity, or insufficient drying time could interrupt production.
Consequently, brickmaking in many traditional kilns was seasonal, with the monsoon presenting particular difficulties.
4. Firing the Bricks
After drying, bricks were arranged inside a kiln.
Their placement was important because heat and combustion gases needed to circulate through the stacked material.
Fuel was burned to raise the temperature, producing physical and chemical changes in the clay.
The exact temperature depended on the clay and kiln, but conventional fired-clay bricks are commonly produced at temperatures of roughly 800–1,100°C.
Underfiring could leave bricks weak or insufficiently hardened, while excessive heat could distort or partially fuse them.
The skill of the kiln operator was therefore important in determining the quality of the finished bricks.
5. Sorting the Finished Bricks
After firing and cooling, bricks were removed and sorted.
Well-fired bricks with regular shapes were generally preferred for quality masonry.
Underfired bricks could be softer and less durable, while overfired bricks might become distorted or fused together.
Overburnt material was not necessarily discarded. Broken or heavily fired bricks could sometimes be used as aggregate, filling, or other construction material.
Who Worked in Punjab's Brick Kilns?
Brickmaking involved several occupations, particularly as production became more organised.
In Punjab's traditional kiln industry, different groups of workers could specialise in individual stages of manufacturing.
Some commonly documented occupational terms include:
Khudai workers: Excavated soil for brick production.
Patheri workers: Prepared clay, moulded bricks, and arranged them for drying.
Redi workers: Transported unfired bricks to the kiln.
Bharai workers: Stacked bricks inside the kiln.
Jalai workers: Managed the firing process.
Nikasi workers: Removed, sorted, and transported finished bricks.
Note: these titles/ labels describe practices in the modern brick making industry, they should not be assumed unchanged in ancient or Mughal Punjab.
The division of labour also demonstrates that brickmaking was not a single occupation performed by one person. Producing large quantities of bricks required coordination between workers with different responsibilities.
Bricks During the Mughal Period
Brick masonry was widely used in Mughal-era Punjab, particularly in cities such as Lahore.
Although Mughal architecture is often associated with marble and red sandstone, many buildings incorporated extensive brickwork beneath their decorative surfaces.
Bricks could be used for walls, domes, vaults, foundations, and other structural elements.
Builders frequently combined fired bricks with lime mortar. Unlike ordinary mud mortar, properly prepared lime mortar could provide a durable bond and was particularly useful for more substantial masonry.
The production of lime was itself an important construction activity.
One source of lime in Punjab was kankar - a naturally occurring material found in some soils. It could be burned in kilns and processed to produce lime for mortar and plaster.
Brick fragments were also crushed to produce surkhi - a powdered or granular material that could be mixed with lime mortar.
This meant that even broken bricks could have a secondary use in construction. The thin bricks associated with Mughal-era building traditions were useful for particular forms of masonry, including curved and decorative work.
However, brick sizes varied, and so did the type of brick used to construct different buildings.
Nanakshahi Bricks and the Sikh Period
One of the most recognisable brick types associated with historic Punjab is the Nanakshahi brick.
These bricks are generally thinner and flatter than modern standard bricks and are frequently encountered in older religious, residential, and monumental architecture.
The name is associated with Sikh architectural heritage, but it does not establish that the brick type was invented during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh or exclusively manufactured by Sikh builders.
Thin bricks had already been used in the region before the Sikh Empire.
During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, brick masonry remained important in the construction and renovation of religious buildings, havelis, fortifications, and urban properties.
Historic buildings could combine thin fired bricks with lime-based mortars and plaster finishes.
The smaller dimensions of these bricks allowed masons to create relatively fine courses of masonry, although their use also required a greater number of individual bricks and mortar joints.
Nanakshahi bricks are now frequently discussed in relation to the conservation of historic Punjabi buildings.
Replacing them with modern bricks of different dimensions can affect the appearance and physical behaviour of old masonry, particularly when incompatible cement mortars are introduced.
Brickmaking Under British Rule
The expansion of railways, military installations, administrative buildings, and urban infrastructure during British rule increased demand for manufactured construction materials.
Brickmaking remained important because suitable raw materials were available locally and bricks could be produced in large quantities.
However, the dimensions of bricks gradually changed.
Before the late nineteenth century, thin Lahori/Lakhori bricks were widely used in Lahore. By the 1880s, thicker bricks manufactured to English standards were also being produced in Punjab.
These did not immediately replace local bricks. Traditional sizes continued to be used into the twentieth century, partly because they were familiar to local builders and could be less expensive.
Kiln technology also developed during the colonial period.
One important innovation was the Bull's trench kiln, developed in nineteenth-century India.
Instead of firing each batch of bricks in a completely separate operation, this design used a circular or oval trench with a moving firing zone.
Unfired bricks were placed ahead of the fire, while finished bricks were removed from sections that had cooled.
Heat from the firing zone could help warm incoming bricks, reducing fuel consumption compared with less efficient systems.
This made continuous production possible on a larger scale, although the technology also created problems involving smoke, particulate emissions, and difficult working conditions.
Brick Kilns and Labour Conditions
The history of brickmaking in Punjab also includes the experiences of workers; brick production traditionally required substantial manual labour, and in many kilns workers were historically paid according to the number of bricks produced rather than a fixed hourly wage.
In some parts of Punjab, families worked together in brick production, with different members assigned different roles.
Debt-based labour under the peshgi system where workers would receive an advance from a kiln owner or contractor, which was then deducted from their future earnings was common for poor or indebted families. This practice was/is subject to criticism, specifically when debts were manipulated, wages withheld, or workers prevented from leaving.
Workers may also face exposure to dust, heat, heavy physical workloads, and smoke from burning fuel.
Brickmaking in Modern Punjab
Brickmaking continues across both eastern and western Punjab, supplying materials for residential, commercial, and other construction.
Traditional fired-clay bricks remain common, although concrete blocks and alternative building materials are also used.
Some kilns continue to rely on labour-intensive moulding and handling, while others have adopted improved firing technologies.
One development is the zigzag kiln, in which combustion gases follow a more indirect route through the stacked bricks. This arrangement can improve heat transfer and combustion efficiency, potentially reducing fuel consumption and particulate emissions when kilns are properly designed and operated.
Modern brick production also raises environmental concerns.
The removal of topsoil for brickmaking can affect agricultural land, while poorly operated kilns contribute to air pollution.
As a result, the future of brickmaking in Punjab involves not only preserving traditional knowledge but also improving production methods, protecting workers, and reducing environmental damage.
Conclusion
Brickmaking in Punjab has changed considerably over time.
Ancient builders used carefully proportioned bricks for houses, wells, and drainage systems. Later craftsmen produced thin bricks suited to different forms of masonry, while colonial-era construction introduced new dimensions and industrial kiln designs.
The industry also developed specialised occupations, with workers responsible for everything from soil preparation to firing and transporting finished bricks.
Today, brickmaking remains an important part of Punjab's construction economy, although its history includes both technical achievements and difficult labour conditions.
To the brickmakers of Punjab and to the Punjabi soil,
May the manifestation of your labour stand tall as the world around changes,
With strength, Trish Saab
