Houses of Military College Jhelum (MCJ)
A Historical Overview
Over the last hundred years, nine Houses were constructed in MCJ to accommodate cadets, out of which Auchinleck House was demolished in 1962, whereas Sher Shah House was permanently converted into a multipurpose Block in 1992. The College functions with seven Houses today, with a living capacity of over 600 cadets.
The oldest Houses were Roberts and Birdwood. Constructed during the initial years, they were the first to accommodate the pupils when the College started functioning on 15 September 1925. For some time, Roberts House was affectionately called “Baby House”, as it laid the foundation for the House system. In 1959, it was renamed Sher Shah House (SSH), and its flag changed from red to maroon, while its motto remained “I Can, I Will”. Since 1992, it has been serving as Sher Shah Block, fulfilling various administrative needs of the College.
Birdwood House was also renamed as Mehmood Ghaznavi House in 1959; it first bore the motto “Birdies Don’t Lie” before adopting the timeless creed “Work is Worship” in 1982. Its dark blue flag has flown with pride since 1925.
By 1929, Skeen House emerged, later renamed Babur House in 1959. Its motto, “Hard work, simple living and high thinking”, was replaced in 1972 with “Courage and Conviction”, whereas its flag shifted from light yellow to red in 2017.
Auchinleck House, built in 1943 and nicknamed “Sheesh Mahal”, was deactivated in 1958 and demolished in 1962.
After Partition, a new era began with the construction of more Houses. In 1958, Tipu Sultan House was founded, raising its dark green flag with pride and upholding the steadfast motto “Duty First”. Concurrently, Aurangzeb House was established. Its flag was orange, and its motto evolved from “Excelsior” to “Truthfulness Always” in 1985.
In 1989, Jinnah House was founded, named after the founder of Pakistan. Its royal blue flag and resolute motto, “Work, Work and Work”, embody the spirit of relentless perseverance.
Three years later, in 1992, Iqbal House was established, inspired by the national poet. Initially maroon, its flag later turned black, and it proudly adopted the same uplifting motto as Sher Shah: “I Can, I Will”.
Finally, Sir Syed House was constructed in 2011. Starting with a silver-grey flag, later changed to brown, it shifted from the motto “Never Give In” to the inspiring “Will and Virtue” in 2019.
Together, these Houses are far more than brick and mortar. They are living traditions, binding past to present and nurturing future generations in honour, discipline, and leadership.
