Sahiwal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sahiwal (Urdu: ساہیوال) is a growing city in southeastern Punjab province of Pakistan and the administrative centre of Sahiwal District. Founded in 1865, the town was formerly known as Montgomery after Sir Robert Montgomery, then Lieutenant-Governor of Punjab. It took its current name in 1966. Sahiwal lies approximately 180 km. from the major city of Lahore. The population is 207,388 (1998 Pakistan Census). Sahiwal District is included in the former Multan Division and lies between 30-40 north latitude and 73-10 longitude. It is approximately 500 ft. above sea level. It roughly forms a parallelogram lying generally NE-SW along the Ravi River. It is approximately 100 km. from east to west and 45 km. from the northwestern boundary of the district of Sahiwal, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh. The dead River Khushak Bias separates it from the district of Pakpattan. On the eastern side, Okara District is situated. While on the district the boundaries of Khanewal and Vehari District and on the southern side is Pakpattan district. Sharif exists where is shrine of one of the famous sufi Hazrat Baba Fareed Shaker Gunj.
Sahiwal District now consists of 531 villages in two subdivisions. Sahiwal District is spread over an area of 3201 km².. and comprises two tehsils, Sahiwal and Chichawatni. Sahiwal District also contains many subtowns like Qadirabad, Yousafwala, Iqbalnagar, Kassowal, Noorshah, Harappa and Ghaziabad. There are transport connections via road and Pakistan railways to Lahore, and a regional airport under construction, Sahiwal Airport. Agriculture is important to the local economy, particularly the growing of cotton and grain. Cattle are also kept and Sahiwal is famous for its water buffalo milk and one of the ancient civilization on archeological evidence dated 3000 to 5000 B.C. 15 miles southwest from downtown in suburb of Harapa which was the northern city of Indus Valley Civilization.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Harappa
Harrapa is today a large village in the Sahiwal District of Punjab, 15 miles southwest of the district town. Archaeologists think that ancient Harappa was the urban center dominating the upper Indus region, much like Mohenjo-daro dominated the lower Indus Valley and Ganweriwala might have been the urban center for what is now Rajasthan. The site at Harappa was first briefly excavated by Sir Alexander Cunningham in 1872-73, two decades after brick robbers carried off the visible remains of the city. He found an Indus seal of unknown origin.
The first extensive excavations at Harappa were started by Rai Bahadur Daya Ram Sahni in 1920. His work and contemporaneous excavations at Mohenjo-daro first brought to the world's attention the existence of the forgotten Indus Valley civilization as the earliest urban culture in the Indian subcontinent. His work was followed later in the decade by that of Madho Sarup Vats, also of the Archaeological Survey of India. Excavations by other archaeologists continued in the 1930's, and in 1946 Sir Mortimer Wheeler excavated the so-called fortification walls and found the first pre-Indus Valley civilization (Kot Dijian) deposits. After independence in 1947 and coming in District Sahiwal of Province of Punjab, Pakistan, Harappa was excavated by Mohammed Rafique Mughal of the Archaeological Survey of Pakistan in 1966.
In 1986, the first systematic, multi-disciplinary excavations of an Indus Valley city were begun by the Harappa Archaeological Project (HARP), under the direction of George F. Dales and Jonathan Mark Kenoyer. The main features of the plan, the citadel on the west and the mounds of the ‘lower city’ towards the east and southeast have already been indicated. To the north a slightly hollowed belt containing notably green crops marks an old bed of the Ravi River. Today the river flows 6 miles further north. Between the citadel and the riverbed, Mound F has been found to contain a remarkable and significant piece of town planning; to the south of the citadel lie the outlying hills, the Harappan cemetery and the post Harappan cemetery. To the southeast, sporadic digging has been carried out in Area G, but the ragged Mound E and its surroundings are virtually unexplored. There is an enormous amount still to be learned about the site, most of which remains unexcavated. The earliest deposits on the site go back to 5300 B.C. and the area seems to have been continuously inhabited ever since. Archaeological evidence is the key to understanding Harappa’s past. Although Harappa continues to be the center of historical debate, further archaeological explanations may some day reveal the validity or inaccuracy in the historical accounts of Harappa. Regardless of its impact on written history, archaeology will continue to reveal the way of life for Harappa's inhabitants.
[edit] The Sahiwal Dairy Cattle breed
The Sahiwal breed is the best dairy breed of zebu or humped cattle (Bos indicus), followed by the very similar Red Sindhi and Butana breeds. See photos [Synthetic Dairy Breed Proposal]. It originated in the dry Punjab region which lies along the Indian-Pakistani border. They were once kept in large herds by professional herdsmen called "Junglies". However, with the introduction of irrigation to the region they began to be kept in smaller numbers by the farmers of the region, who used them as draft and dairy animals. The Sahiwal is one of the best dairy breeds in India and Pakistan. It is tick-resistant, heat-tolerant and noted for its high resistance to parasites, both internal and external. Cows average 2270 kg. of milk during a lactation while suckling a calf and much higher milk yields have been recorded. Due to their heat tolerance and high milk production they have been exported to other Asian countries as well as Africa and the Caribbean. As oxen they are generally docile and lethargic, making them more useful for slow work. Their color can range from reddish brown through to the more predominant red, with varying amounts of white on the neck, and the underline. In males the color darkens towards the extremities, such as the head, legs and tails. Sahiwal breed arrived in Australia via New Guinea in the early 1950’s. In Australia, the Sahiwal breed was initially selected as a dual-purpose breed. It played a valuable role in the development of the two Australian tropical dairy breeds, the Australian milking zebu and the Australian Fresian Sahiwal. Sahiwal breeds are now predominantly used in Australia for beef production, as crossing high-grade Sahiwal sires with Bos taurus animals produced a carcass of lean quality with desirable fat cover.
The Sahiwal breed is the heaviest milker of all zebu breeds and displays a well-developed udder. It demonstrates the ability to sire small, fast-growing calves and is noted for its hardiness under unfavorable climatic conditions. (Reference: 1-Handbook of Australian Livestock, Australian Meat & Livestock Corporation,1989, 3rd Edition 2-Genus Bos: Cattle Breeds of the World, 1985, MSO-AGVET (Merck & Co., Inc.), Rahway, N.J. 3-Mason, I.L. 1996. A World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds, Types and Varieties. Fourth Edition. C.A.B International. 273 pp.[2])
[edit] Weather
The climate of Sahiwal district is extremely hot, reaching 47ºC in summer, and cold in winter, down to 2ºC. The soil of the district is very fertile. The average rainfall is about 177 mm. See Latest Sahiwal Weather at [[Image:[3]]]and [4] [5]
[edit] Major industries
It is famous for its cotton ginning & pressing, tannery, textile spinning, textile weaving, leather products, garments, pharmaceuticals, flour mills, food industry, oil mills, tobacco, vegetable ghee/cooking oil, biscuit plants, chip board, confectionery, and woolen textile spinning/weaving, etc. Its garments are especially famous all over the world due to unique eastern designs (e.g., City Fasion Point [iDREES sILK cENTER]in the Alfah Market and City Cloth Palace in Baroon Sori Gali). Its main crops are wheat, cotton, sugarcane, maize and rice. Main fruits are citrus, mangoes and guava. Sahiwal is a green and fertile town with 11,522 acres under naturally grown forests.biscut industry also papolar.
[edit] Sahiwal District Jail
The Sahiwal District Jail is one of the ancient jails in Punjab. It was depicted in one of the famous Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) drama Jangloos. A famous Urdu poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz wrote a major part of his poetry while he was in Sahiwal Jail as a political prisoner.
[edit] Educational Institutes
Sahiwal houses several educational institutes of high esteem. DPS & C is one of the leading high schools of the city. Government High School and Comprehensive High School are other eminent institutes imparting knowledge to the younger generations and have produced many notables in different fields of life. Education for girls is also given prime importance. Government Pilot Higher Secondary School and Junior Model High School are noted to be the finest institutes.
[edit] Farid Town Sahiwal
Farid Town Sahiwal is a new development that started sometime in the late 50s. Government College for boys was built at the "entrance" of this town. The town grew overnight when the well-to-do of the city wanted to enjoy the suburban lifestyle. The larger tracts of individual homes were first bought out by the wealthy and as you proceeded towards the inside of this town the areas got smaller. Downtown is of the largest mosque surrounded by a circle of road on the outskirt of which shops sprung up. One can compare it with any advanced Towns in the Country having almost all the best facilities of living.Farid Town is the best town in sahiwal.Also over 97% population of this town are educated A vast majority of people now moving abroad for higher education. Current Mayor of Town is ch.Ikram-ul-haq.
[edit] Politicians and People
One of the old Political families of Sahiwal is the Rajput Chaudhary's. They have been part of Local, Provincial and National level Politics of Sahiwal, Punjab and Pakistan for last 40 years. After partition in 1947, the late Ch.Abdul Shakoor moved from India to Pakistan to settle in one of the Punjab District's 'Sahiwal'. In late 1960's, he became the first Vice-Chairman of the Union Council, Sahiwal and later the Chairman of District Council, Sahiwal. His friendship with late Zulifqar Ali Bhutto made him join Pakistan People's Party in 1968. He contested twice on PPP MPA ticket in 1971 and 1973 later he died in 1983. His son, Chaudhry Nouraiz Shakoor Khan contested all MNA elections from 1985-2002 on PPP ticket except 1985. He has been elected thrice in 1988, 1993 and 2002 as Member National Assembley Pakistan. Nouraiz, later formed PPPP-Patriots in 2002 and became the Senior Vice President of the party. During these tenures as Federal Cabinet Minister, Pakistan he rendered dedicated services as Parliamentary Secretary for Communications in 1993-95, as the Federal Minister of State for Communications and Youth Affairs in 1995-97. He then held the office of the Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources from 2002-04. From 2005-present, he holds the portfolio of Minister of Science and Technology. He is an Advocate and an Agriculturist by profession. He is one of the senior most politicians of Pakistan who has a strong visionary political background. In 2002, his cousin Rana Aftab Ahmed got elected on a PPP ticket as Member Provincial Assembly, Punjab. He also contested in 1997 as MPA on the same PPP ticket but lost. After winning the elections in 2002, he also joined PPPP-Patriots co-founded by Nouraiz. From 2003-present, he is serving in the Provincial Cabinet of Punjab as Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture Marketing and Production. Nouraizs' other cousin, Chaudhary Iftikhar Ahmed holds their family Nazim seat in his village. This Nazim seat has been won by Chaudhary's for last 40 years.
In his life long services as a triumphant political leader Ch. Nouraiz Shakoor held the membership of Standing Committee on Finance Economics Affairs in 1988-90 and 1993-96, Standing Committee on Production 1988-90, Standing Committee on Planning and Development 1993-96 and Parliamentary Kashmir Committee 1993-96.
Being on these titles Ch. Nouraiz Shakoor attended many national and international Conferences, Workshops and Seminars as the part and leader of the delegations. He has represented Pakistan on many official tours around the World and has visited regions within U.S.A, Europe and Asia. Married, he is the father of two sons (Jaffer Shakoor and Muhammad Ali Shakoor) and three daughters. An avid fan of sports, he is President of the Cycling Association Pakistan, President Sahiwal Club and Member Tennis Association, Punjab.
Rana Tariq Javeed a top corrupt businessman is entering into politics.he is currently Member of National Assembly of Pakistan. His family has corrupt ambition to take bribe form people of sahiwal.
[edit] Mayors of Sahiwal
Rai Hassan Nawaz
Rana Zahid Hussain
Rana Naeem Mahmood
Malik Muhammad Arshad Ramzan
Muhammad Farhan-Ul-Haq
[edit] Nobel Prize Winner
This district has the honour that Pakistan's only Nobel Prize winner was born in this district. The only Pakistani Nobel laureate, Dr. Abdus Salam, was born in District Sahiwal, according to his elder sister. He was brought up in Jhang, therefore it is erroneously assumed that he was also born there. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for his achievements in the field of Theoretical Physics in 1979. He is buried at Rabwah city of Jhang district.
One of the founding forefathers of modern Urdu, Majeed Amjad, was born in Sahiwal and got his education from Govt. College Lahore. He was inspired by the greenery of Sahiwal and wrote about the trees.
| Administrative Divisions of Punjab (Pakistan) |  |
|
|---|---|---|
| Capital | Lahore | |
| Districts | Attock | Bahawalnagar | Bahawalpur | Bhakkar | Chakwal | Dera Ghazi Khan | Faisalabad | Gujranwala | Gujrat | Hafizabad | Jhang | Jhelum | Kasur | Khanewal | Khushab | Lahore | Layyah | Lodhran | Mandi Bahauddin | Mianwali | Multan | Muzaffargarh | Nankana Sahib | Narowal | Okara | Pakpattan | Rahim Yar Khan | Rajanpur | Rawalpindi | Sahiwal | Sargodha | Sheikhupura | Sialkot | Toba Tek Singh | Vehari | |
