Gujrat City

This article is about the city in Pakistan. For the district in Pakistan, see Gujrat District. For the state in India, see Gujarat. For other uses, see Gujrat (disambiguation).
Gujrat
گُجرات
Gujrat
Coordinates: 32°34′25.67″N 74°4′44.18″E / 32.5737972°N 74.0789389°ECoordinates: 32°34′25.67″N 74°4′44.18″E / 32.5737972°N 74.0789389°E
Country Pakistan
Province Punjab
District Gujrat
Government
 • District Coordination Officer Liaquat Chattha
 • District Police Officer Rai Ijaz Ahmed
Population (2012(city))
 • Total 738,558 (City population)
Time zone PST (UTC+5)
Calling code 053
Number of Union councils 18[1]

Gujrat (Punjabi, Urdu: گُجرات‎), is a city in Punjab Province of Pakistan and is 17th to 20th in the List of most populated metropolitan areas in Pakistan because Jhang, DG khan and Mardan all very close in terms of population figure.[2] It is the capital of Gujrat District and the Gujrat Tehsil subdivision in the Punjab Province.[1] Gujrat Teshil is divided into two circles, City Circle (Head office Gujrat City) and Sadar Circle (Head office Jalalpur Jattan. The major sources of livelihood among the Gujrat populace are agriculture and small industries. Gujrat is also known as the city of King Porus.

Location

Gujrat (not to be confused with the Indian state of Gujarat) is situated on the bank of Chenab River, the headquarters of Gujrat district, and is one of the most famous cities in Pakistan.

History

Gujrat was founded by Raja Bachhan Pal Gurjar in 460 BC, according to General Cunningham, the British historian. Historical consensus is that it existed in the time of Alexander the Great, and that the Mong's Raja Porus put up a fierce challenge to Alexander's invasion at the bank of the Jehlum River. The establishment of Gujrat City was realised early in the 19th century after the British Empire and in support of regional landlords (e.g., Daswandi Khan of Daswandi Pura).

In 997 CE, Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi, took over the Ghaznavid dynasty empire established by his father, Sultan Sebuktegin, In 1005 he conquered the Shahis in Kabul in 1005, and followed it by the conquests of Punjab region. The Delhi Sultanate and later Mughal Empire ruled the region. The Punjab region became predominantly Muslim due to missionary Sufi saints whose dargahs dot the landscape of Punjab region.

Gujrat became a part of the Muslim Sultanate of Delhi when the Persian noble Sultan Shahab-ud-Din Muhammad Ghauri conquered Punjab in 1185. Gujrat slowly developed as medieval town and many Muslim Sufi missionaries converted the local Gurjar population to Islam. During the Mughal period, Mughal royalty frequently travelled through the district en route to Kashmir. Shah Daula is a Sufi saint of the city and he met Sikh's sixth Guru Har Gobind (1595–1644) when he was passing though Gujrat. After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Sikh invaded and occupied Gujrat.

Two main battles between British and Sikh armies were fought in this district: the Battle of Chillianwala and the Battle of Gujrat. Only after winning the battle of Gujrat on 22 February 1849 did the British declare victory in Punjab.

After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the minority Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India while the Muslim refugees from India settled in the Gujrat district. Muslims refugees from East Punjab, Haryana, Jammu started arriving and crossed the border into Pakistan; many were given land in Gujrat District to settle.

There are many historical buildings and ruins in and around Gujrat. The Grand Trunk Road, commonly abbreviated as G.T. Road, built by emperor Sher Shah Suri, also passes through Gujrat. The road still exists today, along with its period stone wall. Historical buildings and ruins can be found in nearby towns throughout the area.

Language and demography

Further information: Punjabi dialects

As per the 1998 census of Pakistan, Punjabi language is spoken by 95%. Punjabi dialects spoken in the district are

Other Languages include:

According to the 1998 census of Pakistan the total population of Gujrat district was 2,048,008 of which 1,026,000 are males and 1,022,000 are females, with a population density of 642 persons per square kilometre. Over 25.62% of the population was recorded as being urban.[3]

Geography

Gujrat is an ancient city of Pakistan located between two famous rivers, Jhelum River and Chenab River. Because of its proximity to the rivers, the land is good for cultivation of rice and sugarcane as main crops. It is bounded to the northeast by Jammu and Kashmir, to the northwest by the Jhelum River, to the east and southeast by the Chenab River, separating it from the districts of Gujranwala and Sialkot; and to the west by Mandi Bahauddin District.

Climate

The city has a moderate climate. During the peak of summer, the daytime temperature shoots up to 45 °C (113 °F), but the hot spells are relatively short due to the proximity of the Azad Kashmir Mountains. During the winter, the minimum temperature may fall below 2 °C (36 °F). The average rainfall at Gujrat is 67 centimetres (26 in).

Culture

Terracotta vases of Gujrat

Gujrat produces low-temperature pottery and ceramic goods, hukkas, or water pipe, artistic handicrafts, flower pots, changairian (made from the leaves of palm and date trees), cotton mates and woolen shawls.

Sohni Mahiwal is a famous folk tale of the Punjab region. The heroine of the story, named "Sohni" (a Punjabi word meaning "beautiful"), came from the Gujrat region. She used to meet her lover, Mahinwal, by crossing the Chenab river, sitting on a pitcher. The tale is still told to this day and is an essential part of Punjabi culture.

The anniversary of Kanwan-Wali Sarkar near Karuan Wala Gujrat is celebrated with a fair in August every year. He is known as one of the greatest saints that ever lived. A famous miracle was when water in a well turned to milk for a time. The well is still there. Some locals attach significance to the fact that it often rains heavily around the time of the fair (monsoon). "Wengi Wali Sarkar" anniversary in 25 January every year at village Haji Wala near Karianwala Tehsil and District Gujrat. The shrine of Hazrat Shahdola (a famous saint in Punjab) is in Gujrat near Shahdola Choki. the anniversary of Hazrat Shahdola Searcher is celebrated in June every year.

Economy and industry

A clay artist working thrower to make terracotta vases.

Gujrat is known for its clay, with which the locals have long produced quality pottery. The city also produces fine furniture. Over the last few decades, Gujrat has attained a name in the manufacture and export of electric fans. Gujrat is now well known by a medicine trading company, GSM Corporation. Gujrat is home to one of the two largest shoe manufacturing companies in Pakistan: Service Industries, which runs a large shoe factory in the city.

There are about 1,059 cottage-level and small- to large-scale industrial units operating in the district. Rice production and export is another major product of Gujrat. There are many other factories engaged in manufacturing of electrical goods, electric motors and rice cleaning mills. Most are cottage industries, providing employment to a large number of people and accounting, in aggregate, for more than 90 percent of the domestic market.Wheat crop is one of the major crops in the district.

Gujrat has the highest percentage of the population abroad compare to any other district in Pakistan. Gujrat leads in foreign currency remittances in the country.

Education

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan named the region "Khita-e-Younan", or "territory resembling ancient Greece", in reference to the high number of educational institutes in the area.

Notable people

Transportation

Alexendria bridge in Chenab River Gujrat

The district is linked with Gujranwala, Jhelum, and Mandi Bahauddin districts with 1,019 kilometres (633 mi) of paved roads. The main Peshawar – Karachi railway line passes through the city and Gujrat is among the important railway stations of this route. The district is linked with Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Sargodha and Gujranwala districts through Pakistan Railway Network. Gujrat is located on the biggest highway of the country i.e. G.T. Road which connects Karachi to Lahore and Peshawer via Hyderabad, Sukkhur, Bahawalpure, Multan, Lahore, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Kharian, Jhelum, Rawalpindi/Islamabad. Attock and Nowshehra. It is also known as N-5. NHA has built a bypass over N-5 in Gujrat to avoid traffic problems on the highway.. There are three major roads which start from Gujrat i.e., Gujrat-Mandi Bahauddin-Sargodha Highway, Gujrat-Bhimber Highway and Gujrat-Jalalpure Jattan-Chamb Highway. Daewoo Express has a terminal at GT Road Gujrat, opened on 14 May 2004, and connects Gujrat with Lahore. General Bus Stand and Municipal Wagon Stand are the biggest road transport terminals in Gujrat. Gujrat Railway Station is the major station on Karachi-Peshawer main railway line. Gujrat airport does not host any commercial flights, and people use the nearby Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore and Sialkot International Airport for domestic and international flights. There is a non-commercial airport in the near Model Town and Gujrat-Bhimber Highway, which Pakistan Air Force uses to train pilots.

Clubs

Beside some active political parties there are various social clubs in Gujrat which are actively working for the social well-being of the city some of them are mentioned as follows,

Gujrat Chenab Lions Club, Dr. Akram Mirza Lions Club, Progressive Lions Club, Young Fellows Lions Club, Friends Lion Club, AHM clubs

Zahoor Ellahi Cricket Stadium is the only one cricket stadium in Gujrat city. It is located in Kutchehary Chowk at the junction of Jalalpur Road and Bhimber Road. It was outwardly rebuilt during the last government of Pervez Musharraf and Chaudharys'. Many shops are set up around its wall. Previously Zahoor Elahi Cricket Stadium was known as Horse Show Ground. The name was given to it because a horse show was performed at this place

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Tehsils & Unions in the District of Gujrat – Government of Pakistan".
  2. ↑ Google maps. "Location of Gujrat". Google maps. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  3. ↑ 1998 Census of Pakistan figures – Urban Resource Centre