Multan

Multan
مُلتان
Metropolis

Clockwise from the top: Tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam, the Shrine of Baha-ud-din Zakariya, the Shahi Eid Gah Mosque, and Multan's Ghanta Ghar
Multan
Multan

Location in Pakistan

Coordinates: 30°11′52″N 71°28′11″E / 30.19778°N 71.46972°E / 30.19778; 71.46972Coordinates: 30°11′52″N 71°28′11″E / 30.19778°N 71.46972°E / 30.19778; 71.46972
Country  Pakistan
Region Punjab
District Multan District
Autonomous towns 6
Union councils 4
Area
 • Metropolis 781 km2 (302 sq mi)
Elevation 122 m (400 ft)
Population (2015)[1]
 • Metropolis 3,117,000
 • Urban 2,050,000
Demonym(s) Multani
Languages
Time zone PST (UTC+5)
Area code(s) 061
Website www.multan.gov.pk

Multan (Punjabi and Urdu: مُلتان‎;  pronunciation ), is a Pakistani city located in Punjab province. Located on the banks of the Chenab River, Multan is Pakistan's 5th most populous city,[2] and is the premier cultural and economic centre of southern Punjab.

Multan's history stretches deep into antiquity. The ancient city was site of the renowned Multan Sun Temple, and was besieged by Alexander the Great during the Mallian Campaign.[3] Multan was one of the most important trading centres of medieval Islamic India, and attracted a multitude of Sufi mystics in the 11th and 12th centuries, earning the city the nickname City of Saints. The city, along with the nearby city of Uch, is renowned for its large collection of Sufi shrines dating from that era.

Etymology

The origin of Multan's name is unclear. It has been postulated that Multan derives its name from the Sanskrit word for the pre-Islamic Hindu Multan Sun Temple, called Mulasthana.[4][5][5] Hukm Chand in the 19th century suggested that the city was named after an ancient Hindu tribe that was named Mul.[6]

History

Ancient

The Multan region has been continuously inhabited for at least 5,000 years. The region is home to numerous archaeological sites dating to the era of the Early Harappan period of the Indus Valley Civilisation,[7] dating from 3300 BCE until 2800 BCE.

According to Hindu mythology, Multan was founded by the Hindu sage Kashyapa.[8] According to the Persian historian Firishta, the city was founded by a great grandson of Noah.[6]

Hindu mythology also asserts Multan as the capital of the Trigarta Kingdom ruled by the Katoch dynasty at the time of the Kurukshetra War that is central the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata. Ancient Multan was the centre of a solar-worshipping cult that was based at the ancient Multan Sun Temple.[9] While the cult was dedicated to the Hindu Sun God Surya, the cult was influenced by Persian Zoroastrianism.[9] The Sun Temple was mentioned by Greek Admiral Skylax, who passed through the area in 515 BCE. The temple is also mentioned in the 400s BCE by the Greek historian, Herodotus.[10]

Greek invasion

Multan is believed to have been the Malli capital that was conquered by Alexander the Great in 326 BCE as part of the Mallian Campaign. During the siege of the city's citadel, Alexander leaped into the inner area of the citadel,[11] where he killed the Mallians' leader.[12] Alexander was wounded by an arrow that had penetrated his lung, leaving him severely injured.[13] During Alexander's era, Multan was located on an island in the Ravi river, which has since shifted course numerous times throughout the centuries.[8]

In the mid-5th century CE, the city was attacked by a group of Hephthalite nomads led by Toramana. By the mid 600s CE, Multan had been conquered by the Chach of Alor,[14] of the Hindu Rai dynasty.

Early Islamic

After his conquest of Sindh, Muhammad bin Qasim in 712 CE captured Multan from the local ruler Chach of Alor following a two-month siege.[15] Following bin Qasim's conquest, the city's subjects remained mostly non-Muslim for the next few centuries.[16]

Abbassid Amirate

By the mid-800s, the Banu Munabbih (also known as the Banu Sama), who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad's Quraysh tribe came to rule Multan, and established the Amirate of Banu Munabbih, which ruled for the next century.[17]

During this era, the Multan Sun Temple was noted by the 10th century Arab geographer Al-Muqaddasi to have been located in a most populous part of the city.[9] The Hindu temple was noted to have accrued the Muslim rulers large tax revenues,[18][19] by some accounts up to 30% of the state's revenues.[16] During this time, the city's Arabic nickname was Faraj Bayt al-Dhahab, ("Frontier House of Gold"), reflecting the importance of the temple to the city's economy.[16]

The 10th century Arab historian Al-Masudi noted Multan as the city where Central Asian caravans from Islamic Khorasan would assemble.[20] The 10th century Persian geographer Estakhri noted that the city of Multan was approximately half the size of Sindh's Mansura, which along with Multan were the only two Arab principalities in South Asia. Arabic and Sindhi were spoken in both cities,[21] though the inhabitants of Multan were reported by Estakhri to also have been speakers of Persian,[20] reflecting the importance of trade with Khorasan. Polyglossia rendered Multani merchants culturally well-suited for trade with the Islamic world.[20] The 10th century Hudud al-'Alam notes that Multan's rulers were also in control of Lahore,[20] though that city was then lost to the Hindu Shahi Empire.[20] During the 10th century, Multan's rulers resided at a camp outside of the city named Jandrawar, and would enter Multan once a week on the back of an elephant for Friday prayers.[22]

Qarmatian Amirate

By the mid 10th century, Multan had come under the influence of the Qarmatian Ismailis. The Qarmatians had been expelled from Egypt and Iraq following their defeat at the hands of the Abbasids there. Qarmatians zealots had famously sacked Mecca,[23] and outraged the Muslim world with their theft and ransom of the Kaaba's Black Stone, and desecration of the Zamzam Well with corpses during the Hajj season of 930 CE.[24] They wrested control of the city from the pro-Abbasid Amirate of Banu Munabbih,[25] and established the Amirate of Multan, while pledging allegiance to the Ismaili Fatimid Dynasty based in Cairo.[20][19]

The Qarmatian Ismailis opposed Hindu pilgrims worshipping the sun,[26] and destroyed the Sun Temple and smashed its revered Aditya idol in the late 10th century.[25] The Qarmatians built an Ismaili congregational mosque atop to the ruins to replace the city's Sunni congregational mosque that had been established by the city's early rulers.[16]

Medieval

Multan is famous for its large number of Sufi shrines, including the unique rectangular tomb of Shah Gardez that dates from the 1150s and is covered in blue enameled tiles typical of Multan.
The shrine of Shamsuddin Sabzwari dates from 1330, and has a unique green dome.
The Mausoleum of Shah Ali Akbar dating from the 1580s was built in the regional style that is typical of Multan's shrines.

Ghaznavid era

Mahmud of Ghazni in 1005 led an expedition against Multan's Qarmatian ruler Abdul Fateh Daud. The city was surrendered, and Fateh Daud was permitted to retain control over the city with the condition that he adhere to Sunnism.[27] In 1007, Mahmud led an expedition to Multan against his former minister and Hindu convert, Niwasa Khan, who had renounced Islam and attempted to establish control of the region in collusion with Abdul Fateh Daud of Multan.[27] In 1010, Mahmud led a punitive expedition against Daud to depose and imprison him,[27][9] and suppressed Ismailism in favour of the Sunni creed.[28] He destroyed the Ismaili congregational mosque that had been built atop the ruins of the Multan Sun Temple, and restored the city's old Sunni congregational mosque.[16]

The 11th century scholar Abu Mansur al-Baghdadi reported that thousands of Ismailis were killed or mutilated during Mahmud's invasion, though the community was not extinguished.[9] Mahmud's rule over the region was noted by Al-Biruni to have ruined the region's former prosperity.[20] Following the Ghaznavid invasion of Multan, the local Ismaili community split, with one faction aligning themselves with the Druze religion,[9] which today survives in Lebanon, Syria, and the Golan Heights. Following Mahmud's death, the city regained its independence from the Ghaznavid empire and came under the sway of Ismaili rule once again.[27]

By the early 1100s, Multan was described by the Arab geographer Muhammad al-Idrisi as being a "large city" commanded by a citadel that was surrounded by a moat.[6] In the early 12th century, Multani poet Abdul Rahman penned the Sandesh Rasak,[16] the only known Muslim work in the medieval Apabhraṃśa language.[29]

Ghurid conquest

In 1175, Muhammad Ghori conquered Qarmatian-ruled Multan,[30][31] after having invaded the region via the Gomal Pass from Afghanistan into Punjab, and used the city as a springboard for his unsuccessful campaign into Gujarat in 1178.[27] Multan was then annexed to the Ghurid Sultanate, and became an administrative province of the Delhi's Mamluk Dynasty[17] — the first dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. Multan's Ismaili community rose up in an unsuccessful rebellion against the Ghurids later in 1175.[9] According to Shah Gardez, the second invasion of Multan lead to the extinguishment of the remnants of Ismailism in the region.[9]

Turkic rule

Following the death of the Mumluk Sultan, Qutb al-Din Aibak in 1210, Multan came under the rule of Nasiruddin Qabacha, who in 1222, successfully repulsed an attempted invasion by Sultan Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu of the Khwarazmian Empire,[17] whose origins were rooted in Konye-Urgench in modern-day Turkmenistan.[17] Qabacha also repulsed a 40-day siege imposed on the city by Mongol forces who attempted to conquer the city.[32] Following Qabacha's death that same year, the Turkic king Iltutmish captured and then annexed Multan in an expedition.[27][17] The Punjabi poet Baba Farid was born in the village of Khatwal near Multan in the 1200s.[30]

Mongols again attempted to invade Multan in 1241 after capturing Lahore, but were repulsed.[27] Mongols again attempted another invasion in 1279, but were dealt a decisive defeat.[30]

Tughluq era

In the 1320s Multan was conquered by Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq, founder of the Turkic Tughluq dynasty, the third dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. The countryside around Multan was recorded to have been devastated by excessively high taxes imposed during the reign of Ghiyath's son, Muhammad Tughluq.[20] In 1328, the Governor of Multan, Kishlu Khan, rose in rebellion against Muhammad Tughluq, but was quickly defeated.[33]

The renowned Arab explorer Ibn Battuta visited Multan in the 1300s during the reign of Muhammad Tughluq, and noted that Multan was a trading centre for horses imported from as far away as the Russian Steppe.[20] Multan had also been noted to be a centre for slave-trade, though slavery was banned in the late 1300s by Muhammad Tughluq's son, Firuz Shah Tughlaq.[20]

Timurid invasion

In 1398, Multan was captured by Tamerlane's grandson Pir Muhammad.[30] Also in 1398, the elder Tamerlane and Multan's Governor Khizr Khan together sacked Delhi.[30] The sack of Delhi lead to major disruptions of the Sultanate's central governing structure.[30] In 1414, Multan's Khizr Khan captured Delhi from Daulat Khan Lodi, and established the short-lived Sayyid dynasty — the fourth dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate.[30]

Langah Sultanate

Multan then passed to the Langah, who established the Langah Sultanate in Multan under the rule of Budhan Khan, who assumed the title Mahmud Shah.[17] The reign of Shah Husayn, grandson of Mahmud Shah, who ruled from 1469-1498 is considered to most illustrious of the Langah Sultans.[17] Multan experienced prosperity during this time, and a large number of Baloch settlers arrived in the city at the invitation of Shah Husayn.[17] The Sultanate's borders stretched encompassed the neighbouring regions surrounding the cities of Chiniot and Shorkot.[17] Shah Husayn successfully repulsed attempted invasion by the Delhi Sultans led by Tatar Khan and Barbak Shah.[17]

Multan's Langah Sultanate came to an end in 1525 when the city was invaded by rulers of the Arghun dynasty,[17] who were either ethnic Mongols,[34] or of Turkic or Turco-Mongol extraction.[35]

Suri invasion

In 1541, the Pashtun king Sher Shah Suri captured Multan, and successfully defended the city from the advances of the Mughal Emperor Humayun.[36] In 1543, Sher Shah Suri expelled Baloch rebels, who under the command of Fath Khan Jat had overrun the city.[36] Following its recapture, Sher Shah Suri ordered construction of a road between Lahore and Multan in order to connect Multan to his massive Grand Trunk Road project.[36] Multan then served as the starting point for trade caravans from medieval India departing towards West Asia.[36]

Medieval trade

The 15th century Multani caravanserai in Baku, Azerbaijan, was built to house visiting Multani merchants in the city.[37]

Multan served as medieval Islamic India's trans-regional mercantile centre for trade with the Islamic world.[38] It rose as an important trading and mercantile centre in the setting of political stability offered by the Delhi Sultanate, the Lodis, and Mughals.[38] The renowned Arab explorer Ibn Battuta visited Multan in the 1300s during the reign of Muhammad Tughluq, and noted that Multan was a trading centre for horses imported from as far away as the Russian Steppe.[20] Multan had also been noted to be a centre for slave-trade, though slavery was banned in the late 1300s by Muhammad Tughluq's son, Firuz Shah Tughlaq.[20]

The extent of Multan's influence is also reflected in the construction of the Multani caravanserai in Baku, Azerbaijan — which was built in the 15th to house Multani merchants visiting the city.[37] Legal records from the Uzbek city of Bukhara note that Multani merchants settled and owned land in the city in the late 1550s.[38]

Multan would remain an important trading centre until the city was ravaged by repeated invasions in the 18th and 19th centuries in the post-Mughal era.[38] Many of Multan's merchants then migrated to Shikarpur in Sindh,[38] and were found throughout Central Asia up until the 19th century.[38]

Mughal period

Multan's Shahi Eid Gah Mosque dates from 1735 and is decorated with elaborate and intricate Mughal-era frescoes.

Following the conquest of Upper Sindh by the Mughal Emperor Akbar, Multan was attacked and captured by Akbar's army under the command of Bairam Khan in 1557.[39] In 1627, Multan was encircled by walls that were built on the order of Murad Baksh, son of Shah Jahan.[6] Upon his return from an expedition to Balkh in 1648, the future emperor Aurangzeb was appointed Governor of Multan and Sindh — a post he held until 1652.[30] In the second half of the 17th century, Multan's commercial fortunes were adversely affected by silting and shifting of the nearby river, which denied traders vital trade access to the Arabian Sea.[40] Multan witnessed difficult times as the Mughal Empire waned in power following the death of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707.

Dar al-Aman era

Under Mughal rule, Multan enjoyed 200 years of peace in a time when the city became known as Dar al-Aman ("Abode of Peace"). During the Mughal era, Multan was an important centre of agricultural production and manufacturing of cotton textiles.[40] Multan was a centre for currency minting during the Mughal era.[40] Multan was also host to the offices of many commercial enterprises during the Mughal era,[40] even in times when the Mughals were in control of the even more coveted city of Kandahar, given the unstable political situation resulting from frequent contestation of Kandadar with the Persian Safavid Empire.[40]

Post-Mughal

Nader Shah conquered the region as part of his invasion of the Mughal Empire in 1739. Despite invasion, Multan remained northwest India's premier commercial centre throughout most of the 18th century.[40]

In 1752 Ahmad Shah Durrani captured Multan,[41] and the city's walls were rebuilt in 1756 by Nawab Ali Mohammad Khan Khakwani,[6] who also built the Ali Muhammad Khan Mosque in 1757. In 1758, the Marathas under Raghunathrao briefly seized Multan,[42][43] though the city was recaptured by Durrani in 1760. After repeated invasions following the collapse of the Mughal Empire, Multan was reduced from being one of the world's most important early-modern commercial centres, to a regional trading town.[40]

Sikh era

Multan's "Bloody Bastion" was the site of fierce fighting during the Siege of Multan in 1848-49.

In 1772, Ahmed Shah Durrani's son Timur Shah lost Multan to Sikh forces.[30] However, Multan's association with Sikhism predates this, as the founder of the Sikh religion, Guru Nanak, is said to have visited the city during one of his journeys.[44]

The city had reverted to Muslim rule under the suzerainty of Nawab Muzaffar Khan in 1778.[45] In 1817, Ranjit Singh sent a body of troops to Multan under the command of Diwan Bhiwani Das to receive from Nawab Muzaffar Khan the tribute he owed to the Sikh Darbar. In 1818, the armies of Kharak Singh and Misr Diwan Chand lay around Multan without making much initial headway, until Ranjit Singh dispatched the massive Zamzama cannon, which quickly led to disintegration of the Multan's defences.[46] Misr Diwan Chand led Sikh armies to a decisive victory over Muzaffar Khan. Muzzafar Khan and seven of his sons were killed before the Multan fort finally fell on 2 March 1818 in the Battle of Multan.[47][48] Following the Sikh conquest, Multan declined in importance as a trading post.[40]

1848 Multan Revolt

The 1848 Multan Revolt and subsequent Siege of Multan began on 19 April 1848 when local Sikhs murdered two emissaries of the British Raj.[49] The two British visitors were in Multan to attend a ceremony for Sardar Kahan Singh, who had been selected by the British East India Company to replace the son of Diwan Mulraj Chopra as ruler of Multan.[50] Rebellion engulfed the Multan region under the leadership of Mulraj Chopra and Sher Singh Attariwalla.[49] The Multan Revolt triggered the start of the Second Anglo-Sikh War,[50] which eventually resulted in the fall of the Sikh Empire in 1849.[51]

British Raj

The Multan Garrison Club was built in a 19th-century British-colonial style.

By December 1848, the British had captured portions of Multan city's outskirts. In January 1849, the British had amassed a force of 12,000 to conquer Multan.[49] On 22 January 1849, the British had breached the walls of the Multan Fort, leading to the surrender of Mulraj and his forces to the British.[49] The British conquest of the Sikh Empire was completed in February 1849, after the British victory at the Battle of Gujrat.

Between the 1890s and 1920s, the British laid a vast network of canals in the Multan region, and throughout much of central and southern Punjab province.[52] Thousands of "Canal Towns" and villages were built according to standardized plans throughout the newly irrigated swathes of land.[52]

Climate

Multan features an arid climate (Köppen climate classification BWh) with very hot summers and mild winters. The average annual precipitations 186 millimetres (7.3 in).

Multan is known for having some of the hottest weather in the Pakistan. The highest recorded temperature is approximately 52 °C (126 °F), and the lowest recorded temperature is approximately −1 °C (30 °F).[53][54]

Climate data for Multan
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 28.3
(82.9)		 32.0
(89.6)		 39.0
(102.2)		 45.0
(113)		 48.9
(120)		 52.0
(125.6)		 52.2
(126)		 45.0
(113)		 42.5
(108.5)		 40.6
(105.1)		 36.0
(96.8)		 29.0
(84.2)		 52.2
(126)
Average high °C (°F) 21.0
(69.8)		 23.2
(73.8)		 28.5
(83.3)		 35.5
(95.9)		 40.4
(104.7)		 42.3
(108.1)		 39.2
(102.6)		 38.0
(100.4)		 37.2
(99)		 34.6
(94.3)		 28.5
(83.3)		 22.7
(72.9)		 32.59
(90.68)
Daily mean °C (°F) 12.7
(54.9)		 15.4
(59.7)		 21.0
(69.8)		 27.5
(81.5)		 32.4
(90.3)		 35.5
(95.9)		 33.9
(93)		 33.0
(91.4)		 31.0
(87.8)		 26.4
(79.5)		 19.7
(67.5)		 14.1
(57.4)		 25.22
(77.39)
Average low °C (°F) 4.5
(40.1)		 7.6
(45.7)		 13.5
(56.3)		 19.5
(67.1)		 24.4
(75.9)		 28.6
(83.5)		 28.7
(83.7)		 28.0
(82.4)		 24.9
(76.8)		 18.2
(64.8)		 10.9
(51.6)		 5.5
(41.9)		 17.86
(64.15)
Record low °C (°F) −3.9
(25)		 −2.0
(28.4)		 3.3
(37.9)		 9.4
(48.9)		 13.5
(56.3)		 20.0
(68)		 21.1
(70)		 21.1
(70)		 16.7
(62.1)		 8.9
(48)		 0.6
(33.1)		 −1.1
(30)		 −3.9
(25)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 7.2
(0.283)		 9.5
(0.374)		 19.5
(0.768)		 12.9
(0.508)		 9.8
(0.386)		 12.3
(0.484)		 61.3
(2.413)		 32.6
(1.283)		 10.8
(0.425)		 1.7
(0.067)		 2.3
(0.091)		 6.9
(0.272)		 186.8
(7.354)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 222.3 211.6 250.8 273.3 293.5 266.8 265.0 277.6 277.6 274.9 255.0 229.2 3,097.6
Source: NOAA (1961–1990)[55]

Demographics

Multan's is home to a significant Christian minority.
Multan's Sufi shrines are often decorated during annual Urs festivals. Pictured is the Wali Muhammad Shah shrine.

Multan city had a population of 1,197,384 in the 1998 census.[56]

Language

The linguistic breakdown of the Multan City Tehsil as per the 1998 Census is as follows:

 100 %
Rank Language 1998 census[57] Speakers
1 Saraiki
42.16% 632,602
2 Punjabi 32.34% 485,232
3 Urdu 23.5% 353,354
4 Others 2% 29,429
All Languages 100% 1,500,617

Civic Administration

Administrators who are government servants have the powers of Nazims (Mayor). Multan district is spread over an area of 3,721 square kilometres, comprising four tehsils: Multan City, Multan Saddar, Shujabad and Jalalpur Pirwala. In 2005 Multan was reorganised as a City District composed of seven autonomous towns:

Economy

Multan is a commercial and industrial centre, as it is connected with the rest of the country through rail and air including the other industrial hubs such as Lahore, Karachi, Gujranwala, Quetta and Faisalabad. Industries include fertilizer, cosmetics, glass manufacturing, cotton production and processing, large textile units, flour mills, sugar and oil mills and large-scale power generation projects. It is famous for its handicrafts (carpets & ceramics) and cottage industries. Roughly 1,900 acres (7.7 km) of the city is still forested in the district. Trees grown in the area are Kikar, Shisham and Mulberry.

Large, irregular suburbs have grown outside the old walled town, and two satellite towns have been set up. The mangoes of Multan district are well-known. Multani khussa (traditional shoes), embroidery on dresses for women and men, furniture and other wooden products, earthenware pottery, painted pottery, camel-skin ware, surgical instruments and carpets are a few of the city's major exports, with a great demand within the country as well.

Multan is an important agricultural, industrial and tourist centre. Wheat, cotton and sugarcane are the main crops grown in the district. Moreover, rice, maize, tobacco, bajra, moong (lentils), mash (lentils), masoor (lentils), oil seed such as rape, mustard and sunflower are also grown in minor quantities in the district. Mangoes, citrus, guavas and pomegranate are the main fruits grown in the Multan district. Additionally, dates, jaman, pears, phalsa and bananas are grown in minor quantities in the district.

The city is also rich in minerals. These include argillaceous clay, coal, dolomite, fire clay, gypsum, limestone, silica and rock salt. Most of these are excavated for commercial activities and transported to other cities within the country. Many industrial factories are being inaugurated to handle the separation and quality control of these minerals. The minerals in the city are used in dolomite processing, fire bricks/refractories, hollow glassware, insulators/capacitors and ceramics.

Since Multan is agriculture-based, there is also plenty of livestock still growing at a positive rate, which has led to milk processing/dairy products units, ice cream manufacturing, animal and poultry feed, dairy farms, cattle/sheep/goat fattening plants, meat/poultry processing units, leather garments manufacturing, leather footwear, cosmetics, tinned goods and pharmaceuticals

Transportation

Multan has connections with other cities by a variety of means of transportation. The district has concrete road reaching up to 983.69 km. The district is linked with Khanewal, Lodhran and Muzaffargarh districts through concrete roads. Buses to Bahawalpur leave frequently, since it is located closely to the city. There are a variety of buses travelling farther from the city. Many of them are now air-conditioned with a fairly good safety record. The N-5 National Highway connects the city to connect to all parts of Pakistan. The road otherwise, known as GT Road, allows connections to Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Karachi, Lahore as well as Bahawalpur. Coach services such as Daewoo Express, Faisal Movers Express, Niazi Express,Khan brothers transport, Nadir flying coach, Punjab Tourism Department, Skyways and New Khan Bus Service are some of the most reliable coach companies operating out of Multan.

Motorways

Multan is situated along the under-construction 6-lane Karachi–Lahore Motorway connecting southern and northern Pakistan that is being built as part of the $54 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor. The 6-lane, 392 kilometre long M-5 section of the motorway is being built between Sukkur and Multan at a cost $2.89 billion.[58] The M-5 has been under construction since May 2016.[59]

Multan will also be connected to the city of Faisalabad via the M-4 motorway,[60][61] which in turn will connect to the M-1 and M-2 motorways that will provide access to Islamabad and Peshawar. Further links with the Karakoram Highway will provide access to Xinjiang, China, and Central Asia.

Construction of the M3 motorway also under construction at a cost of approximately $1.5 billion,[62] and was launched in November 2015[63] The motorway will branch off of the M-4 motorway and will connect Lahore to the M-4 at Abdul Hakeem.

Rail

Multan is connected by rail with all parts of the country and lies on the main track between Karachi, Peshawar, Lahore and Quetta. The Main Line-1 Railway that links Karachi and Peshaway passes through Multan district is being overhauled as part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor. As part of the part of the project, railways will be upgraded to permit train travel at speeds of up to 160 kilometres per hour, versus the average 60 to 105 km per hour speed currently possible on existing track,[64] The project is divided into three phases, with the Peshawar to Multan portion to be completed as part of the project's first phase by 2018,[65] and the entire project is expected to be complete by 2021.[65]

From Multan, links to Khanewal, Lodhran and Muzafargarh are offered by rail.[66] Multan Cantonment railway station is the main railway station of Multan.

Bus rapid transit

The Multan Metrobus is a bus rapid transit line which commenced service in January 2017,[67] at a cost of 28.8 billion rupees.[68] The BRT route serves 21 stations over the course of 18.5 kilometres, of which 12.5 kilometres are elevated.[69] 14 stations are elevated, while the remainder are at street level. The BRT route begins at Bahauddin Zakariya University in northern Multan, and heads southward to pass by the eastern edge of Multan's old city at the Daulat Gate before turning east to finally terminate at the Kumharanwala Chowk in eastern Multan.

With this project, Multan, a city of 5 million people, becomes third large city in Pakistan to receive mass-transit BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) system after Lahore and Rawalpindi-Islamabad. Another BRT is currently under construction in Karachi, as well as the TransPeshawar BRT in Peshawar. A metrotrain is currently being built in Lahore as well.

The route will initially serviced by 35 buses, serving up to 95,000 passengers per day.[69] The Multan Metrobus is planned to ultimately have total of 4 BRT lines covering 68.82 kilometres,[70] which will be complemented by feeder lines.[70]

Air

Multan International Airport offers flights throughout Pakistan, and direct flights to Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Multan International Airport is situated 4 km west of the city Multan in Punjab, Pakistan.The airport is southern Punjab's largest and busiest airport. Multan International Airport offers flights throughout Pakistan, as well as direct flights to Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

As the demand for air travel began to surge, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority decided to upgrade the facilities for the airport in 2005. Initially the runway was upgraded to handle Boeing 747 operations at a cost of Rs 720m and was completed within the same year.The airport also reported an operating profit of Rs 1bn within that year.

It was in December 2007, that Director General CAA, Farooq Rehmatullah held a press conference that the terminal building would be expanded as well as airside facilities at a cost of Rs4.5bn.It was in April 2009 that the work started with the runway, taxi ways and apron so the airport could handle large aircraft.The ground breaking ceremony was held by the then PM Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani. Pakistan-based Engineering Consultants International Limited (ECIL) was awarded the contract to extend the runway and terminal building.

In March 2015, a new terminal building was formally inaugurated by Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.[71] Following the opening of the new terminal, passenger traffic soared from 384,571 in 2014-2015, to 904,865 in 2015-2016.[72]

Education

The NFC Institute of Engineering and Technology, established as the training center of the National Fertilizer Corporation (NFC) of Pakistan, is a degree awarding engineering and technology institute in Multan, serving mainly the areas of Southern Punjab province. [73]

Bahauddin Zakariya University (formerly known as Multan University) is the main source of higher education for this region. The Swedish Institute of Technology in Multan is a campus of the Swedish Group of Technical Institutes, the largest private-sector organisation providing technical education and vocational training in the Punjab.[74] Now more universities from federal are also opening campuses in Multan, such as National University of Modern Languages (NUML).[75] Multan Medical and Dental College (MMDC) is the only private medical institution in Southern Punjab. The Government High School Rid, Moza Rid, Chk 2 Faiz Multan is affiliated to BISE Multan and shows satisfactory results at secondary education level. Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture, Jalalpur PirWala, Multan.

Heritage

The tomb of Khawaja Awais Kagha displays use of traditional Multan tile-work on both its exterior and interior.

Prahladpuri Temple

Prahladpuri Temple, Multan is located It is located on top of a raised platform inside the Fort of Multan, adjacent to tomb of Hazrat Baha’ul Haq Zakariya. The Prahladapuri temple like the Sun Temple of Multan had been destroyed after Muslim conquest of Multan, suffered several material losses and was reduced to a nondescript shrine by the 19th century. A mosque has subsequently built adjacent to temple.[76]

The original temple of Prahladpuri is said to have been built by Prahlad, son of Hiranyakashipu, the king of Multan (Kashya-papura)[77] in honor of Narsing Avatar, an incarnation of Hindu god Vishnu, who emerged from the pillar to save Prahlada.[78][79][80][81]

Notable saints of Multan

The shrine of Pir Adil Shah.


Sports

The Multan Cricket Stadium hosted many international cricket matches. Ibn-e-Qasim Bagh Stadium is the other stadium in Multan which is used for football. Multan is home to Multan Tigers, the domestic cricket which represents the city in domestic tournaments. Multan has produced many international cricketers like Inzamam-ul-Haq, Sohaib Maqsood, Rahat Ali, and Sania Khan.

Multan is a multi-purpose stadium in Multan, Punjab, Pakistan. The stadium is located off Vehari Road, in the suburbs of Multan. It is primarily used for cricket matches. The stadium seats 35,000 and hosted its first test match in 2001, Pakistan against Bangladesh for the Asian Test Championship. The stadium hosts both forms of international cricket: Test cricket and One Day International.

The ground was inaugurated in 2001 as a replacement for the Ibn-e-Qasim Bagh Stadium located in the heart of Multan. Floodlights were recently installed to make day/night cricket matches possible. The first day/night game played at this ground was between arch-rivals India and Pakistan. Professional Multan team

Club League Sport Venue Established
Multan Sultans Pakistan Super League Cricket Multan Cricket Stadium 2017

Notable people from Multan

Sister cities

Multan has a friendship agreement with five cities of the world as of 2011:

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://pcgip.urbanunit.gov.pk/docs/ADPDocumnets/ConsolidatedMultan_ADP.pdf
  2. ↑ http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files//tables/POPULATION%20SIZE%20AND%20GROWTH%20OF%20MAJOR%20CITIES.pdf
  3. ↑ Bury, John Bagnell (2015). A History of Greece. Cambridge University Press. p. 810. ISBN 9781108082204.
  4. ↑ Multān City - Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 18, p. 35.
  5. 1 2 Hindu History BY Akshoy K Majumdar Published by Rupa and CO PAGE 54
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Calcutta Review, Volumes 92-93. University of Calcutta,. 1891.
  7. ↑ Khan, Ahmad Nabi (1983). Multan: history and architecture. Institute of Islamic History, Culture & Civilization, Islamic University.
  8. 1 2 Ghose, Sanujit (2004). Legend of Ram: Antiquity to Janmabhumi Debate. Bibliophile South Asia. ISBN 9788185002330.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 MacLean, Derryl N. (1989). Religion and Society in Arab Sind. BRILL. ISBN 9789004085510.
  10. ↑ Islamic culture, Volume 43. Islamic culture Board. 1963. p. 14.
  11. ↑ Dave, Wood. "In the footsteps of Alexander the Great". The City of Multan. BBC. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
  12. ↑ Arrian (1893). Anabasis of Alexander. George Bell and Sons. OCLC 486120., p. 604
  13. ↑ Dodge, Theodore (1890). Alexander. New York: Da Capo Press. p. 604.
  14. ↑ Cunningham, Alexander (1871). The Ancient Geography of India: The Buddhist Period, Including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781108056458.
  15. ↑ Majumdar, Ramesh Chandra (1977). Ancient India. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. ISBN 9788120804364.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Flood, Finbarr Barry (2009). Objects of Translation: Material Culture and Medieval "Hindu-Muslim" Encounter. Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691125947.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Rafiq, A.Q.; Baloch, N.A. THE REGIONS OF SIND, BALUCHISTAN, MULTAN AND KASHMIR: THE HISTORICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SETTING (PDF). UNESCO. ISBN 978-92-3-103467-1.
  18. ↑ Divine Prostitution By Nagendra Kr Singh. 1997. p. 44.
  19. 1 2 A glossary of the tribes and castes of the Punjab and North-West ..., Volume 1 By H.A. Rose. 1997. p. 489.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Habib, Irfan (2011). Economic History of Medieval India, 1200-1500. Pearson Education India. ISBN 9788131727911.
  21. ↑ Flood, Finbarr Barry (2009). Objects of Translation: Material Culture and Medieval "Hindu-Muslim" Encounter. Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691125947.
  22. ↑
  23. ↑ Mecca's History, from Encyclopædia Britannica.
  24. ↑ Glassé, Cyril. 2008. The New Encyclopedia of Islam. Walnut Creek CA: AltaMira Press p. 369
  25. 1 2 Osimi, Muhammad. History of Civilizations of Central Asia (vol.4, part-1). Motilal Banarsidass Publ., 1992. ISBN 9788120815957.
  26. ↑ Strand, Elin; Marsh, Adrian; Paul Polansky (2006). Gypsies and the Problem of Identities: Contextual, Constructed and Contested. Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul. ISBN 9789186884178.
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mehta, Jaswant Lal (1980). Advanced Study in the History of Medieval India, Volume 1. Sterling Publishers Pvt Ltd. ISBN 9788120706170.
  28. ↑ Virani, Shafique N. The Ismailis in the Middle Ages: A History of Survival, A Search for Salvation (New York: Oxford University Press), p. 100.
  29. ↑ Influence of Islam on Hindi Literature, Volume 47 of IAD oriental original series: Idarah-i Adabiyat-i Delli, Saiyada Asad Alī, Idarah-i-Adabiyat-i Delli, 2000, p. 12-13, 195
  30. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Ahmed, Farooqui Salma (2011). A Comprehensive History of Medieval India: Twelfth to the Mid-Eighteenth Century. Pearson Education India. ISBN 9788131732021.
  31. ↑ Andre Wink, Al-Hind: The Making of the Indo-Islamic World, Vol. 2, 244.  – via Questia (subscription required)
  32. ↑ Jain, Harish. The Making of Punjab. Unistar Books, 2003.
  33. ↑ Suvorova, Anna (2004). Muslim Saints of South Asia: The Eleventh to Fifteenth Centuries. Routledge. ISBN 9781134370054.
  34. ↑ Davies, C. Collin. "Arghun." The Encyclopedia of Islam, Volume I. New ed. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1960. ISBN 90-04-08114-3
  35. ↑ Bosworth, Clifford Edmund. The New Islamic Dynasties: A Chronological and Genealogical Manual. New York: Columbia University Press, 1996. ISBN 0-231-10714-5
  36. 1 2 3 4 Chandra, Chandra (2005). Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals Part - II. Har-Anand Publications. ISBN 9788124110669.
  37. 1 2 Amity, Volumes 1-3. Indo-Soviet Cultural Society. 1963. p. 135. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  38. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Levi, Scott (2016). "Caravans: Punjabi Khatri Merchants on the Silk Road". Penguin UK. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  39. ↑ Beck, Sanderson. "Mughal Conquest of India 1526–56". INDIA & Southeast Asia to 1800. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
  40. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Oonk, Gijsbert (2007). Global Indian Diasporas: Exploring Trajectories of Migration and Theory. Amsterdam University Press. p. 294. ISBN 9789053560358.
  41. ↑ "Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: A-E". Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  42. ↑ Roy, Kaushik. India's Historic Battles: From Alexander the Great to Kargil. Permanent Black, India. pp. 80–1. ISBN 978-81-7824-109-8.
  43. ↑ Elphinstone, Mountstuart (1841). History of India. John Murray, Albermarle Street. p. 276.
  44. ↑ Nikky-Guninder, Kaur Singh (2011). Sikhism: An Introduction. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 9780857735492.
  45. ↑ Anand, Anita (2015). Sophia: Princess, Suffragette, Revolutionary. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781408835463.
  46. ↑ Singh, Khushwant (2008). Ranjit Singh. Penguin Books India. ISBN 9780143065432.
  47. ↑ Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: F-O – Tony Jaques – Google Books. Books.google.co.in. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  48. ↑ Ranjit Singh: And the Sikh Barrier Between British Empire and Central Asia – William Wilson Hunter – Google Books. Books.google.co.in. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  49. 1 2 3 4 Riddick, John F. (2006). The History of British India: A Chronology. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9780313322808.
  50. 1 2 Bingham, Jane (2008). Sikhism. Black Rabbit Books. ISBN 9781599200590. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  51. ↑ Grewal, J.S. (1990). The Sikhs of the Punjab. Cambridge University Press. p. 107. ISBN 0 521 63764 3. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  52. 1 2 Glover, William (2008). Making Lahore Modern: Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City. U of Minnesota Press. ISBN 9781452913384.
  53. ↑ Multan Developemt Authority Official website says 50 Deg Highest
  54. ↑ Doaba Foundation web Link about Climate of Multan
  55. ↑ "Multan Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  56. ↑ "Population Size and Growth of Major Cities" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Government of Pakistan. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  57. ↑ "1998 tehsils data at the Demobase".
  58. ↑ "China’s CSCEC to build $2.9bn motorway in Pakistan as part of planned ‘corridor’". Global Construction Review. 8 January 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  59. ↑ "PAK PM inaugurates Sukkur-Multan highway". Business Standard. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  60. ↑ Kiani, Khaleeq (16 December 2015). "Two Asian banks to give Rs 29bn for M-4 project". Dawn News. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  61. ↑ "M-4 TO REDUCE TRAVEL TIME, CONTRIBUTE TO TRADE CORRIDOR". Pakistan Observer. 7 January 2015. Archived from the original on 28 June 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  62. ↑ Samar, Azeem (13 November 2015). "JCC of CPEC decides to enhance capacity of Thar power projects to 2,600MW". The News. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  63. ↑ Rana, Shahbaz (15 November 2015). "ECNEC clears motorway's Lahore-Multan section". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  64. ↑ "Karachi-Peshawar railway line being upgraded under CPEC". Daily Times. 22 January 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  65. 1 2 "Pakistan to get Chinese funds for upgrading rail links, building pipeline". Hindustan Times. 10 June 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016. The project is planned to be completed in two phases in five years by 2021. The first phase will be completed by December 2017 and the second by 2021.
  66. ↑ Transport in Multan Lonely Planet Travel Information. Accessed 15 August 2009.
  67. ↑ "Prime Minister inaugurates Multan Metrobus". Dawn News. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  68. ↑ "Metro bus service opened in Multan". Gulf News. 24 January 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  69. 1 2 "Multan Metro Bus in final phase". Pakistan Observer. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  70. 1 2 "Tender Document DEVELOPMENT, IMPLEMENTATION, OPERATIONS AND LONGTERM MAINTENANCE OF PROVEN GLOBALLY DEPLOYED AUTOMATED FARE COLLECTION & BUS SCHEDULING SYSTEM (AFC-BSS) FOR MULTAN METROBUS SYSTEM AND FEEDER ROUTES" (PDF). THE PUNJAB MASS TRANSIT AUTHORITY Government of the Punjab. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  71. ↑ http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2015/03/10/business/multan-airport-opens-to-the-world/ airport opens to the world
  72. ↑ Statistical Information of CAA Pakistan CAA Pakistan, updated on 14 March 2016
  73. ↑ "Home". nfciet.edu.pk. Retrieved 2017-04-23.
  74. ↑ "Dresses For Girls".
  75. ↑ "NUML Multan Campus - National University of Modern Languages". multan.numl.info. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  76. ↑ Muslim Saints of South Asia: The Eleventh to Fifteenth Centuries By Anna Suvorova. p. 153.
  77. ↑ Syad Muhammad Latif (1963). The early history of Multan. p. 3,54. Kasyapa, is believed, according to the Sanscrit texts, to have founded Kashyapa-pura (otherwise known as Multan
  78. ↑ Gazetteer of the Multan District, 1923-24 Sir Edward Maclagan, Punjab (Pakistan). 1926. pp. 276–77.
  79. ↑ Imperial rule in Punjab: the conquest and administration of Multan, 1818-1881 by J. Royal Roseberry. pp. 243, 263.
  80. ↑ All the year round, Volume 51. Charles Dickens. 1883.
  81. ↑ Survey & Studies for Conservation of Historical Monuments of Multan. Department of Archeology & Museums, Ministry of Culture, Government of Pakistan
  82. ↑ "The News International: Latest News Breaking, Pakistan News". The News International, Pakistan.
  83. ↑ "Ministry of Foreign Affairs". Mofa.gov.pk. 31 October 2008. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  84. ↑ "Gilani visits land of his forefathers – Thaindian News". Thaindian.com. 14 September 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.