Daska
Encyclopedia
Daska is a growing industrial city with a population of around 440,200 in the Punjab
province of Pakistan
. The town is the capital of Daska Tehsil
one of four tehsil
s of Sialkot District
. It is located at 32°19'60N 74° 20' 60E
times. The town was situated some ten "Kos" between neighbouring Gujranwala
, Sialkot
, Pasrur
, Wazirabad
and Sambrial
, hence Dah Kos became Das Kos in the local Punjabi language, later shortened to Daska.
The principal Jatt clans of Daska and its environs include the Jatt, Mughal, Sahi, Maher, Ghumman, Nagra, Wahla, Basra, Kang, Goraya, Bajwa,Cheema and Randhawa,Sandhu. The Jatts are said to have originated from Scythian invaders from Central Asia. Some people have wrongly confused Jatts with Chaudries which is simply an honorific given to land owners.The Mughals are also there, they have major role in the manufacturing industry of daska.The Rajputs are represented in the local population mostly by Mew,Khokhars,Bhatti,Minhas and Rana's. From Middle Ages, some Ghauris, originally from Afghanistan and having Hazara roots are also inhabitants of this area. A large number of Pathan (Kakars) and Afghan descendents of early ages, who had been living in Indian part of Punjab, migrated to Pakistan; and a good number of these people are living in Daska and around though it is hard to distinguish them by the language, as all of them are deeply integrated into Punjabi culture and so speak Punjabi as their mother tongue. A large numbers of Kashmiris
, Maliks, Gujjars, and Thaheem
are part of local population. A number of Biharis from Eastern India have reached here and have settled down as locals since 1971 and some Afghan refugees have also made this area as their home late 70's after Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. This makes Daska a land of all colours where all are living in examplery harmony. In fact Daska may be taken as a role model for the rest of the country.The nearest village name bhroke which was founded by late sardar jawala singh sahi before 1930s ,which was left by there grandons(sh.gurcharan singh sahi) during 1947 ,which are now living in kharar ,punjab ,india
The local dialect of Punjabi is the Western or Northern Dialect akin to that spoken in Sialkot. A native speaker from Daska and Sialkot District will easily recognize another native speaker of the area due its rhythmic melodious sound, the use of several distinct words and aspects of syntax.
The name Daska sounds very familiar in Serbian (Croatian, Macedonian) and means batten or sill. This is maybe in connection to Alexander the Great (Alexander III of Macedon).
who was an admired rebel leader and outlaw fighting against British Imperial rule. In the Punjab he came to be admired as a hero to the masses because of his brave stand against the European rulers. Much like Robin Hood, he would loot from the wealthy and redistribute this wealth to poorer sections of society. Most of the wealthy in the area around Daska were native collaborators of the colonial British. Jagga has a prominent place in Punjabi poetry because of his bravery and generosity.
Daska's role in the organized freedom movement is well documented. The nascent sense of nationalism among Punjabi Muslims evolved in the area. The people of the Punjab were a mixture of races and peoples who had been part of a number of kingdoms and territories over the course of history. The area around Daska had been part of Alexander the Great's Greek
Empire, Persia's grand Khorasan
, the Turkic Mughal Empire and most recently the rule of Sikhs before the arrival of the colonial British. The panoply of peoples living around Daska bear living testament to its storied past. The British Indian Empire added these people to its realm in the latter half of the 19th century unlike other parts of the British Raj which were under British rule from as early as the 17th century. The local people around Daska, especially the majority Muslim population, related little to the Indian National Congress
which was primarily a party of the Hindu majority in peninsular India. It became clear that with the departure of the British, the recreation of a Mughal Empire or Muslim dominated state in South Asia was not in the cards. Daska embraced the cause of the Muslim League which was furthering the struggle of native Muslims in an independent state. The first meeting of the Muslim League in Daska was held on April 13, 1942 at Mian Lal Dian and Mian Jalal Din Ghumman's house in Mohallah Altaf Garaha.
The city has gained a measure of prominence due the large number of products which are produced there, including agricultural machines, sporting goods, musical instruments and surgical goods. The area around the city is well known for farming and cottage industries.
Mooranwalee Kothi (Peacock mansion) is a distinctive building in Daska. It was built during the 1930s by a prominent Sikh family who later migrated to India in 1947. For many decades, the building was famous in the region for its grandeur, gardens and of course peacocks.
. The proposed motorway will start from the Mehmood Booti side of the Lahore ringroad and will end near Sambrial on the Sialkot-Wazirabad road. On the way, it will serve the cities and towns of Kala Khatai, Muridke, Narowal, Gujranwala, Eminabad, Pasrur, DASKA, Sambrial and Wazirabad. A link to Motorway M-2 near Kala Shah Kaku is also proposed to connect it to the network of motorways. The project will be completed within 30 months. The big one cosultant company of the Pakistan NESPAK(national engineering services Pakistan) make its design and give alignment
hope that this company also supervise road construction and length of this motorway is near about 85 km daska is a wellknown for its light agriculture machinery and auto spare parts,
A Sialkot-Lahore motorway is under construction as part of the overall vision of the NHA, National Highway Authority. Locals would like to see the linkage of Sialkot Daska and Gujranwala through a rail service which would run alongside the motorway. A 6-lane motorway from Sialkot to Lahore, the two important industrial centers of Punjab, is under construction which will give impetus to economic activities in the province. NHA recognizes this motorway as M11, however it is also known as LSM, SLM, Lahore-Sialkot Motorway or Shahrah-e-Sanat (Industrial highway). Gujrat will be linked with the Sialkot Lahore Motorway (SLM) by constructing a bridge on the Chenab river near Shahbazpur. It will reduce the distance between Sialkot and Lahore to just 45 minutes. The purpose of the mega project is to facilitate export of products grown or produced in Punjab which will have a positive impact on the country’s economy. The project will be completed by the end of 2010.
The Eastbound exit at junction 2 will lead directly to Daska.
is the closest airport, 15 km away from the city centre. It currently handles only cargo but passenger flights are planned to start at the end of 2009. On September 28, 2007, Airblue
operated its first test flight to Sialkot. The aircraft was an A321, (AP-BJB) with more than 30 passengers on the route between Jinnaj and Sialkot.
Pakistan International Airline (PIA) has announced its tentative flight schedule for flights between Islamabad-Sialkot-Islamabad. PIA started initially three flights weekly between Islamabad-Sialkot-Islamabad.
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
province of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. The town is the capital of Daska Tehsil
Daska Tehsil
Daska Tehsil is a subdivision of Sialkot District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. In 2010, it also come into the intention due to famous Butter village case....
one of four tehsil
Tehsil
A Tehsil or Tahsil/Tahasil , also known as Taluk and Mandal, is an administrative division of some country/countries of South Asia....
s of Sialkot District
Sialkot District
Sialkot District or the District of Sialkot , is one of the districts of the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is located in the north-east of the province...
. It is located at 32°19'60N 74° 20' 60E
Name
The name Daska is said to be a distortion of "Dah Kos". The term "Dah" is the Persian word for the numeral ten, and "Kos" refers to a unit of distance used in MughalMughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
times. The town was situated some ten "Kos" between neighbouring Gujranwala
Gujranwala
Gujranwala is a industrial city in the north-east of the Punjab province. It is the sixth largest city in Pakistan with a population of approximately 2,661,360 as on 24 June 2011...
, Sialkot
Sialkot
Sialkot is a city in Pakistan situated in the north-east of the Punjab province at the foothills of snow-covered peaks of Kashmir near the Chenab river. It is the capital of Sialkot District. The city is about north-west of Lahore and only a few kilometers from Indian-controlled Jammu.The...
, Pasrur
Pasrur
Pasrur is a city of Sialkot District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is located at 32°16'0N 74°40'0E with an altitude of 238 metres . The nearest big cities are Sialkot, Narowal and Gujranwala...
, Wazirabad
Wazirabad
AYAZ KHANWazirabad is an industrial city located in Gujranwala District, Punjab, Pakistan. Wazirabad is situated on the banks of the Chenab River nearly 100 kilometres north of Lahore on the Grand Trunk Road. It is 45 kilometres from Sialkot, 30 kilometres from the district capital - Gujranwala...
and Sambrial
Sambrial
Sambrial is a town of Sialkot District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the capital of Sambrial Tehsil - an administrative subdivision of the district.- Tribes & clans :...
, hence Dah Kos became Das Kos in the local Punjabi language, later shortened to Daska.
The principal Jatt clans of Daska and its environs include the Jatt, Mughal, Sahi, Maher, Ghumman, Nagra, Wahla, Basra, Kang, Goraya, Bajwa,Cheema and Randhawa,Sandhu. The Jatts are said to have originated from Scythian invaders from Central Asia. Some people have wrongly confused Jatts with Chaudries which is simply an honorific given to land owners.The Mughals are also there, they have major role in the manufacturing industry of daska.The Rajputs are represented in the local population mostly by Mew,Khokhars,Bhatti,Minhas and Rana's. From Middle Ages, some Ghauris, originally from Afghanistan and having Hazara roots are also inhabitants of this area. A large number of Pathan (Kakars) and Afghan descendents of early ages, who had been living in Indian part of Punjab, migrated to Pakistan; and a good number of these people are living in Daska and around though it is hard to distinguish them by the language, as all of them are deeply integrated into Punjabi culture and so speak Punjabi as their mother tongue. A large numbers of Kashmiris
Kashmiri people
The Kashmiri people are a Dardic linguistic group living in Kashmir Valley in Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir and parts of the Pakistani territory of Azad Kashmir who speak the Kashmiri language...
, Maliks, Gujjars, and Thaheem
Thaheem
The Thaheem are a Sindhi tribe of Arab origin found in Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan.- Origin :...
are part of local population. A number of Biharis from Eastern India have reached here and have settled down as locals since 1971 and some Afghan refugees have also made this area as their home late 70's after Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. This makes Daska a land of all colours where all are living in examplery harmony. In fact Daska may be taken as a role model for the rest of the country.The nearest village name bhroke which was founded by late sardar jawala singh sahi before 1930s ,which was left by there grandons(sh.gurcharan singh sahi) during 1947 ,which are now living in kharar ,punjab ,india
The local dialect of Punjabi is the Western or Northern Dialect akin to that spoken in Sialkot. A native speaker from Daska and Sialkot District will easily recognize another native speaker of the area due its rhythmic melodious sound, the use of several distinct words and aspects of syntax.
The name Daska sounds very familiar in Serbian (Croatian, Macedonian) and means batten or sill. This is maybe in connection to Alexander the Great (Alexander III of Macedon).
History
Before the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the city of Daska was under British colonial rule. Daska became famous largely due to the exploits of Jagga DakuJagga Daku
Jagga Daku can refer to:* Jagga Daku - an outlaw and rebel leader in British India * Jagga Daku * Jagga Daku * Jagga Daku...
who was an admired rebel leader and outlaw fighting against British Imperial rule. In the Punjab he came to be admired as a hero to the masses because of his brave stand against the European rulers. Much like Robin Hood, he would loot from the wealthy and redistribute this wealth to poorer sections of society. Most of the wealthy in the area around Daska were native collaborators of the colonial British. Jagga has a prominent place in Punjabi poetry because of his bravery and generosity.
Daska's role in the organized freedom movement is well documented. The nascent sense of nationalism among Punjabi Muslims evolved in the area. The people of the Punjab were a mixture of races and peoples who had been part of a number of kingdoms and territories over the course of history. The area around Daska had been part of Alexander the Great's Greek
Macedon
Macedonia or Macedon was an ancient kingdom, centered in the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, bordered by Epirus to the west, Paeonia to the north, the region of Thrace to the east and Thessaly to the south....
Empire, Persia's grand Khorasan
Greater Khorasan
Greater Khorasan or Ancient Khorasan is a historical region of Greater Iran mentioned in sources from Sassanid and Islamic eras which "frequently" had a denotation wider than current three provinces of Khorasan in Iran...
, the Turkic Mughal Empire and most recently the rule of Sikhs before the arrival of the colonial British. The panoply of peoples living around Daska bear living testament to its storied past. The British Indian Empire added these people to its realm in the latter half of the 19th century unlike other parts of the British Raj which were under British rule from as early as the 17th century. The local people around Daska, especially the majority Muslim population, related little to the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
which was primarily a party of the Hindu majority in peninsular India. It became clear that with the departure of the British, the recreation of a Mughal Empire or Muslim dominated state in South Asia was not in the cards. Daska embraced the cause of the Muslim League which was furthering the struggle of native Muslims in an independent state. The first meeting of the Muslim League in Daska was held on April 13, 1942 at Mian Lal Dian and Mian Jalal Din Ghumman's house in Mohallah Altaf Garaha.
The city has gained a measure of prominence due the large number of products which are produced there, including agricultural machines, sporting goods, musical instruments and surgical goods. The area around the city is well known for farming and cottage industries.
Mooranwalee Kothi (Peacock mansion) is a distinctive building in Daska. It was built during the 1930s by a prominent Sikh family who later migrated to India in 1947. For many decades, the building was famous in the region for its grandeur, gardens and of course peacocks.
Notable people
- Rajinder Singh BediRajinder Singh BediRajinder Singh Bedi was an eminent progressive Urdu writer, playwright and a Hindi film director, screenwriter and noted dialogue writer....
, Urdu writer and father of actor Kabir BediKabir BediKabir Bedi is an Indian television and film actor. His career has spanned three continents including India, the United States and many European countries in three mediums: film, television and theatre. He is noted for his role as Emperor Shah Jahan in Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story...
; a resident of Tehsil Daska before migrating to India in 1947. The village depicted in Ek Chadar Maili SiEk Chadar Maili SiEk Chadar Maili Si is a 1986 film, directed by Sukhwant Dada, and is an adaptation of Rajinder Singh Bedi's classic Urdu novella, by the name. The novel won the 1965 Sahitya Akademi Award, and is considered author's finest work....
is actually his native village of Daska. - Dr. Sultan Ahmed CheemaSultan Ahmed CheemaSultan Ahmed Cheema was one of the few renowned doctors left in Pakistan after independence in 1947. He served at various divisional and district hospitals simultaneously because of the acute shortage of doctors at that time...
(Sitara-i-Khidmat), renowned Ophthalmologist who established the Cheema Hospital in Daska.
Transportation
The city is accessible by road from all major cities. The nearest railway station is about 17 km (11 mi) away (Sambrial railway station).Sialkot-Lahore motorway route map
A link road for Daska is also proposed for Sialkot Lahore MotorwaySialkot Lahore Motorway
A 6-lane motorway from Sialkot to Lahore, the two important industrial centers of Punjab, was to be constructed which would have given impetus to economic activities in the province. NHA recognized this motorway as M11, however it was also known as LSM, SLM, Lahore-Sialkot Motorway or Shahrah-e-Sanat...
. The proposed motorway will start from the Mehmood Booti side of the Lahore ringroad and will end near Sambrial on the Sialkot-Wazirabad road. On the way, it will serve the cities and towns of Kala Khatai, Muridke, Narowal, Gujranwala, Eminabad, Pasrur, DASKA, Sambrial and Wazirabad. A link to Motorway M-2 near Kala Shah Kaku is also proposed to connect it to the network of motorways. The project will be completed within 30 months. The big one cosultant company of the Pakistan NESPAK(national engineering services Pakistan) make its design and give alignment
hope that this company also supervise road construction and length of this motorway is near about 85 km daska is a wellknown for its light agriculture machinery and auto spare parts,
A Sialkot-Lahore motorway is under construction as part of the overall vision of the NHA, National Highway Authority. Locals would like to see the linkage of Sialkot Daska and Gujranwala through a rail service which would run alongside the motorway. A 6-lane motorway from Sialkot to Lahore, the two important industrial centers of Punjab, is under construction which will give impetus to economic activities in the province. NHA recognizes this motorway as M11, however it is also known as LSM, SLM, Lahore-Sialkot Motorway or Shahrah-e-Sanat (Industrial highway). Gujrat will be linked with the Sialkot Lahore Motorway (SLM) by constructing a bridge on the Chenab river near Shahbazpur. It will reduce the distance between Sialkot and Lahore to just 45 minutes. The purpose of the mega project is to facilitate export of products grown or produced in Punjab which will have a positive impact on the country’s economy. The project will be completed by the end of 2010.
The Eastbound exit at junction 2 will lead directly to Daska.
Sialkot International Airport
Sialkot International AirportSialkot International Airport
Sialkot International Airport is situated 14 km west of Sialkot in the Sialkot District of Pakistan...
is the closest airport, 15 km away from the city centre. It currently handles only cargo but passenger flights are planned to start at the end of 2009. On September 28, 2007, Airblue
Airblue
Airblue Limited is a private airline with its head office on the 12th floor of the Islamabad Stock Exchange Towers in Islamabad, Pakistan. It is Pakistan's second largest airline with over 20% share of the domestic market...
operated its first test flight to Sialkot. The aircraft was an A321, (AP-BJB) with more than 30 passengers on the route between Jinnaj and Sialkot.
Pakistan International Airline (PIA) has announced its tentative flight schedule for flights between Islamabad-Sialkot-Islamabad. PIA started initially three flights weekly between Islamabad-Sialkot-Islamabad.