Sialkot District
Encyclopedia
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. The city of Sialkot
is the capital of the district.
Before the Partition of 1947 Sialkot District was predominantly Muslim, Though the City of Sialkot itself had a Large Hindu population.
is also an ancient place. At an early date the District fell to the Raja
s of Jammu
, and under the Mughals
formed the Rechna Doab
sarkar of the Subah of Lahore. Under Shah Jahan the sarkar was entrusted to Ali Mardan Khan
, the famous engineer, who dug a canal through it to bring water from the Chenab river to the imperial gardens in Lahore. On the decline of the Mughal empire Ranjit Singh Deo, a Rajput hill chief of Jammu, extended his sway over the lowlands, owning a nominal allegiance to Delhi. In 1748 he transferred his allegiance to Ahmad Shah Durrani
, who added Zafarwal
and two other pargana
s to his fief. Before his death in 1773 Ranjit Deo had secured possession of the whole District, except the Sialkot town and its dependencies, which were held by a Pathan
family.
State until the Sikhs overran the whole of Sialkot district upto the Jammu foothills in the 1770s, and added Sialkot district to the Sikh Confederacy. The Pathan
had no power within the district anymore who held control over villages and towns long before. In 1807 another powerful Sikh chief Ranjit Singh
took the district from the Bhangi Misl
Sikh Misl. Later Sardar Sahib Singh Bhangi (d.1811) a Sikh Sardar of Gujrat
was given a Jagir in Sialkot in the Bajwat Territory by Ranjit singh. Raja Tej Singh a Brahmin was made the ruler of Sialkot in 1847 two years before the end of the Sikh empire who by the British was made the Raja of Sialkot who was a Brahmin also a traitor to the Sikh Empire who had his loyalty to the British East India Company
.
Shaheed Baba Natha Singh an 18th century Sikh warrior and martyr look after the historical Sikh shines during the Sikh rule in the area and in charge of the Sialkot area from 1781-1784.
the station was denuded of British troops; and the Native regiments which were left behind rose, and, after sacking the jail, treasury, and courthouse, and massacring several of the European inhabitants, marched off towards Delhi, only to be destroyed by Nicholson at Trimmu Ghat. The rest of the Europeans took refuge in the fort, and on the morning after the departure of the rebels order was restored. The only events of interest in the subsequent history of the District are the plague riots which occurred at the villages of Shahzada and Sankhatra in 1901.
Numerous mounds are scattered about the District, which mark the sites of ancient villages and towns. None of them, except that on
which the Sialkot fort stood, has been excavated, but silver and copper utensils and coins have been dug up from time to time by villagers. Most of the coins are those of Indo-Bactrian kings. The excavations in Sialkot revealed the existence of some old baths, with hot-water pipes of solid masonry. The fort itself, of which very little now remains, is not more than 1,ooo years old, and is said to have been rebuilt by Shahab-ud-din Ghori at the end of the twelfth century.
In 1859, Gurdaspur
, Amritsar
and Sialkot were placed in the new division of Sialkot. But in 1884, Gurdaspur
along with Amritsar
again became a part of the Lahore Division
.
According to the 1901 census the district had a population of 1,083,909 and contained 7 towns and 2,348 villages. The population at previous three enumerations were: 1,004,695 (1868), 1,012,148 (1881) and 1,119,847 (1891). The population decreased between 1891-1901 by 3.2, the decrease being greatest in the Raya tahsil and least in Daska. The Chenab Colony was responsible for this fall in population, no less than 103,000 persons having left to take land in the newly irrigated tracts.
The district was subdivided into five tehsils namely: Sialkot, Pasrur, Zafarwal, Raya and Daska, the head-quarters of each being at the place from which it is named. The chief towns of the district were Sialkot, Daska, Jamki, Pasrur, Kila Sobha Singh, Zafarwal and Narowal.
In 1930, the tehsil
s of Raya, Daska and Pasrur were split up and parts of these were amalgamated into Gujranwala District
. In 1991, the tehsil
s of Narowal and Shakar Garh (which was tehsil
Shankar Garh of Gurdaspur district before partition) were split up and formed into the new Narowal District.
, southwest of Jammu district
, while Narowal District
is to the southeast and Gujranwala District
is situated to the west.
Sialkot district is spread over an area of 3,016 square kilometres comprising the following four tehsil
s:
There are 14 flour mills, 57 rice husking units, one sugar mill, one vegetable ghee unit and one fruit juice unit already working in the district. However, there exist good prospects for rice bran oil, rice husk briquettes, maize products, dal mills, etc.
There are number of major factories which are contributing to make the economy stronger.
Districts of Pakistan
The Districts of Pakistan are the second order administrative divisions of Pakistan. Districts were the third order of administrative divisions, below provinces and "divisions", until the reforms of August 2000, when "divisions" were abolished...
of the Punjab
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...
. It is located in the north-east of the province. The city of 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...
is the capital of the district.
Before the Partition of 1947 Sialkot District was predominantly Muslim, Though the City of Sialkot itself had a Large Hindu population.
History
The legendary history of the District is connected with Raja Salivahan, the reputed founder of the town of Sialkot, and his famous son Rasalu. PasrurPasrur
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...
is also an ancient place. At an early date the District fell to the Raja
Raja
Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
s of Jammu
Jammu
Jammu , also known as Duggar, is one of the three administrative divisions within Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state in India.Jammu city is the largest city in Jammu and the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir...
, and under the Mughals
Mughal 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...
formed the Rechna Doab
Rechna Doab
The Rechna Doab, or Rachna Doab , can be classified as one of the main regions of Punjab. Punjab historically has been divided into regions based on its various rivers, since the name Punjab is based on its 5 main rivers...
sarkar of the Subah of Lahore. Under Shah Jahan the sarkar was entrusted to Ali Mardan Khan
Ali Mardan Khan
Ali Mardan Khan was a Kurdish noble at the court of Safavid King Shah Tahmasp but after surrendering the Afghan city of Qandahar to Emperor Shah Jahan in 1638, he was a well recognised figure at the Mughal court.-Life:...
, the famous engineer, who dug a canal through it to bring water from the Chenab river to the imperial gardens in Lahore. On the decline of the Mughal empire Ranjit Singh Deo, a Rajput hill chief of Jammu, extended his sway over the lowlands, owning a nominal allegiance to Delhi. In 1748 he transferred his allegiance to Ahmad Shah Durrani
Ahmad Shah Durrani
Ahmad Shah Durrani , also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī and born as Ahmad Khān, was the founder of the Durrani Empire in 1747 and is regarded by many to be the founder of the modern state of Afghanistan.Ahmad Khan enlisted as a young soldier in the military of the Afsharid kingdom and quickly rose...
, who added Zafarwal
Zafarwal
Zafarwal ) is a town situated in the Narowal District of Punjab, Pakistan. It is located at 32°21'0N 74°54'0E with an altitude of 268 metres . It is 7 km away from Indian-administered Kashmir. Zafarwal was part of the Kashmir region during the rule of Ranjit Singh. It was transferred to him...
and two other pargana
Pargana
A pargana is a former administrative unit of the Indian subcontinent, used primarily, but not exclusively, by the Muslim kingdoms.Parganas were introduced by the Delhi Sultanate, and the word is of Persian origin. As a revenue unit, a pargana consists of several mouzas, which are the smallest...
s to his fief. Before his death in 1773 Ranjit Deo had secured possession of the whole District, except the Sialkot town and its dependencies, which were held by a Pathan
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
family.
Sikh era
From the 1740 to 1773 Sialkot district was made part of Jammu HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
State until the Sikhs overran the whole of Sialkot district upto the Jammu foothills in the 1770s, and added Sialkot district to the Sikh Confederacy. The Pathan
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
had no power within the district anymore who held control over villages and towns long before. In 1807 another powerful Sikh chief Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Early life:...
took the district from the Bhangi Misl
Bhangi Misl
The Bhangi Misl was a large Sikh Misl centered around a village around Amritsar. It was founded in the early 18th century by Hari Singh. It grew in strength and territory to cover an area from Attock to Multan and emerged as the strongest power in the western Punjab region. However, deaths among...
Sikh Misl. Later Sardar Sahib Singh Bhangi (d.1811) a Sikh Sardar of Gujrat
Gujrat
Gujrat is a city in Pakistan. It is the capital of Gujrat District and the Gujrat Tehsil subdivision in the Punjab Province. People living in Gujrat refer to themselves as Gujratis, which sometimes leads to confusion with people from the Indian state of Gujarat which adjoins Pakistan...
was given a Jagir in Sialkot in the Bajwat Territory by Ranjit singh. Raja Tej Singh a Brahmin was made the ruler of Sialkot in 1847 two years before the end of the Sikh empire who by the British was made the Raja of Sialkot who was a Brahmin also a traitor to the Sikh Empire who had his loyalty to the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
.
Shaheed Baba Natha Singh an 18th century Sikh warrior and martyr look after the historical Sikh shines during the Sikh rule in the area and in charge of the Sialkot area from 1781-1784.
List of Sikh Sardars of Sialkot District during 19th century
- Sardar Sheo Dev Singh a Sandhu Jatt of SiranwaliSiranwaliSiranwali is a town on the Gujranwala to Pasrur road in Daska Tehsil, Sialkot District, Pakistan.The town is home to grain markets which provides jobs for thousands of people. There are over 30 rice mills located in the area, making it one of the major grain markets in the Punjab region...
- Sardar Hakim Singh a Sandhu Jatt of Wadala Sandhuan
- Sardar Randhir Singh a Bajwa Jatt of Kalaswala
British era
During the Indian Rebellion of 1857Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
the station was denuded of British troops; and the Native regiments which were left behind rose, and, after sacking the jail, treasury, and courthouse, and massacring several of the European inhabitants, marched off towards Delhi, only to be destroyed by Nicholson at Trimmu Ghat. The rest of the Europeans took refuge in the fort, and on the morning after the departure of the rebels order was restored. The only events of interest in the subsequent history of the District are the plague riots which occurred at the villages of Shahzada and Sankhatra in 1901.
Numerous mounds are scattered about the District, which mark the sites of ancient villages and towns. None of them, except that on
which the Sialkot fort stood, has been excavated, but silver and copper utensils and coins have been dug up from time to time by villagers. Most of the coins are those of Indo-Bactrian kings. The excavations in Sialkot revealed the existence of some old baths, with hot-water pipes of solid masonry. The fort itself, of which very little now remains, is not more than 1,ooo years old, and is said to have been rebuilt by Shahab-ud-din Ghori at the end of the twelfth century.
In 1859, Gurdaspur
Gurdaspur
Gurdaspur is a city in the state of Punjab, situated in the northwest part of the Republic of India. It is located in the center of and is the administrative head of Gurdaspur District. It was the location of a fort which was famous for the siege it sustained in 1712 from the Mughals...
, Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
and Sialkot were placed in the new division of Sialkot. But in 1884, Gurdaspur
Gurdaspur
Gurdaspur is a city in the state of Punjab, situated in the northwest part of the Republic of India. It is located in the center of and is the administrative head of Gurdaspur District. It was the location of a fort which was famous for the siege it sustained in 1712 from the Mughals...
along with Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
again became a part of the Lahore Division
Lahore Division
Lahore Division was an administrative division of the Punjab Province of Pakistan, until the reforms of 2000 abolished the third tier of government.-History:Lahore Division was originally an administrative division of the Punjab Province of British India...
.
According to the 1901 census the district had a population of 1,083,909 and contained 7 towns and 2,348 villages. The population at previous three enumerations were: 1,004,695 (1868), 1,012,148 (1881) and 1,119,847 (1891). The population decreased between 1891-1901 by 3.2, the decrease being greatest in the Raya tahsil and least in Daska. The Chenab Colony was responsible for this fall in population, no less than 103,000 persons having left to take land in the newly irrigated tracts.
The district was subdivided into five tehsils namely: Sialkot, Pasrur, Zafarwal, Raya and Daska, the head-quarters of each being at the place from which it is named. The chief towns of the district were Sialkot, Daska, Jamki, Pasrur, Kila Sobha Singh, Zafarwal and Narowal.
| Tehsil | Area (sq mi) | Towns | Villages | Population (1901) | Population per sq mi | Population variation 1891-1901 | Number of literate people |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sialkot | 428 | 1 | 637 | 312,668 | 730.5 | +3.2 | 12,101 |
| Pasrur | 394 | 2 | 443 | 193,746 | 491.7 | -5.0 | 5,601 |
| Raya | 485 | 1 | 456 | 192,440 | 396.8 | +10.4 | 5,586 |
| Daska | 360 | 2 | 332 | 206,148 | 572.6 | -0.6 | 4,103 |
| Total | 1,991 | 7 | 2,348 | 1,083,909 | 544.4 | -3.2 | 31,341 |
In 1930, the 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 Raya, Daska and Pasrur were split up and parts of these were amalgamated into Gujranwala District
Gujranwala District
Gujranwala District is a district in Punjab, Pakistan.- History :The village of Asarur which has been identified as the location of Taki, an ancient town, visited by the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsiang contains immense ruins of Buddhist origin...
. In 1991, the 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 Narowal and Shakar Garh (which was tehsil
Tehsil
A Tehsil or Tahsil/Tahasil , also known as Taluk and Mandal, is an administrative division of some country/countries of South Asia....
Shankar Garh of Gurdaspur district before partition) were split up and formed into the new Narowal District.
Geography
Sialkot District lies southeast of Gujrat DistrictGujrat District
Gujrat is a district of Punjab Province in Pakistan. It is an ancient district located in between two famous rivers, the Jhelum and Chenab. Because of its proximity with the rivers the land is good for cultivation with rice and sugar cane as main crops...
, southwest of Jammu district
Jammu District
Jammu District is a district in Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu is the winter capital of the state. The majority of the population of the district practise Hinduism; people of all religions, Muslims, Sikhs live in peace and harmony. Jammu is also known as city of temples with major attraction as Maa...
, while Narowal District
Narowal District
Narowal District is a district in the province of Punjab of Pakistan. Narowal city is the capital of the district. Narowal District is divided into three tehsils: Narowal, Shakargarh and Zafarwal. Before the independence of Pakistan in 1947, Shakargarh town was the headquarters of Shakargarh...
is to the southeast and Gujranwala District
Gujranwala District
Gujranwala District is a district in Punjab, Pakistan.- History :The village of Asarur which has been identified as the location of Taki, an ancient town, visited by the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsiang contains immense ruins of Buddhist origin...
is situated to the west.
Sialkot district is spread over an area of 3,016 square kilometres comprising the following 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:
- DaskaDaskaDaska 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 tehsils of Sialkot District. It is located at 32°19'60N 74° 20' 60E-Name:The name Daska is said to be a distortion of "Dah Kos"...
- PasrurPasrur TehsilPasrur Tehsil is a subdivision of Sialkot District in the Punjab province of Pakistan.-History:Tehsil Pasrur was created during British rule with Pasrur as its headquarter. It lies between 31°56' to 32°20' North and 74°32' to 74°57' East. It has an area of...
- SambrialSambrial TehsilSambrial Tehsil is a subdivision of Sialkot District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Is a newly created subdivision, the town of Sambrial is the capital.-References:...
- SialkotSialkot TehsilSialkot Tehsil is a subdivision of Sialkot District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is administratively subdivided into 52 Union Councils.-History:...
Climate and soil
Sialkot is hot and humid during the summer and cold during the winter. June and July are the hottest months. The maximum temperature during winter may drop to -2 °C. The land is generally plain and fertile. The average annual rain fall is about 1000 mm. Over 25.82% of the population of the district is urban.Infrastructure
The main crops grown in the district are wheat and rice, the main fruits are guava and citruses - vegetables cultivated include potatoes, turnips, garlic, cauliflower, peas, and onions. The district has 15078 acres (61 km²) of forest, 12,295 km of metalled roads, 12 grid stations, 45 telephone exchanges and 3229 industrial units.Agriculture
The major crops and fruit of district Sialkot are wheat, rice, citrus and guava. Their average annual production over the period 1998-2001 was 453, 242, 6 and 11 thousand Metric Tons, respectively. A variety of vegetables are also grown in the district.There are 14 flour mills, 57 rice husking units, one sugar mill, one vegetable ghee unit and one fruit juice unit already working in the district. However, there exist good prospects for rice bran oil, rice husk briquettes, maize products, dal mills, etc.
There are number of major factories which are contributing to make the economy stronger.
Livestock
As per Punjab Development Statistics for the year 2000, the population of cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats was 195, 471, 42 and 137 thousand heads respectively. For poultry, there were 954 broiler, 134 layer and 9 breeding poultry farms, having a rearing capacity of 11150, 747 and 63 thousand birds respectively. The annual availability of hides and skins is estimated at 536 thousand pieces. In the district of Sialkot there are 92 tanneries, 244 leather garments/products manufacturing units, and more than 900 leather sports goods manufacturing units. There exists a scope for dairy farms, animal/poultry feed, and cattle/sheep/goat fattening farms.Industry
District Sialkot is traditionally a centre of sports goods, surgical instruments, leather goods/garments, cutlery, musical instruments industries. There are also various types of plastic- and metal-based industries. In view of the existing industries, there exists a good scope for material testing laboratory, forging, electroplating unit, hospital furniture, disposable syringes, hospital gloves, steel furniture, cast iron pipe, steel pipes/tubes, galvanized iron pipe, industrial gloves, and special thread for sports goods industries.Notable people of Sialkot
- Allama Iqbal, poet and philosopher
- Syed Faiz-ul Hassan ShahSyed Faiz-ul Hassan ShahSyed Faiz-ul Hassan Shah also known as Hazrat Khatib ul Islam was a Pakistani Islamic religious scholar. He was born in Allo Mahar Sharif, tehsil Daska, Sialkot District, in what was then British India.-Education:...
, Islamic religious scholar