Rawalpindi District

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Rawalpindi District
Image:Rawalpindi.PNG Rawalpindi is located in the north of Punjab.
Area	km²
Population (1998) • Density	3,363,911 • /km²
Time zone	PST (UTC+5)
Established • District Nazim • District Naib Nazim • District Council • Number of Tehsils	• • • seats •
Main language(s)
Website	http://www.rawalpindi.gov.pk

Image:Mankiala Stupa.JPG

Mankiala Stupa 27 kilometres from Rawalpindi city

Rawalpindi district contains the city of Rawalpindi. The district has an area of 5,286 km² and, according to the 1998 census of Pakistan, a population of about 3,363,911 of which 53.03% were urban^[1], and is the second-most urbanised district in Punjab. It was part of Rawalpindi Division, until the year 2000 when the division was abolished. It is situated on the southern slopes of the north-western extremities of the Himalayas, including large mountain tracts with rich valleys traversed by mountain torrents. It contains the Murree hills with the sanatorium of that name, the chief hill-station in the Punjab. The Indus and the Jhelum are the chief rivers, and the climate is noted for its healthiness^[2].

1 History
2 Subdivisions
3 Rawalpindi
4 Gujar Khan
5 Taxila
6 Murree
7 Kotli Sattian
8 External links
9 References

[edit] History

Image:Wikisource-logo.svg

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Rawalpindi.

[edit] Ancient history

In ancient times the whole or the greater part of the country between the Indus and the Jhelum seems to have belonged to a Turanian race called Takkas or Takshakas, who gave their name to the city of Takshasila, the Taxila of the Greek historians, the site of which has been identified with the ruins of Shahdheri in the north-west corner of the District. At the time of Alexander's invasion Taxila is described by Arrian as a flourishing city, the greatest indeed between the Indus and the Hydaspes ; Strabo adds that the neighbouring country was crowded with inhabitants and very fertile ; and Pliny speaks of it as a famous city situated in a district called Amanda. The invasion of Demetrius in 195 B.c. brought the Punjab under the Graeco-Bactrian kings. Later they were superseded by the Sakas, who ruled at Taxila with the title of Satrap. At the time of Hiuen Tsiang the country was a dependency of Kashmir^[3].

[edit] Mughal era

Mahmud of Ghazni passed through the District after his defeat of Anand Pal and capture of Ohind. With this conqueror claim to have come the Gakhars, a tribe still of importance in the District. The first mention of them occurs in the memoirs of Babar, who gives an interesting account of the capture of their capital of Paralah. It was strongly situated in the hills, and was defended with great bravery by its chief Hati Khan, who escaped from one gate as the Mughal army marched in at the other. Hati Khan died by poison in 1525 ; and his cousin and murderer Sultan Sarang submitted to Babar, who conferred on him the Potwar country. Thenceforth the Gakhar chieftains remained firm allies of the Mughal dynasty, and were able to render efficient aid in its struggle with the house of Sher Shah.

Salim Shah attempted in vain to subdue their country; but in 1553 Adam Khan, Sarang's successor, surrendered the rebel prince Kamran to Humayun. Adam Khan was subsequently deposed by Akbar, and his principality made over to his nephew Kamal Khan. During the flourishing period of the Mughal empire, the family of Sarang retained its territorial possessions, its last and greatest independent chief, Mukarrab Khan, ruling over a kingdom which extended from the Chenab to the Indus^[3].

[edit] Sikh era

In 1765, during the total paralysis of the Mughal government, Sardar Gujar Singh Bhangi, a powerful Sikh chieftain, marched from Lahore against Mukarrab Khan, whom he defeated outside the walls of Gujrat. Mukarrab Khan retired across the Jhelum, where he was soon treacherously murdered by his own tribesmen ; but the traitors forthwith quarrelled over their spoil, and fell one by one before Sardar. Gujar Singh. The Sikhs ruled Rawalpindi with their usual rapacity, exacting as revenue the last coin that could be wrung from the proprietors, who were often glad to admit their tenants as joint-sharers, in order to lighten the incidence of the revenue. Gujar Singh held the District throughout his life, and left it on his death to his son, Sahib Singh, who fell in 1810 before the power of the great Ranjit Singh. Another Sikh Sardar, Milka Singh, fixed upon Rawalpindi, then an insignificant village, for his head-quarters. In spite of Afghan inroads and the resistance of the Gakhars, he soon conquered on his own account a tract of country round Rawalpindi worth 3 lakhs a year. On his death in 1804, his estates were confirmed to his son, Jiwan Singh, by Ranjit Singh, until 1814, when, upon Jiwan Singh's death, they were annexed to the territory of Lahore.

The Murree and other hills long retained their independence under their Gakhar chieftains ; but in 1830 they were reduced after a bloody struggle, and handed over to Gulab Singh of Jammu, under whose merciless rule the population was almost decimated, and the country reduced to a desert.^[3]

[edit] British era

In 1849 Rawalpindi passed with the rest of the Sikh dominions under British rule ; and though tranquillity was disturbed by an insurrection four years later, led by a Gakhar chief with the object of placing a pretended son of Ranjit Singh on the throne, its administration was generally peaceful until the outbreak of the Mutiny in 1857. The Dhunds and other tribes of the Murree Hills, incited by Hindustani agents, rose in insurrection, and the authorities received information from a faithful native of a projected attack upon the station of Murree in time to concert measures for defence. The ladies, who were present in large numbers, were placed in safety ; the Europeans and police were drawn up in a cordon round the station ; and when the enemy arrived expecting no resistance, they met with a hot reception, which caused them to withdraw in disorder, and shortly after to disband^[3].

The district of Rawalpindi was created during British rule as part of Punjab province, the district obtained its current boundaries in 1904 when Attock District was created as a separated district. According to the 1901 census of India the population in 1901 was 558,699, an increase of 4.7% from 1891^[2].

The principal crops were wheat, barley, maize, millets, and pulses. The district was traversed by the main line of the North-Western railway, crossing the Indus at Attock, and also by a branch towards the Indus at Kushalgarh^[2].

[edit] Subdivisions

Image:Rawalpindi District Sub Div.svg

Administrative subdivisions of Rawalpindi District.

The district is divided into seven tehsils:

Kallar Syedan became the seventh Tehsil of Rawalpindi district from the 1st of July 2007, prior to this date it was part of Kahuta Tehsil^[4]

[edit] Rawalpindi

Khan Ghulam Sarwar Khan is a prominent politician of District Rawalpindi from Taxila. He is now serving as Federal Minister of Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis. He has served as a Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) of Punjab, Health Minister of Punjab and Member of Central Zakat Council in the past. His younger brother Khan Muhammad Sadeeq Khan was elected Nazim of Tehsil Taxila.

Sheikh Rashid Ahmad was elected 4 times as a Member of the National Assembly (MNA) and now holds the Ministry of Railways. He was Minister of Information and Broadcasting. Ejaz-ul-Haq is also an MNA and is the Minister of Religious Affairs from Rawalpindi. He also knows with regards to the son of Dictator General Zia-ul-Haq who served as President of Pakistan and Chief Marshal Law Officer for 11 years.

Hanif Abbasi was elected MNA from Rawalpindi. He is well known social worker of Jamaat-e-Islami, the main religious party of the country.

[edit] Gujar Khan

Gujar Khan is located in the heart of the Potohar region and is also called the land of Shaheed. The region had produced people from all professionals of life. Two recipients of Nishan-i-Haider came from Gujar Khan. The land had produced top Military professionals. See also famous personalities of Gujar Khan.

[edit] Taxila

Taxila is famous for UET Taxila, and the historic Taxila Museum.

Federal Minister of Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis Khan Ghulam Sarwar Khan is elected MNA from Taxila. His younger brother Khan Muhammad Sadeeq Khan is elected Tehsil Nazim of Taxila. Pakistan's prominent tank factory HIT is also in this area

[edit] Murree

Main article: Murree

In the North of Rawalpindi District, where the Punjab meets the North-West Frontier Province is the city of Murree, Murree is one of the hill stations that were established during the British Raj^[5].