Khanpur
| Khanpur | |
|---|---|
  Khanpur | |
| Coordinates: 28°39′00″N 70°40′48″E / 28.650°N 70.680°ECoordinates: 28°39′00″N 70°40′48″E / 28.650°N 70.680°E | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Province | Punjab |
| District | Rahim Yar Khan |
| Population | |
| • Total | 156,152 |
| Time zone | PST (UTC+5) |
| Calling code | 06855 |
Khanpur (Punjabi خانپور) is a city and Tehsil of the Rahim Yar Khan District of Bahawalpur Division, in the Punjab province of Pakistan.
The city is a centre for sugarcane and cotton agriculture. It is one of the largest Tehsils of the Rahim Yar Khan District, in terms of its area. The famous Cholistan Desert is mainly located in the Khanpur area. There are many places in Pakistan named Khanpur, but only two of them have the status of Tehsil, and the other one is in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Khanpur is a strong candidate for becoming a District, as it had the status of District in the British Era until 1938.
Language and Demography
According to the census of 1998, the city population was 117,764 with an annual growth rate of 2.6%. The majority of the population is Muslim and speaks Majhi and Riasti dialects of the Punjabi language. As of 2009, the recorded population of Khanpur was 156,152.[1]
Its old large market areas and Bazaar are clear evidence of the old saga of this city. Its long adjoining Shahi Road leads to many cities such as Rahim Yar Khan on one side and Liaquat Pur and Bahawalpur on the other side. In the old times Khanpur is famous for its bowl makers. Chachran (Sharif) is a small town (a Kasba) located in tehsil Khanpur along with Indus River and approximately 35 km away from Khanpur city is the birthplace of Khawaja Ghulam Fareed (The national poet of saraiki). Only Urban Town of Tehsil Khanpur namely Zahir Pir is situated about 22 kilometres (14 mi) from Khanpur city on National Highway (N-5)(KLP Road), having population of more than 100,000.
History
In 997 CE, Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi, took over the Ghaznavid dynasty empire established by his father, Sultan Sebuktegin, In 1005 he conquered the Shahis in Kabul in 1005, and followed it by the conquests of Punjab region. The Delhi Sultanate and later Mughal Empire ruled the region. The Punjab region became predominantly Muslim due to missionary Sufi saints whose dargahs dot the landscape of Punjab region.
After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Bahawalpur state ruled the region.
Khanpur was established in 1848, and had the status of district headquarters in British Era till 1938. but later on this status was given to the city of Rahim Yar Khan. Khanpur (Khanpur Katoora) is one of the oldest cities of the Punjab.
The predominantly Muslim population supported Muslim League and Pakistan Movement. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the minority Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India while the Muslims refugees from India settled down in the Rahim Yar Khan District.
Climate
Khanpur has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh) with hot summers and mild winters. Rainfall is low, but some rain does fall in the monsoon season from July to September.
| Climate data for Khanpur | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 29.4 (84.9) |
32.8 (91) |
40.6 (105.1) |
45.6 (114.1) |
47.8 (118) |
48.0 (118.4) |
46.7 (116.1) |
43.3 (109.9) |
42.2 (108) |
41.1 (106) |
37.0 (98.6) |
32.0 (89.6) |
48 (118.4) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 21.8 (71.2) |
24.4 (75.9) |
30.2 (86.4) |
37.0 (98.6) |
41.3 (106.3) |
42.5 (108.5) |
39.9 (103.8) |
38.4 (101.1) |
37.0 (98.6) |
34.8 (94.6) |
29.4 (84.9) |
23.5 (74.3) |
33.35 (92.02) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 13.1 (55.6) |
15.9 (60.6) |
21.5 (70.7) |
27.7 (81.9) |
32.5 (90.5) |
34.8 (94.6) |
33.6 (92.5) |
32.4 (90.3) |
30.1 (86.2) |
25.6 (78.1) |
19.7 (67.5) |
14.4 (57.9) |
25.11 (77.2) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 4.4 (39.9) |
7.3 (45.1) |
12.8 (55) |
18.5 (65.3) |
23.6 (74.5) |
27.2 (81) |
27.3 (81.1) |
26.3 (79.3) |
23.1 (73.6) |
16.3 (61.3) |
10.1 (50.2) |
5.3 (41.5) |
16.85 (62.32) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −3.3 (26.1) |
−2.8 (27) |
2.0 (35.6) |
6.5 (43.7) |
11.0 (51.8) |
13.0 (55.4) |
17.0 (62.6) |
18.0 (64.4) |
14.8 (58.6) |
5.0 (41) |
0.6 (33.1) |
−4.3 (24.3) |
−4.3 (24.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 4.4 (0.173) |
5.4 (0.213) |
5.6 (0.22) |
2.8 (0.11) |
5.1 (0.201) |
2.8 (0.11) |
27.5 (1.083) |
23.0 (0.906) |
15.5 (0.61) |
1.2 (0.047) |
0.7 (0.028) |
3.3 (0.13) |
97.3 (3.831) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 261.3 | 244.3 | 269.9 | 287.1 | 310.4 | 283.5 | 274.9 | 293.8 | 289.7 | 307.2 | 287.9 | 260.5 | 3,370.5 |
| Source: NOAA (1961–1990)[2] | |||||||||||||
Agriculture
Agriculture is the main livelihood of Khanpur's residents. The major crops grown in the region are cotton, sugarcane, wheat, rice, and vegetables.vegetables specially carrots is a very famous in winter season in khanpur. Although Khanpur was originally a major cotton growing area, it has now shifted towards being a major sugarcane growing region. The Average yield of Sugarcane crop is 748.15 Mnds/Acre (2011–12), which is greater than the average yield of World and Pakistan. Vegetables are grown widely in scattered areas, and the number of greenhouses is increasing every year.
See also
- Sipra
- Arain
- Gujjar
- Saraiki people
- Punjabi people
- Liaquat Pur
- Firoza
- Rahim yar Khan
- Bahawalpur
- Bahawalpur (princely state)
References
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