Sargodha District

ضِلع سرگودها
district
Sargodha District

Location of Sargodha district in West Punjab
Country Pakistan
Province Punjab
Headquarters Sargodha
Area
 • Total 5,864 km2 (2,264 sq mi)
Population (1998)
 • Total 2,665,979
 • Density 450/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Time zone PST (UTC+5)
Number of Tehsils 7
Website http://www.sargodha.gop.pk/

Sargodha District (Urdu: ضِلع سرگودها‎), is a district of Punjab, Pakistan. The capital of the district is Sargodha. It is an agricultural district, wheat, rice, and sugarcane being its main crops. The Sargodha district and region is also famous for citrus fruit; kino is a newly developed variety. The district has an area of 5,864 km2.[1]

Tehsils

Sargodha District is administratively divided into Seven Tehsils, which contain a total of 161 Union Councils.[2]

Tehsil No. of Unions
Bhalwal 53
Sahiwal 14
Sargodha 62
Shahpur 16
Silanwali 16

Demography

The population of Sargodha grew rapidly with the arrival of Muslim refugees from northern India, fleeing from the religious violence that followed the partition of India and the independence of Pakistan in 1947. According to the 1998 census of Pakistan the district had a population of 2,665,979 of which 27.96% lived in urban settlements.[3]

Etymology

It is believed that there was an old pond in the middle of the town where an old Hindu monk or sadhu (godha) used to live. The Hindi word for pond is "ser".[4] Since the town had a modest population, people would refer the place as sergodha, the place where that famous Sadhu resided next to the pond.[5]

History

The Sargodha District was an agricultural region with forests during the Indus Valley Civilization. The Kambojas, Daradas, Kaikayas, Madras, Pauravas, Yaudheyas, Malavas and Kurus invaded, settled and ruled ancient Punjab region. After overrunning the Achaemenid Empire in 331 BCE, Alexander marched into present-day Punjab region with an army of 50,000. The Sargodha was ruled by Maurya Empire, Indo-Greek kingdom, Kushan Empire, Gupta Empire, White Huns, Kushano-Hephthalites and Shahi kingdoms.

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 conversions patronized by Muslim kings effected both forcefully and by missionary Sufi saints whose dargahs dot the landscape of Punjab region.

There is a market at the place where Gool Khuuh used to exist and a grand mosque above the market and it is known as "Goal Chowk", which is the center of downtown Sargodha today.[4][5]

Local media

References

  1. ↑ District Wise – Sargodha
  2. ↑ Tehsils & Unions in the District of Sargodha – Government of Pakistan. Nrb.gov.pk. Retrieved on 2016-02-22.
  3. ↑ Urban Resource Centre. urckarachi.org
  4. 1 2 Portrait of Pakistan. Ferozsons. Retrieved 2007-12-31. The district derives its name for the headquarters town of Sargodha, which is a combination of "Sar" and "Godha". "Sar" is a Hindi word which denotes a water...
  5. 1 2 Pakistan tourism directory. Holiday Weekly. Retrieved 2007-12-31. Sargodha is a colony town established in 1903, but its origins are older. Sargodha is a combination of the words "Sar" meaning a pond and "Godha"...

Dhudhi

Coordinates: 32°10′N 72°30′E / 32.167°N 72.500°E / 32.167; 72.500

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