Narowal District
| ضِلع نارووال | |
|---|---|
| District | |
| Narowal District | |
 Location of Narowal in Punjab. | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Province | Punjab |
| Headquarters | Narowal |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2,337 km2 (902 sq mi) |
| Population (1998) | |
| • Total | 1,156,097 |
| • Density | 538/km2 (1,390/sq mi) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC+5) |
| Number of Tehsils | 3 |
Narowal District (Urdu: ضِلع نارووال), is a district in the province of Punjab of Pakistan. Narowal city is the capital of the district.
Administration
The district is administratively divided into the following Three tehsils (subdivisions), which contain a total of 74 Union Councils:[1]
| Tehsil | No. of Unions |
|---|---|
| Narowal | 28 |
| Shakargarh | 28 |
| Zafarwal | 18 |
| Total | 74 |
It was named after a big local zamindar Naro Singh Bajwa. Before the independence of Pakistan in 1947, Shakargarh town was the headquarters of Shakargarh Tehsil, which was a subdivision of the Gurdaspur District of British India. Under the Radcliffe Award, the tehsil of Shakargarh was transferred to Pakistan and attached to Sialkot District. On July 1, 1991, Narowal and Shakargarh were removed from Sialkot District to form Narowal District.
Boundaries
The district is bounded on the northwest by Sialkot District, on the north by Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, on the southeast by the Gurdaspur District(India) pathankot District (Republic of India), on the south by Amritsar district (Republic of India) and on the southwest by Sheikhupura District in Pakistan.
History
Narowal District was agricultural region with forests during the Indus Valley Civilization. The Vedic period is characterized by Indo-Aryan culture that arrived from Central Asia and settled in Punjab region. 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 Narowal 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 missionary Sufi saints whose dargahs dot the landscape of Punjab region.
After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Sikh Empire invaded and occupied Narowal District. During the period of British rule, Narowal district increased in population and importance.
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 Muslim refugees from India settled in the Narowal District.
Language and Demography
As per the 1998 census of Pakistan, Punjabi language is spoken by 95%. Punjabi dialects spoken in the district are
Other Languages include:
- Urdu being national language is spoken and understood.
- English is also understood and spoken by the sizable educated people.
The total area of the district is approximately 2,337 square kilometres. Prior to the creation of Zafarwal Tehsil in July 2009,[2] Narowal Tehsil occupied 1,065 square kilometres while the remaining area (1,272 square kilometres) fell in Shakargarh Tehsil. According to the 1998 census of Pakistan, Narowal District's population was 1,256,097, of which only 12.11% were urbans.[3]
Hospitals
- DHQ
References
- ↑ "Tehsils & Unions in the District of Narowal". National Reconstruction Bureau, Government of Pakistan.
- ↑ "Zafarwal to become tehsil on July 1". Dawn. 2 February 2009. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
- ↑ Urban Resource Centre - Population table
External links
Coordinates: 32°13′N 74°57′E / 32.217°N 74.950°E