Pakpattan

Pakpattan
پاکپتّن
Old Name: Ajodhan
City
Pakpattan
Pakpattan

Location in Pakistan

Coordinates: 30°20′42″N 73°23′06″E / 30.345°N 73.385°E / 30.345; 73.385Coordinates: 30°20′42″N 73°23′06″E / 30.345°N 73.385°E / 30.345; 73.385
Country  Pakistan
Region Punjab
District Pakpattan
Area
 • Total 821.11 km2 (317.03 sq mi)
Population (2010)
 • Total 1,584,285
Demonym(s) Pakpattni
Time zone PST (UTC+5)
Postal code 57400
Dialling code 0457[1]

Pakpattan (Urdu: پاکپتّن‎), is the capital city of the Pakpattan District in the Sahiwal Division in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Pakpattan is one of the ancient cities of Pakistan. It is the city that has the shrine of Fariduddin Ganjshakar. Pakpattan is located roughly 40 kilometres (25 mi) from the border with India, and 184 kilometres (114 mi) by road southwest of Lahore.[2]

Language

Punjabi is the native spoken language [3] but Urdu is also widely understood. Haryanvi also called Rangari is spoken among Ranghar, Rajputs. Meos have their own language which is called Mewati.

History

The fort defending the city was once captured by Sebüktegin in 977–78 and by Ibrahim Ghaznavi in 1079–80.[4] The town was besieged by Shaikha; the Khokhar, in 1394, and in 1398 was visited by Timur, Mughal Emperor who spared much of the inhabitants that had not fled, out of respect for the shrine of the saint Hazrat Baba Farid. The old name of Pakpattan was Ajudhan. 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.

During British rule, Pakpattan Town was the headquarters of the tehsil of the same name in the Montgomery District, 29 miles south-east of Montgomery station on the North-Western Railway. The municipality was created in 1867, the population in 1901 was 6,192. During the ten years ending 1902-3 the income averaged Rs. 7,200, and the expenditure Rs. 7,000. The income in 1903-4 was Rs. 8,400, chiefly derived from octroi; and the expenditure was Rs. 7,300.[4]

According to the Imperial Gazetteer of India:

“ Pakpattan is a town of some commercial importance, importing wheat, cotton, oilseeds, and pulses from the surrounding villages, gur and refined sugar from Amritsar, Jullundur, and the United Provinces, piece-goods from Amritsar, Delhi, and Karachi, and fruits from Afghanistan. The exports consist principally of cotton, wheat, and oilseeds. The town has a local manufacture of silk lungis and lacquer-work. It contains a vernacular middle school and a dispensary. From 1849 to 1852 it was the headquarters of the District. ”

Pakpattan is also quite famous throughout South Asia, for a number of Sufi shrines, of which the most renowned is that of Hazrat Shaykh Farid ud Din Ganj Shakar, of the Chishti Order. It is venerated equally by Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus.

Shrines in Pakpatan

Universities

References

  1. ↑ "National Dialing Codes". Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  2. ↑ Maps (Map). Google Maps.
  3. ↑ http://www.findpk.com/cities/Explorer-pakistan-Pakpattan.html
  4. 1 2 Pakpattan - Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 19, p. 332
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