Bhakkar
Encyclopedia
Bhakkar is the principal city of Bhakkar District
, Punjab
, Pakistan
. It lies on the left bank of the Indus river. It has a population of almost 300,000 and was given status of district in 1981.
s of the district. Bhakkar tehsil is sudivided into 17 Union Councils
, three of which form the city of Bhakkar
During British rule Bhakkar Town was headquarters of Bhakkar tahsil (now Bhakkar District) in Mianwali District
, and was on the North-Western Railway line. The municipality was created in 1874. Its income and expenditure during the ten years ending 1902-3 averaged Rs. 7,700. The income in 1903-4 was Rs. 7,500, chiefly derived from octroi
; and the expenditure was Rs. 8,600. The population according to the 1901 census of India was 5,312, at that time the town contained a dispensary and a municipal vernacular middle school.
The Imperial Gazetteer of India described the town as follows:
built by Humayun
, however Humayun never visited the area, on his retreat to Iran
, he went to another place called Bakhar (in Sindh
) to seek help from Mahmood Khan, which was however denied by historian Henry Raverty
.
The old town was walled and had the Tavela, Imamanwala and King Gates, of the three the King Gate, which was built during the British period and was named after Mr King the then Deputy Commissioner of the Mianwali District
, survives - since the end of colonial rule it has been renamed as the Jinnah Gate
This is a very scarce silver coin belonging to the reign of Nadir Shah 1148-1160 AH (1735–1747) of the Afsharid dynasty. It is an Indian type minted during his post-occupation of. It is listed by type as Album #2744.2 (Type D). It weighs 11.3 gr. (18 mm.) and minted in the city of Bhakkar in the state of Punjab in India, dated 1157AH.
Bhakkar is now a bustling town, with population of more than three hundred thousand.
and Punjabi are also spoken by majority of people. There used to be a few Pashtuns in the area who spoke Pushto.
Although there are many tribes in Bhakkar, only few are influential. Nivani, Chaddu, Dhandla, Utra and Musti Khel are considered to be highly influential. Notable personalities are Saeed Akbar Nivani, Zafar Khan Dhandla, Sanaullal Mustikhel and Ikram ul Haq Chaddu & Munawar Abbas Chaddu.
Bhakkar District
Bhakkar is a District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The district was created in 1981 with Bhakkar city as the capital. It is located between 31° 10' and 32° 22' N. and 70° 47' and 72° E. with an area of , most of it lies in the desolate plain of the Thal, but the Kachhi or strip of...
, Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. It lies on the left bank of the Indus river. It has a population of almost 300,000 and was given status of district in 1981.
Administration
Bhakkar city is also the administrative centre of Bhakkar tehsil one of the four tehsilTehsil
A Tehsil or Tahsil/Tahasil , also known as Taluk and Mandal, is an administrative division of some country/countries of South Asia....
s of the district. Bhakkar tehsil is sudivided into 17 Union Councils
Union Councils of Pakistan
A sherwan or village council in Pakistan is an elected local government body consisting of 21 councillors, and headed by a nazim and a naib nazim...
, three of which form the city of Bhakkar
History
Bhakkar was founded probably towards the close of the fifteenth century by a body of colonists from Dera Ismail KhanDera Ismail Khan
Dera Ismail Khan is a city in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. It is situated on the west bank of the Indus River, west of Lahore and northwest of Multan. The city is the capital of the district and tehsil of the same name. In Pakistan, its name is often abbreviated to D. I...
British rule
Mianwali District
Mianwali is a district in the northwest of Punjab province, Pakistan. It borders eight districts: Attock District in the north, Chakwal District in the northeast, Khushab District in the east, and Bhakkar District in the south, while Lakki Marwat lies to the west, Kohat and Karak districts to the...
, and was on the North-Western Railway line. The municipality was created in 1874. Its income and expenditure during the ten years ending 1902-3 averaged Rs. 7,700. The income in 1903-4 was Rs. 7,500, chiefly derived from octroi
Octroi
Octroi is a local tax collected on various articles brought into a district for consumption.-Antiquity:Octroi taxes have a respectable antiquity, being known in Roman times as vectigalia...
; and the expenditure was Rs. 8,600. The population according to the 1901 census of India was 5,312, at that time the town contained a dispensary and a municipal vernacular middle school.
The Imperial Gazetteer of India described the town as follows:
Relics
The town has some historical places like the Dilkusha Bagh which is believed by some to be a Mughal gardenMughal Gardens
Mughal gardens are a group of gardens built by the Mughals in the Islamic style of architecture. This style was heavily influenced by the Persian gardens particularly the Charbagh structure. Significant use of rectilinear layouts are made within the walled enclosures...
built by Humayun
Humayun
Nasir ud-din Muhammad Humayun was the second Mughal Emperor who ruled present day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of northern India from 1530–1540 and again from 1555–1556. Like his father, Babur, he lost his kingdom early, but with Persian aid, he eventually regained an even larger one...
, however Humayun never visited the area, on his retreat to Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, he went to another place called Bakhar (in Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
) to seek help from Mahmood Khan, which was however denied by historian Henry Raverty
Henry George Raverty
Henry George Raverty was a British Indian Army officer and linguist.-Life:He served from 1843 to 1864, rising to the rank of Major in the 3rd Bombay Native Infantry....
.
The old town was walled and had the Tavela, Imamanwala and King Gates, of the three the King Gate, which was built during the British period and was named after Mr King the then Deputy Commissioner of the Mianwali District
Mianwali District
Mianwali is a district in the northwest of Punjab province, Pakistan. It borders eight districts: Attock District in the north, Chakwal District in the northeast, Khushab District in the east, and Bhakkar District in the south, while Lakki Marwat lies to the west, Kohat and Karak districts to the...
, survives - since the end of colonial rule it has been renamed as the Jinnah Gate
This is a very scarce silver coin belonging to the reign of Nadir Shah 1148-1160 AH (1735–1747) of the Afsharid dynasty. It is an Indian type minted during his post-occupation of. It is listed by type as Album #2744.2 (Type D). It weighs 11.3 gr. (18 mm.) and minted in the city of Bhakkar in the state of Punjab in India, dated 1157AH.
Demography
Languages
Seraiki is the main languages of people. UrduUrdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
and Punjabi are also spoken by majority of people. There used to be a few Pashtuns in the area who spoke Pushto.
Although there are many tribes in Bhakkar, only few are influential. Nivani, Chaddu, Dhandla, Utra and Musti Khel are considered to be highly influential. Notable personalities are Saeed Akbar Nivani, Zafar Khan Dhandla, Sanaullal Mustikhel and Ikram ul Haq Chaddu & Munawar Abbas Chaddu.