Chakwal
Encyclopedia
Chakwal is the capital of Chakwal District
, Punjab, Pakistan
. It is located 90 km south-east of the federal capital, Islamabad
and is named after Chaudhry Chaku Khan, chief of the Mair Minhas
tribe from Jammu
, who founded it in 1525 CE during the era of the Mughal Emperor, Zaheerudun Babur
. It remained a small but central town of the Dhan Chaurasi Taluka
for many centuries. In 1881, during the British era
, it was declared the Tehsil
Headquarters. It was finally upgraded to district status in 1985. The area of Chakwal city is about 10 square kilometres.
in northern Punjab, Pakistan
. The Pothohar Plateau (also spelled Potwar or Potohar) (Urdu: سطح مرتفع پوٹھوہار) was the home of the ancient Soan valley civilization, which is evidenced by the discovery of fossils, tools, coins, and remains of ancient archaeological sites. The Indus Valley civilization flourished in this region between the 23rd and 18th centuries BC. Some of the earliest Stone Age artefacts in the world have been found on the plateau, dating from 500,000 to 100,000 years ago. The crude stone recovered from the terraces of the Soan testify to human endeavour in this part of the world from the inter-glacial period.
The Stone Age people produced their equipment in a sufficiently homogeneous way to justify grouping the inhabitants of this area into one. Around 3000 BC, small village communities developed in the Pothohar area.
For much of its early history, Dhanni was an uninhabited part of the Jammu
state of the Dogra
Rajput
s, and Khokhar Rajput
s, held as a hunting ground for the Rajas of Jammu.
Chaudhry Sidhar settled villages named after his sons Chaku, Murid
and Karhan and as Chaku Khan became the chief, he decided to settle in Chakwal, the village named after him and make it the center of administration of the Taluka. Kassar
chiefs founded the villages of Bal-Kassar and Dhudial
.
Awans
,Waince, Mair Minhas
, Khokhar Rajput
s, Mughal
Kassar and Kahut
Quriesh were probably the Six landowning tribes that were originally settled in this tehsil by the Mughal
Emperor Zaheerudin Babur
. The main concentration of the Mair-Minhas
and Rajput
s was in the center (Haveli-Chakwal), North-East (Badshahan), West (Rupwal) and South West (Thirchak-Mahal). The Kassars in the northern part of the tehsil, the area called 'Babial' and 'Chaupeda' and the Kahut
s in 'Kahutani' in the South East.
These tribes, particularly the Mair-Minhas
Chaudhrials of Chakwal, rose to further prominence during the short rule of Sher Shah Suri
who handed them control over the adjoining territories, as far as Swan River
in Potohar and the Pind Dadan Khan
plains in the South.
After the Mughal
ruler, King Humayun
, returned to India
with the help of the Persian
s, he handed over Potohar, including Dhanni, to the Gakhars
, who had helped him escape from India
during Sher Shah
's revolt and reign. The Gakhars
moved the capital of the taluka from Chakwal to a neighbouring town, Bhon, and stationed their Kardars there.
The Mair-Minhas and Mughal Kassar tribes again rose to power after King Aurangzeb's death. They had supported his son Moazzam Shah
in his quest for power and, in return, he re-appointed the Mair-Minhas chief Gadabeg Khan as the Taluqdar
and Chaudhry of the entire 'Dhan Chaurasi', whereas the rule of the Kassar Chaudhrys was confirmed in Babial and Chaupeda 'illaqa'.
Their rule over Dhanni continued during the Sikh
era; Chaudhry Ghulam Mehdi had invited Sardar Mahan Singh to this side of Jhelum River
. It was during that era that the Dhanni breed of horses became popular; even Maharaja Ranjeet Singh's personal horses were kept in the stables of the 'Chakwal Chaudhrials'. Maharaja Ranjeet Singh was very kind to Chaudhrials of Chakwal due to their obedient services. During the Independence War of 1857 Chaudhrials of Chakwal strengthened the hand of the British Raj by escorting the treasury from Chakwal to Rawalpindi and got the khilats and Jagirs.
Chakwal's non-Muslim minorities departed during partition of the subcontinent in 1947. In April 2009 a terrorist attack
on the mosque killed more than 30 people.
Chakwal's landscape features the canyons in Thirchak-Mahal. There are man-made and natural lakes around the city in neighbouring communities.
On the top of this hill is a shrine called Chehl-Abdal of Chehl Abdal” hill top which is at 3500 feet (1,066.8 m) above sea level. Another well-known tourist place in the area is Kalar Kahar, 2500 feet (762 m) above sea level. The famous temple-fort of Katas Raj
is nearby. Chakwal is connected by road to Jhelum
and Lahore
via the Sohawa road.
Chakwal is a semi-arid area with a shortage of irrigation systems and water sources for agriculture. Over 70% of the population engages in agriculture, mostly subsistence agriculture dependent on rainfall. Most villages have no irrigation system.
. However, the people of Chakwal and the Dhanni area (now known as Chakwal Tehsil
) do not speak Pothohari and are ethnologically not regarded as Potoharis. They speak a Chakwali or Dhanni dialect of Punjabi, which is closer to Shahpuri
, a dialect spoken in the Shahpur-Salt Range area.
In addition to being the district capital, Chakwal city is also the administrative centre of Chakwal tehsil
(a subdivision of the district). The city of Chakwal itself is divided into five Union councils
: and Chakwal district is divided in to 68 union councils.
, the Swedish Institute of Technology and others.
The Arya Samaj
founded the first school in Chakwal at the start of the 20th Century, and others, both religious and secular, followed. More information on basic child education can be found on the district government webpage.
There are number of small villages and town in chakwal. One of them is Waulah.
Chakwal District
Chakwal is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Chakwal district was created in 1985; until the year 2000 when divisions were abolished, it was part of Rawalpindi Division.-Administration:...
, Punjab, 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 is located 90 km south-east of the federal capital, Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
and is named after Chaudhry Chaku Khan, chief of the Mair Minhas
Minhas
Minhas or Manhas or Minhas-Dogra is a Suryavanshi Rajput clan from the Punjab region and Jammu & Kashmir in India and Pakistan. It is an off-shoot of Jamwal-Dogra Rajputs, the founders of the city and state of Jammu and its rulers from ancient times to 1948 CE...
tribe from Jammu
Jammu
Jammu , also known as Duggar, is one of the three administrative divisions within Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state in India.Jammu city is the largest city in Jammu and the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir...
, who founded it in 1525 CE during the era of the Mughal Emperor, Zaheerudun Babur
Babur
Babur was a Muslim conqueror from Central Asia who, following a series of setbacks, finally succeeded in laying the basis for the Mughal dynasty of South Asia. He was a direct descendant of Timur through his father, and a descendant also of Genghis Khan through his mother...
. It remained a small but central town of the Dhan Chaurasi Taluka
Tehsil
A Tehsil or Tahsil/Tahasil , also known as Taluk and Mandal, is an administrative division of some country/countries of South Asia....
for many centuries. In 1881, during the British era
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, it was declared the Tehsil
Tehsil
A Tehsil or Tahsil/Tahasil , also known as Taluk and Mandal, is an administrative division of some country/countries of South Asia....
Headquarters. It was finally upgraded to district status in 1985. The area of Chakwal city is about 10 square kilometres.
History
Chakwal is located in the Dhanni region of the Pothohar PlateauPothohar Plateau
The Pothohar Plateau is a plateau in north-eastern Pakistan and the western parts of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The area was the home of the Soanian Culture, which is evidenced by the discovery of fossils, tools, coins, and remains of ancient archaeological sites...
in northern Punjab, 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...
. The Pothohar Plateau (also spelled Potwar or Potohar) (Urdu: سطح مرتفع پوٹھوہار) was the home of the ancient Soan valley civilization, which is evidenced by the discovery of fossils, tools, coins, and remains of ancient archaeological sites. The Indus Valley civilization flourished in this region between the 23rd and 18th centuries BC. Some of the earliest Stone Age artefacts in the world have been found on the plateau, dating from 500,000 to 100,000 years ago. The crude stone recovered from the terraces of the Soan testify to human endeavour in this part of the world from the inter-glacial period.
The Stone Age people produced their equipment in a sufficiently homogeneous way to justify grouping the inhabitants of this area into one. Around 3000 BC, small village communities developed in the Pothohar area.
For much of its early history, Dhanni was an uninhabited part of the Jammu
Jammu
Jammu , also known as Duggar, is one of the three administrative divisions within Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state in India.Jammu city is the largest city in Jammu and the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir...
state of the Dogra
Dogra
The Dogras are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group in South Asia. Being a diversified group, the Dogras include both Savarnas such as Brahmins, Rajputs and Non-savarnas. The Dogras also incluide merchant castes such as Mahajans...
Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s, and Khokhar Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s, held as a hunting ground for the Rajas of Jammu.
Chaudhry Sidhar settled villages named after his sons Chaku, Murid
Murid
Murid is a Sufi term meaning 'committed one' from the root meaning "willpower" or "self-esteem". It refers to a person who is committed to a Murshid in a Tariqa of Sufism. Also known as a Salik , a murid is an initiate into the mystic philosophy of Sufism. When the Talib makes a pledge to a...
and Karhan and as Chaku Khan became the chief, he decided to settle in Chakwal, the village named after him and make it the center of administration of the Taluka. Kassar
Kassar
Kassar or Mughal Kassar Kassar or Mughal Kassar Kassar or Mughal Kassar (Urdu: ( کسر / مغل قصر ) are a Mughal tribe and one of the three major land-owning tribes in the Dhani country of Chakwal District in Punjab province, Pakistan. They occupy the northern part of Dhani, called Babial and Chaupeda...
chiefs founded the villages of Bal-Kassar and Dhudial
Dhudial
Dhudial is a village and union council, an administrative subdivision, of Chakwal District in the Punjab Province of Pakistan, it is part of Chakwal Tehsil. It is one of the largest villages of Chakwal District and is located at 33°3'52N 72°58'24E about 70 km south of the capital Islamabad....
.
Awans
Awans
Awans is a Belgian municipality located in the Walloon province of Liège. On January 1, 2006 Awans had a total population of 8,696. The total area is 27.16 km² which gives a population density of 320 inhabitants per km²....
,Waince, Mair Minhas
Minhas
Minhas or Manhas or Minhas-Dogra is a Suryavanshi Rajput clan from the Punjab region and Jammu & Kashmir in India and Pakistan. It is an off-shoot of Jamwal-Dogra Rajputs, the founders of the city and state of Jammu and its rulers from ancient times to 1948 CE...
, Khokhar Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s, Mughal
Mughal (tribe)
The term Mughal is simply a Turkic word and many groups in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh use the term Mughal to describe themselves...
Kassar and Kahut
Kahut
Kahut is a branch of the Quraysh tribe of Saudi Arabia which came to India with the Muslim invaders. Kahut Quraysh are mostly located in Chakwal District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is believed that when the Quraysh landed in this area they had to fight a war with the locals to make place for them...
Quriesh were probably the Six landowning tribes that were originally settled in this tehsil by the Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
Emperor Zaheerudin Babur
Babur
Babur was a Muslim conqueror from Central Asia who, following a series of setbacks, finally succeeded in laying the basis for the Mughal dynasty of South Asia. He was a direct descendant of Timur through his father, and a descendant also of Genghis Khan through his mother...
. The main concentration of the Mair-Minhas
Minhas
Minhas or Manhas or Minhas-Dogra is a Suryavanshi Rajput clan from the Punjab region and Jammu & Kashmir in India and Pakistan. It is an off-shoot of Jamwal-Dogra Rajputs, the founders of the city and state of Jammu and its rulers from ancient times to 1948 CE...
and Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s was in the center (Haveli-Chakwal), North-East (Badshahan), West (Rupwal) and South West (Thirchak-Mahal). The Kassars in the northern part of the tehsil, the area called 'Babial' and 'Chaupeda' and the Kahut
Kahut
Kahut is a branch of the Quraysh tribe of Saudi Arabia which came to India with the Muslim invaders. Kahut Quraysh are mostly located in Chakwal District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is believed that when the Quraysh landed in this area they had to fight a war with the locals to make place for them...
s in 'Kahutani' in the South East.
These tribes, particularly the Mair-Minhas
Minhas
Minhas or Manhas or Minhas-Dogra is a Suryavanshi Rajput clan from the Punjab region and Jammu & Kashmir in India and Pakistan. It is an off-shoot of Jamwal-Dogra Rajputs, the founders of the city and state of Jammu and its rulers from ancient times to 1948 CE...
Chaudhrials of Chakwal, rose to further prominence during the short rule of Sher Shah Suri
Sher Shah Suri
Sher Shah Suri , birth name Farid Khan, also known as Sher Khan , was the founder of the short-lived Sur Empire in northern India, with its capital at Delhi, before its demise in the hands of the resurgent Mughal Empire...
who handed them control over the adjoining territories, as far as Swan River
Swan River (Potohar)
Swan River is small river in Potohar in the northwest of Punjab, PakistanThis article is unfortunate duplicate of main Soan River article....
in Potohar and the Pind Dadan Khan
Pind Dadan Khan
Pind Dadan Khan is a town in Jhelum District, Punjab, Pakistan, it is the capital of Pind Dadan Khan Tehsil, which is an administrative subdivision of the district...
plains in the South.
After the Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
ruler, King 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...
, returned to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
with the help of the Persian
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
s, he handed over Potohar, including Dhanni, to the Gakhars
Gakhars
The Gakhars are an ancient warrior clan who have predominantly resided in what is present day northern Punjab and South-Western Kashmir, Pakistan. In particular in the cities of Rawalpindi, Jhelum and regions of Gilgit, Baltistan, Chitral, Khanpur and Mirpur, Pakistan...
, who had helped him escape from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
during Sher Shah
Sher Shah Suri
Sher Shah Suri , birth name Farid Khan, also known as Sher Khan , was the founder of the short-lived Sur Empire in northern India, with its capital at Delhi, before its demise in the hands of the resurgent Mughal Empire...
's revolt and reign. The Gakhars
Gakhars
The Gakhars are an ancient warrior clan who have predominantly resided in what is present day northern Punjab and South-Western Kashmir, Pakistan. In particular in the cities of Rawalpindi, Jhelum and regions of Gilgit, Baltistan, Chitral, Khanpur and Mirpur, Pakistan...
moved the capital of the taluka from Chakwal to a neighbouring town, Bhon, and stationed their Kardars there.
The Mair-Minhas and Mughal Kassar tribes again rose to power after King Aurangzeb's death. They had supported his son Moazzam Shah
Bahadur Shah I
Bahadur Shah was a Mughal Emperor, who ruled India from 1707 to 1712. His original name was Qutb ud-Din Muhammad Mu'azzam later titled as Shah Alam by his father. He took the throne name Bahadur Shah in 1707. His name Bahādur means "brave" & "hero" in Turko-Mongol languages...
in his quest for power and, in return, he re-appointed the Mair-Minhas chief Gadabeg Khan as the Taluqdar
Taluqdar
A taluqdar or talukdar , is a term used for Indian land holders in Mughal and British times, responsible for collecting taxes from a district...
and Chaudhry of the entire 'Dhan Chaurasi', whereas the rule of the Kassar Chaudhrys was confirmed in Babial and Chaupeda 'illaqa'.
Their rule over Dhanni continued during the Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
era; Chaudhry Ghulam Mehdi had invited Sardar Mahan Singh to this side of Jhelum River
Jhelum River
Jehlum River or Jhelum River , ) is a river that flows in India and Pakistan. It is the largest and most western of the five rivers of Punjab, and passes through Jhelum District...
. It was during that era that the Dhanni breed of horses became popular; even Maharaja Ranjeet Singh's personal horses were kept in the stables of the 'Chakwal Chaudhrials'. Maharaja Ranjeet Singh was very kind to Chaudhrials of Chakwal due to their obedient services. During the Independence War of 1857 Chaudhrials of Chakwal strengthened the hand of the British Raj by escorting the treasury from Chakwal to Rawalpindi and got the khilats and Jagirs.
Chakwal's non-Muslim minorities departed during partition of the subcontinent in 1947. In April 2009 a terrorist attack
2009 Chakwal mosque bombing
The 2009 Chakwal mosque bombing occurred on April 5, 2009, in Chakwal in the Punjab province of Pakistan. An initial casualty count of 30 was reported with at least 150 injuries. The mosque was reportedly "packed" at the time of the explosion...
on the mosque killed more than 30 people.
Geography
On the top of this hill is a shrine called Chehl-Abdal of Chehl Abdal” hill top which is at 3500 feet (1,066.8 m) above sea level. Another well-known tourist place in the area is Kalar Kahar, 2500 feet (762 m) above sea level. The famous temple-fort of Katas Raj
Katasraj temple
Katasraj Mandir , कटासराज मन्दिर ) is a Hindu mandir situated in Katas village in the Chakwal district of Punjab in Pakistan. Dedicated to Shiva, the temple has existed since the days of Mahābhārata and the Pandava brothers spent a substantial part of their exile at the site...
is nearby. Chakwal is connected by road to Jhelum
Jhelum
Jhelum or Jehlum may refer to:* Jhelum, a city in Pakistan on the banks of the Jhelum River* Jhelum District, an administrative division in Punjab, Pakistan surrounding the city of Jhelum...
and Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
via the Sohawa road.
Chakwal is a semi-arid area with a shortage of irrigation systems and water sources for agriculture. Over 70% of the population engages in agriculture, mostly subsistence agriculture dependent on rainfall. Most villages have no irrigation system.
Language
The people of Pothohar speak PothohariPothohari language
Potwari , also known as Potohari ), is a rich north Indian sub-continent dialect spoken in the Pothohar Plateau around Rawalpindi, Kahuta, Gujar Khan, Jehlum, up to Gujrat in the south and Chakwal in the West, Hazara in the north, Azad Kashmir in the east and also by Sikhs from the Pothohar...
. However, the people of Chakwal and the Dhanni area (now known as Chakwal Tehsil
Chakwal Tehsil
Chakwal Tehsil is an administrative subdivision of Chakwal District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The tehsil is subdivided into 38 Union Councils - five of which form the capital Chakwal. During British rule the tehsil was part of Jhelum District, according to the 1901 census the population...
) do not speak Pothohari and are ethnologically not regarded as Potoharis. They speak a Chakwali or Dhanni dialect of Punjabi, which is closer to Shahpuri
Shahpuri
The Shahpuri is a dialect of Punjabi language, named due to the town of Shahpur, currently in Sargodha district. This dialect has been spoken by the people of District Sargodha including Dera Chanpeer Shah, Khushab, Jhang, Mianwali, Attock, parts of Faisalabad , parts of Dera Ismail Khan, Dera...
, a dialect spoken in the Shahpur-Salt Range area.
Social Welfare Organizations
Saviours Trust Islamabad based NGO is working for emergency relief and long-term development projects in Pakistan. For more details please visit www.savioursngo.org or call at +92315-SAVIOUR (7284687)Administration
Tehsil
A Tehsil or Tahsil/Tahasil , also known as Taluk and Mandal, is an administrative division of some country/countries of South Asia....
(a subdivision of the district). The city of Chakwal itself is divided into five 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...
: and Chakwal district is divided in to 68 union councils.
Education
There are a number of educational institutions being developed in the city, such as University of Engineering and Technology, TaxilaUniversity of Engineering and Technology, Taxila
The University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila, or UET Taxila is located at Taxila, Punjab, Pakistan. It was established in 1975 as a campus of University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore and chartered as an independent university in 1993, offering Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral degrees...
, the Swedish Institute of Technology and others.
The Arya Samaj
Arya Samaj
Arya Samaj is a Hindu reform movement founded by Swami Dayananda on 10 April 1875. He was a sannyasi who believed in the infallible authority of the Vedas. Dayananda emphasized the ideals of brahmacharya...
founded the first school in Chakwal at the start of the 20th Century, and others, both religious and secular, followed. More information on basic child education can be found on the district government webpage.
Media
An English newspaper called, " The Revolution " is also published in Chakwal. The first online newspaper (in Urdu) was established by Riaz Butt named as Dhudial News Dhudial Nama (in Urdu) is also found online. and Dhudial2Day is online in Urdu and English, but published irregularly in English.There are number of small villages and town in chakwal. One of them is Waulah.
See also
- List of Cities of Punjab, Pakistan by Area
- KakazaiKakazaiThe Kakazai , also known as Loye Mamund , are a Pashtun tribe originally from the Laghman province of Afghanistan.They came to South Asia during Afghan invasions such as those of Mahmud of Ghazni, settling in various regions....