Mian Channu
Encyclopedia
Mian Channu (alternate spelling Mian Chunnun) is a city in Punjab
province, Pakistan
.In the year 1919, it was declared as a notified area Committee and in 1938 as a Town Committee. Its limits were last extended in the year 1950. Since then no extension has been made and the development in the Town from 1947 to 1961 remained slow. It was assigned of Municipal Committee in 1975, as it had grown into small urban centre by that time. After that the Town started developing and major growth has been taking place from 1972 to 1984. But the trend of growth in this period has largely been along G.T Road and in the northern direction. It has been the headquarters of the Mian Channu Tehsil
of Khanewal District
since 1985 and is administratively subdivided into 3 Union councils
. It has approximately 65,000 residents and is located on the Grand Trunk Road
(250 km South West of Lahore
and 1050 km North East of Karachi
) and KLP (Karachi, Lahore
, Peshawar
) railway line. For a period of more than a century, Mian Channu has been part of District of Multan. With the raising of status of Mian Channu to a Tehsil Headquarter and creation of a new District of Khanewal from Its Jully 1985, Mian Channu Tehsil become a part of the new District of Khanewal. The city is one of the major contributor to agricultural production. Cotton, wheat and mango are the major agricultural products. Punjabi
is the spoken language of people. It is also very popular for its property value.
Major crops of the town are wheat , grain, peas, barley are the important crops of Rabi season, while Kharif crops are cotton, sugarcane, jawar, bajra, oil seeds which are shipped by rail and road to other parts of the country.
In the end of 1200 A.D when Hazrat Bahawal Haque Zikria along with three other saints returning to Multan after paying respect to “Hazrat Baba Farid-ud-Din Ganj Shakar”, by chance came across those two young men, they later went away to fetch water for Hazrat Bahawal Haque Zikria. When they came back with water, they found that the saints were not there. They started tracing foot steps of about 8 km. Mausoleum of Hazrat Baba Mian Channu Towards western side of present Mian Channu Town. There they were sitting in wilderness. They also found that a spring was flowing there. Seeing that, both at once dropped on the feet of Hazrat Bahawal Haque Zikria. The saint embraced both the young men and prayed to Allah for their guidance and thus they were infused with divine faith. At the same time, the saint also named them as “Mian Channu” and “Majid”. The tomb of saint Mian Channu is beautiful and is an example of early architectural skill.
The city is named after this famous saint, Hazrat Baba Mian Channu (Rehmatallah Alahay), who is buried there and whose shrine still stands there to this day. The legend goes that after the saint's death, the town was incorrectly named and on that night the saint's spirit changed the name on the town sign to the correct spelling. Every day the authorities would change it back and every night the saint would correct it. In the end the people realized this and the town has remained named after Baba Mian Channu ever since.
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...
province, 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...
.In the year 1919, it was declared as a notified area Committee and in 1938 as a Town Committee. Its limits were last extended in the year 1950. Since then no extension has been made and the development in the Town from 1947 to 1961 remained slow. It was assigned of Municipal Committee in 1975, as it had grown into small urban centre by that time. After that the Town started developing and major growth has been taking place from 1972 to 1984. But the trend of growth in this period has largely been along G.T Road and in the northern direction. It has been the headquarters of the Mian Channu Tehsil
Mian Channu Tehsil
Mian Channu Tehsil is an administrative subdivision of Khanewal District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is administratively subdivided into 12 Union Councils, three of which form the tehsil capital Mian Channu.-Major Casts:...
of Khanewal District
Khanewal District
Khanewal is District of Punjab province in Pakistan. It most widely known for being the host city to the second largest Train Station in Pakistan...
since 1985 and is administratively subdivided into 3 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...
. It has approximately 65,000 residents and is located on the Grand Trunk Road
Grand Trunk Road
The Grand Trunk Road also formerly known as Uttarapatha, Shah Rah-e-Azam or Sadak-e-Azam or Badshahi Sadak is one of South Asia's oldest and longest major roads...
(250 km South West of 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...
and 1050 km North East of Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
) and KLP (Karachi, 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...
, Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
) railway line. For a period of more than a century, Mian Channu has been part of District of Multan. With the raising of status of Mian Channu to a Tehsil Headquarter and creation of a new District of Khanewal from Its Jully 1985, Mian Channu Tehsil become a part of the new District of Khanewal. The city is one of the major contributor to agricultural production. Cotton, wheat and mango are the major agricultural products. Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
is the spoken language of people. It is also very popular for its property value.
Major crops of the town are wheat , grain, peas, barley are the important crops of Rabi season, while Kharif crops are cotton, sugarcane, jawar, bajra, oil seeds which are shipped by rail and road to other parts of the country.
Etymology
The city was named after a saint, Hazrat Baba Mian Channu (Rehmatallah Alahay) who lived and buried there. There is a folklore about the name that during English rule administration tried to change the name of city. They painted all boards with the new name. But at night somehow the boards changed to back to the original. They tried repeatedly in vain, and since then the name of area is Mian Chunnu.Educational Institutions
Govt. Model High School and Muslim Union high School are two of the best government schools of this city. Paramount Public Middle School(Reg) st#4 Jatala Town is also a best school.In 2001,a new privately administered,semi-government institution was established under the name of 'Mian Channu Public School'. This institute played a vital role in providing quality education to the citizens of Mian Channu and attracted hundreds of students from surrounding areas as well.It was later upgraded as 'Divisional Public School' and finally as a degree college.Nowadays,it's working under this title but has lost popularity and growth rate rapidly as compared to it's early days due to lacking administrative skills and educational quality as a result of recruitment of teaching staff with the qualifications below the standard merit which once used to be.Another reason of it's declining state is the development of other institutions in this area which are giving it a tough time and new challenges.One of these institutions include a recently established school under the name of 'The Country School' located in Rehman City,Bypass,Mian Channu.This institute is set and monitored by The "Bloomfield Hall School"as being it's Project.The institution is aimed at providing high-quality education at affordable fees.The school has a magnificent building and clean surrounding area.It's a part of the network of "The Country Schools" which are running in several cities of Pakistan and offer education from the reception(foundation)level-O Level/Matriculation.Other growing institutions include the 'British International School' and 'The Educators'.Hazrat Baba Mian Channu, Rehmatallah Alahay
It is said that during the reign of Sultan Ghias-ud-Din Balban, a young man from “Sonpal Faqirs” leaving the Chenab River Valley took abode on the bank of river Ravi which was covered with thorny bushes all around.There he came across another youth “Majid Jinjus”, of his own type, and got friendly with him.In the end of 1200 A.D when Hazrat Bahawal Haque Zikria along with three other saints returning to Multan after paying respect to “Hazrat Baba Farid-ud-Din Ganj Shakar”, by chance came across those two young men, they later went away to fetch water for Hazrat Bahawal Haque Zikria. When they came back with water, they found that the saints were not there. They started tracing foot steps of about 8 km. Mausoleum of Hazrat Baba Mian Channu Towards western side of present Mian Channu Town. There they were sitting in wilderness. They also found that a spring was flowing there. Seeing that, both at once dropped on the feet of Hazrat Bahawal Haque Zikria. The saint embraced both the young men and prayed to Allah for their guidance and thus they were infused with divine faith. At the same time, the saint also named them as “Mian Channu” and “Majid”. The tomb of saint Mian Channu is beautiful and is an example of early architectural skill.
The city is named after this famous saint, Hazrat Baba Mian Channu (Rehmatallah Alahay), who is buried there and whose shrine still stands there to this day. The legend goes that after the saint's death, the town was incorrectly named and on that night the saint's spirit changed the name on the town sign to the correct spelling. Every day the authorities would change it back and every night the saint would correct it. In the end the people realized this and the town has remained named after Baba Mian Channu ever since.