Hafizabad District ( Punjabi and ur, ) is located in

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprisin ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

. Hafizabad was made a district in 1993; formerly, it was a

tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...

Gujranwala District Gujranwala District ( Punjabi and ur, ), is a district that is a part of the Majha region in Punjab, Pakistan. Gujranwala District is bordered by the districts of Gujrat, Sialkot, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad and Sheikhupura. Gujranwala distri ...

. It is situated in central Punjab and is known for its rice industry on the agricultural side and rice industry on the industrial side and have top 5 exporters of rice from Pakistan.Hafizabad on Punjab Portal website
Retrieved 30 May 2021 The capital of the district,

Hafizabad Hafizabad (Urdu and pa, ) is a city and capital of Hafizabad District located in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the 31st largest city of Pakistan. It is also a Tehsil. Ancient history Hafizabad is an old city in Punjab, Pakistan. In 327 BC, duri ...

, known for strengthening the administration of Punjab.

History

In 327 BC, when

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to ...

invaded the territory that is now Pakistan, the territory of the Sandal Bar (where Hafizabad is now located) was a populated area. Big cities were located in the district, and many sub-states were organized here in the presidency of native Maharajas and Rajas. In 997 CE, Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi, took over the

Ghaznavid dynasty The Ghaznavid dynasty ( fa, غزنویان ''Ġaznaviyān'') was a culturally Persianate, Sunni Muslim dynasty of Turkic ''mamluk'' origin, ruling, at its greatest extent, large parts of Persia, Khorasan, much of Transoxiana and the northwest ...

empire established by his father, Sultan Sebuktegin. In 1005, he conquered the Shahis in

Kabul Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acc ...

and followed it up by the conquests of the

Punjab region Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprisin ...

. The

Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526).

and later

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

ruled the region. The Punjab region became predominantly

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...

due to

missionary A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...

saints whose

dargah A dargah ( fa, درگاه ''dargâh'' or ''dargah'', Turkish: ''dergâh'', Hindustani: ''dargah'' दरगाह درگاہ, bn, দরগাহ ''dorgah'') is a shrine or tomb built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often ...

s dot the landscape of the region. During the

Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526).

period, a large city was situated at the site of the present village of Mehdiabad. But afterwards, this territory became unpopulated and was reclaimed by the jungle since there was a shortage of water and later Afghan incursions caused the population to leave. This situation persisted until

Mughal Emperor The Mughal emperors ( fa, , Pādishāhān) were the supreme heads of state of the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Mughal rulers styled t ...

Akbar Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar (25 October 1542 – 27 October 1605), popularly known as Akbar the Great ( fa, ), and also as Akbar I (), was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Hum ...

's period. Hafizabad was formerly a place of some importance, and is mentioned in the ''

Ain-i-Akbari The ''Ain-i-Akbari'' ( fa, ) or the "Administration of Akbar", is a 16th-century detailed document recording the administration of the Mughal Empire under Emperor Akbar, written by his court historian, Abu'l Fazl in the Persian language. It for ...

'' as headquarters of a Mahal. Hafiz, the founder, was a favourite of emperor

.Hafizabad Town – Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 13, p. 5
Retrieved 30 May 2021 After the decline of the

, the

Sikh Empire The Sikh Empire was a state originating in the Indian subcontinent, formed under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who established an empire based in the Punjab. The empire existed from 1799, when Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured Lahor ...

invaded and occupied Hafizabad District. The Muslims faced restrictions during Sikh rule. In 1846, Hafizabad came under the supervision of

British colonial rule The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

, when a settlement of land revenue was effected under order from the provisional government at

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...

. The predominantly Muslim population supported

Muslim League Muslim League may refer to: Political parties Subcontinent ; British India *All-India Muslim League, Mohammed Ali Jinah, led the demand for the partition of India resulting in the creation of Pakistan. ** Punjab Muslim League, a branch of the orga ...

and

Pakistan Movement The Pakistan Movement ( ur, , translit=Teḥrīk-e-Pākistān) was a List of historical separatist movements, political movement in the first half of the 20th century that aimed for the creation of Pakistan from the Muslims, Muslim-majority a ...

. After the

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the st ...

of Pakistan in 1947, the minority Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India while

Muhajir Muhajir or Mohajir ( ar, مهاجر, '; pl. , ') is an Arabic word meaning ''migrant'' (see immigration and emigration) which is also used in other languages spoken by Muslims, including English. In English, this term and its derivatives may refer ...

refugees from India settled in the Hafizabad region. Most of the Muhajirs have since assimilated into the local population.

Geography

Hafizabad is situated at above sea-level in central Punjab. The district is located between 32°-20' north latitudes and 73°-12' and 73°-46' east longitude. The

river Chenab The Chenab River () is a major river that flows in India and Pakistan, and is one of the 5 major rivers of the Punjab region. It is formed by the union of two headwaters, Chandra and Bhaga, which rise in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul regi ...

forms the northern and northwestern boundary of the district. Hafizabad shares its borders with

Sheikhupura District Sheikhupura District ( pa, ; ur, ), is a district located in Lahore Division of Punjab Province, Pakistan. Sheikhupura is the headquarters of Sheikhupura district. According to the 1998 census of Pakistan, the district had a population of ...

and

Gujranwala Gujranwala ( ur, , label=none; ) is a city and capital of Gujranwala Division located in Pakistan. It is also known as "City of Wrestlers" and is quite famous for its food. It is the 5th most populous city proper after Karachi, Lahore, Faisal ...

District in the east,

Mandi Bahauddin District Mandi Bahauddin, also spelled Mandi Baha ud Din, ( Punjabi and ur, ) is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan.In the north-central area of the province. It is bordered on the northwest by the Jhelum River, on the southeast by the Chen ...

in the north,

Sargodha District Sargodha District ( Punjabi and ur, ), is a district of Punjab, Pakistan. The capital of the district is Sargodha. It is an agricultural district, wheat, rice, and sugarcane along with Kinno being its main crops. The Sargodha district and r ...

in the west,

Faisalabad Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur ( Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pak ...

and

Chiniot District Chiniot District ( Punjabi and ur, ), became the 36th district of the Punjab province of Pakistan in February 2009. Before this, it was a tehsil of Jhang District. History Chiniot region was an agricultural region with forests during the I ...

in the south. Hafizabad is situated at a distance of 303 km from the Federal Capital,

Islamabad Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital T ...

, and is 109 km away from the Provincial Capital,

. The district has a total area of 2,367 square kilometres and comprises two tehsils, namely

and Pindi Bhattian. Major villages are Sukheke Mandi, Jalalpur Bhattian , Vanike Tarar, Kaleki Mandi and Kot Hasan Khan.

Administration

The district is administratively subdivided into two tehsils, these are: * Hafizabad Tehsil * Pindi Bhattian Tehsil

Climate

The climate of the district is hot and dry during the summer and moderately cold in the winter. The maximum summer temperature in June is , while in winter, during January, the minimum temperature is . Owing to the proximity of the hills, there is more rainfall in the east than the west. The monsoon season usually starts in the middle of July and continues until September. The soil is alluvial and fertile.

Industry

Rice, power, and loom industries are important industries, located in Hafizabad city. Hafizabad Textile Power Loom industry is directly connected with

which is a major industrial city in Pakistan known for its textile industry.

Demographics

At the time of the 2011 census the district had a population of 1,156,954, of which 584,668 were males and 572,188 females. Rural population is 754,225 while the urban population is 402,729.

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...

is the predominant religion with 99.10% of the population while

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...

are 0.73% of the population. At the time of the 2017 census, 96.29% of the population spoke Punjabi and 2.23%

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

According to the 1998 census, the district had a population of 832,980, of which 26.73% were urban.

Education

Sub campuses of

Sargodha Sargodha ( Punjabi and ur, ) is a city and capital of Sargodha Division, located in Punjab province, Pakistan. It is Pakistan's 12th largest city by population and one of the fastest-growing cities of the country. Sargodha is also known as ...

University, and

Virtual University of Pakistan The Virtual University of Pakistan (VU) ( ur, ) is a public university with its headquarters in M.A Jinnah Campus, Defence Road, Off Raiwind Road Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It mainly focuses on providing distant learning programs through utiliza ...

and Government College University Faisalabad are established in the city. University of Hafizabad is now being constructed in Hafizabad. Hafizabad has many colleges, including Punjab College
Riphah College

Aspire College
Government Post Graduate College, The Readers' School an
KIPS College
All these colleges offer a wide range of certificate and degree programs. The education level is quite good as these colleges bring positions in

University of the Punjab The University of the Punjab ( Urdu, pnb, ), also referred to as Punjab University, is a public, research, coeducational higher education institution located in Lahore, Pakistan. Punjab University is the oldest public university in Pakist ...

Politics

District has nomination in National Assembly of Pakistan and

Provincial Assembly of the Punjab The Provincial Assembly of the Punjab is a unicameral legislature of elected representatives of the Pakistani province of Punjab, which is located in Lahore, the provincial capital. It was established under Article 106 of the Constitution of Paki ...

as prior to

2017 Census of Pakistan The 2017 Census of Pakistan was a detailed enumeration of the Pakistani population which began on 15 March 2017 and ended on 25 May 2017. It was the first census taken in the country in the 21st century, nineteen years after the previous one in ...

, Hafizabad District had two national assembly and three provincial assembly seats that has been changed into one and only MNA with three MPA. NA-87 (Hafizabad) is newly created constituency that has 684,447 votes, Chaudhary Shoukat Ali Bhatti won the 2018 election on PTI ticket from this constituency against Saira Afzal Tarar who was contesting from PMLN side. and Mamoon Jaffar Tarar, Muzaffar Ali Sheikh and Ahsan Ansar Bhatti win respectively as member of

References

{{Coord, 32, 04, 12, N, 73, 40, 48, E, type:adm2nd_source:itwiki, display=title 1991 establishments in Pakistan Districts of Punjab, Pakistan