Phalia (

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabis, Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a ...

) is a town and headquarters of Phalia Tehsil of

Mandi Bahauddin District Mandi Bahauddin ( Punjabi and ) is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Located in central Punjab, the district is bordered on the northwest by the Jhelum River, on the southeast by the Chenab River (which separates it from Gujranwal ...

, Punjab, Pakistan.

History

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

and his army crossed the

Jhelum River The Jhelum River is a major river in South Asia, flowing through India and Pakistan, and is the westernmost of the five major rivers of the Punjab region. It originates at Verinag and flows through the Indian-administered territory of Jammu ...

(Hydaspes) in July 326 BC at the

Battle of the Hydaspes River The Battle of the Hydaspes also known as Battle of Jhelum, or First Battle of Jhelum, was fought between the Macedonian Empire under Alexander the Great and the Pauravas under Porus in May of 326 BCE. It took place on the banks of the Hyda ...

where he defeated king

Porus Porus or Poros ( ; 326–321 BC) was an ancient Indian king whose territory spanned the region between the Jhelum River (Hydaspes) and Chenab River (Acesines), in the Punjab region of what is now India and Pakistan. He is only mentioned in Gr ...

. According to

Arrian Arrian of Nicomedia (; Greek: ''Arrianos''; ; ) was a Greek historian, public servant, military commander, and philosopher of the Roman period. '' The Anabasis of Alexander'' by Arrian is considered the best source on the campaigns of ...

(''Anabasis'', 29), Alexander built a city in the place whence he started to cross the

river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...

, which he named

Bukephala Bucephalus (; ; – June 326 BC) or Bucephalas, was the horse of Alexander the Great, and one of the most famous horses of classical antiquity. According to the '' Alexander Romance'' (1.15), the name "Bucephalus" literally means "ox-h ...

or Bucephala to honour his dead horse

Bukephalus Bucephalus (; ; – June 326 BC) or Bucephalas, was the horse of Alexander the Great, and one of the most famous horses of classical antiquity. According to the '' Alexander Romance'' (1.15), the name "Bucephalus" literally means "ox-h ...

Bucephalus Bucephalus (; ; – June 326 BC) or Bucephalas, was the horse of Alexander the Great, and one of the most famous horses of classical antiquity. According to the '' Alexander Romance'' (1.15), the name "Bucephalus" literally means "ox-h ...

. It is thought that ancient

was near the site of modern

Jhelum City Jhelum (; , ) is a city, located along the western bank of the Jhelum River, in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the 21st largest city in Punjab and 31st largest in Pakistan, by population. Located in northern Punjab, it serves as the capital of the ...

but that is wrong. Phalia was named after

, the name of the Alexander's dead horse, and presently a tehsil of

. Beyond

Taxila Taxila or Takshashila () is a city in the Pothohar region of Punjab, Pakistan. Located in the Taxila Tehsil of Rawalpindi District, it lies approximately northwest of the Islamabad–Rawalpindi metropolitan area and is just south of the ...

, Alexander opted for an alternative route instead of the traditional route i.e. today's

Grand Trunk Road Grand Trunk Road (formerly known as Uttarapath, Sadak-e-Azam, Shah Rah-e-Azam, Badshahi Sadak, and Long Walk) is one of Asia's oldest and longest major roads. For at least 2,500 years it has linked Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent. It r ...

(link through Pakistan between Afghanistan and Bangladesh) and built two cities on opposite banks of the Jhelum on the route between

Bhera Bhera (; ) is a city and a tehsil of Sargodha District, Punjab province of Pakistan. The city is known for wood-carved items, textiles (such as quilts and khussas), and certain desserts (such as pheonian and pateesa). The city is made up ...

and Mong. In AD 997, Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi took over the

Ghaznavid dynasty The Ghaznavid dynasty ( ''Ġaznaviyān'') was a Persianate Muslim dynasty of Turkic '' mamluk'' origin. It ruled the Ghaznavid Empire or the Empire of Ghazni from 977 to 1186, which at its greatest extent, extended from the Oxus to the Indu ...

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

Kabul Kabul 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. The city is divided for administration into #Districts, 22 municipal districts. A ...

and followed it by the conquests of

Punjab region Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

. The

Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate or the Sultanate of Delhi was a Medieval India, late medieval empire primarily based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for more than three centuries.

and later

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...

ruled the region. The Punjab region became predominantly

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

due to

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who 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.Thoma ...

Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

saints whose

dargah A Sufi shrine or dargah ( ''dargâh'' or ''dargah'', Turkish: ''dergâh'', Hindustani: ''dargāh'' दरगाह درگاہ, ''dôrgah'') is a shrine or tomb built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint or dervi ...

s dot the landscape of

Jalalpur Sharif Jalalpur Sharif () is a town located in the Jhelum district in Punjab, Pakistan. History Jalalpur's modern name came from the renaming of its ancient name, , by Malik Darwesh Khan Janjua who was a high-ranking general of the Mughal Army in ...

is located on west of the river

Jhelum Jhelum (; , ) is a city, located along the western bank of the Jhelum River, in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the 21st largest city in Punjab and 31st largest in Pakistan, by population. Located in northern Punjab, it serves as the capital of the ...

whereas Phalia on eastern bank in

close to river

earlier known as

Hydaspes The Jhelum River is a major river in South Asia, flowing through India and Pakistan, and is the westernmost of the five major rivers of the Punjab region. It originates at Verinag and flows through the Indian-administered territory of Jammu an ...

. A semi hill or mound i.e. the historical sign of the ancient city and a shrine still available in mid of the Mohalla Ameer. In 2010, maximum of the area reshaped into commercial land and precious heritage could not be preserved. After the decline of the

, the

Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...

invaded and occupied

. The

s faced severe restrictions during the Sikh rule. During the period of

British rule The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or dire ...

, Mandi Bahauddin District increased in population and importance. The predominantly Muslim population supported

Muslim League Muslim League may refer to: Political parties British India *All-India Muslim League, led the demand for the partition of India resulting in the creation of Pakistan ** Punjab Muslim League, a branch of the organization above **Unionist Muslim L ...

and

Pakistan Movement The Pakistan Movement was a religiopolitical and social movement that emerged in the early 20th century as part of a campaign that advocated the creation of an Islamic state in parts of what was then British Raj. It was rooted in the two-nation the ...

. After the

independence Independence is a condition of a 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 status of ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

in 1947, the minority

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

s and

s migrated to

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

while the

s refugees from

settled down in the

. Phalia is approximately the same age as

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

. The four subdivisions (Mohallas) are named after the forefathers of Tarar tribe: * Phalia Ameer for "Muhammad Ameer" * Phalia Keeman for "Muhammad Karim" * Phalia Boota for "Muhammad Boota" (also known as "Nawan Lok") * Phalia Mehman for "Muhammad Khan"

Geography and climate

Phalia is situated at 32.43 N latitude and 73.58 E longitude. It is located between the main cities of

Mandi Bahauddin Mandi Bahauddin () is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. It is also the capital of Mandi Bahauddin District. It is the 41st most populous city in Pakistan, according to the 2017 census. The city is about 220 metres above sea level and is located ...

and Gujrat, about 23 kilometres from Mandi Bahauddin and from Gujrat and from

Malakwal Malakwal () is a city in Mandi Bahauddin District, Punjab, Pakistan. History 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, an ...

and near about from Salam interchange on M-2 motorway, at an altitude of above sea level. Phalia has a moderate climate, which is hot in summer and cold in winter. During peak summer, the day temperature rises up to . The winter months are mild and the minimum temperature may fall below . The average annual rainfall in the district is .

Population

Health facilities

Health Medical facilities are on average available in the city. The main government hospital established in the city is THH (Tehsil Headquarters Hospital). There are several other private hospitals, Health center and Clinics at different locations within the city.

Phalia City

* Population and religions Phalia is not a big city. Most of the population of the village are Muslim with some Christians. * Languages Punjabi language is the native language of the province and is most widely spoken language in Phalia. * Registered voters The number of registered voters in the Constituency PP-117 (Mandi Bahuddin-II) Phalia is 134,119. among them almost half of them are of female voters.

Administration

After the abolition of Nazim system, the Administrator of Phalia is Assistant Commissioner Bilal Feroz Joya in 2016.

Notable people

Mustansar Hussain Tarar Mustansar Hussain Tarar (; ) Sitara-i-Imtiaz, S.I. (born 1 March 1939) is a Pakistani author, travel enthusiast, mountaineer, writer, novelist, columnist, TV host and former actor. Early life Mustansar Hussain Tarar was born in Jokalian on 1 M ...

* Muhammad Tariq Tarar * Pir Syed Muhammad Binyamin Rizvi *

Parvaiz Mehdi Qureshi Parvaiz Mehdi Qureshi (born 1 October 1943) best known as PQ Mehdi, is a retired four-star rank, four-star air officer and former fighter pilot who served as the eighth CAS of the PAF, Chief of Air Staff (CAS) of the Pakistan Air Force from 199 ...

* Asif Bashir Bhagat *

Basma Riaz Choudhry Basma Riaz Choudhry also spelt Baasima (Urdu: بسمہ ریاض چوہدری) is a Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) of Punjab. She is the daughter of Chaudhry Riaz Asghar, brother-in-law of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. The first time she was ...

* Muhammad Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhary

References

{{Tehsils of Punjab, Pakistan Cities and towns in Mandi Bahauddin District Tehsils of Punjab, Pakistan