Sahiwal Division (

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 one of the ten

Divisions Division may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication * Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting of 10,000 t ...

Punjab, Pakistan Punjab (, ) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. With a population of over 127 million, it is the Demographics of Pakistan, most populous province in Pakistan and the List of first-level administrative divisions by popu ...

. Sahiwal Division is situated in east-

central Punjab Central Punjab is a geopolitical region in Punjab, Pakistan. Geography Central Punjab is bounded by the southern boundary of Jhelum River down to the Sutlej, and consists of the five divisions: Lahore, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, and Sahiwa ...

, along the

N-5 National Highway The N-5 or National Highway 5 (Urdu: ) is a 1819 km national highway in Pakistan, which extends from Karachi in Sindh to Torkham in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Route The N-5 is the longest national highway in Pakistan and serves as an impor ...

, approximately midway between

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 ...

and

Multan Multan is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, fifth-most populous city in the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab province of Pakistan. Located along the eastern bank of the Chenab River, it is the List of cities in Pakistan by populatio ...

. It is bordered by

Faisalabad Division Faisalabad Division is an administrative division of Punjab, Pakistan. The reforms of 2000 abolished the third tier of government but was restored again in 2008. Demographics Population According to the 2023 census, Faisalabad divisio ...

to the west,

Lahore Division Lahore Division is an administrative division of Punjab Province, Pakistan. It comprises four Districts - Kasur, Lahore, Nankana Sahib and Sheikhupura. The Lahore Division is commanded by a Commissioner to manage the division. Under the Commissio ...

to the north,

Bahawalpur Division Bahawalpur Division (; ) is an administrative division of the Punjab Province, Pakistan. The reforms of 2000 abolished the third tier of government but division system was restored again in 2008. Districts List of the Tehsils Demographics ...

and

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 ...

to the east, and

Multan Division Multan Division is an administrative division of Punjab Province, Pakistan. It was created during British colonial rule in South Asia in the 19th century. It includes 4 districts: Khanewal, Lodhran, Vehari and Multan and 15 Tehsils. Its reco ...

to the south. The division is located on the

floodplain A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river. Floodplains stretch from the banks of a river channel to the base of the enclosing valley, and experience flooding during periods of high Discharge (hydrolog ...

s of two major rivers: the

Ravi River The Ravi River is a transboundary river in South Asia, flowing through northwestern India and eastern Pakistan, and is one of five major rivers of the Punjab region. Under the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, the waters of the Ravi and two oth ...

to the west and the

Sutlej River The Sutlej River or the Satluj River is a major river in Asia, flowing through China, India and Pakistan, and is the longest of the five major rivers of the Punjab region. It is also known as ''Satadru''; and is the easternmost tributary of th ...

to the east. Additionally, the dry Khushak Bias channel traverses the region, forming a natural boundary between

Sahiwal District Sahiwal District (Punjabi language, Punjabi and ), formerly known as Montgomery District, is a Districts of Pakistan, district in the Punjab (Pakistan), Punjab Subdivisions of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. In 1998, it had a population of 1, ...

and

Pakpattan District Pakpattan District ( Punjabi and ), is a district of Punjab province in Pakistan, Pakpattan city is the district capital. Administrative division The district is divided into two tehsils, which contain a total of 63 Union Councils: Location ...

. With an elevation of approximately above sea level, parts of the division rise to over 200 meters, contributing to its varied topography.

History

It was formed by merging parts of Lahore Division and Multan Division and took its name Sahiwal from the district and city of the same name. On 14 November 2008, Sahiwal Division was reorganized into three districts:

Okara District Okara District ( Punjabi and ), is a district of Punjab, Pakistan. It became a separate district in 1982, prior to that it was part of Sahiwal District.Pakpattan District Pakpattan District ( Punjabi and ), is a district of Punjab province in Pakistan, Pakpattan city is the district capital. Administrative division The district is divided into two tehsils, which contain a total of 63 Union Councils: Location ...

Sahiwal Sahiwal ( Punjabi / ; ; ), formerly known as Montgomery, is a city in central Punjab, Pakistan. It is the administrative capital of both Sahiwal District and Sahiwal Division. It is the 19th largest city of Pakistan by population accordin ...

is the capital of the Sahiwal Division. In 1998, the population of Sahiwal was 6,271,247. The population rate of growth was 1.92 percent per annum. About southwest of Sahiwal is

Harappa Harappa () is an archaeological site in Punjab, Pakistan, about west of Sahiwal, that takes its name from a modern village near the former course of the Ravi River, which now runs to the north. Harappa is the type site of the Bronze Age Indus ...

, an ancient city of the

Indus Valley Civilization The Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC), also known as the Indus Civilisation, was a Bronze Age civilisation in the northwestern regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in its mature form from 2600 BCE ...

. About west of Sahiwal, at

Kamalia Kamalia (, ) is a city in the Toba Tek Singh District of Punjab Province, Pakistan. It is the administrative center of Kamalia Tehsil. It is the 67th most populous city of Pakistan. Location Kamalia is located at approximately 30.725°N la ...

township, is the site of Malli, a city captured by

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 ...

in 325 BCE. Alexander stayed in this region of

Punjab 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 ...

for two years in a time of frequent military conflict. Sahiwal Division map

List of the Districts

List of the Tehsils

Climate

In the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

, Sahiwal has a

Semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...

. More precisely, it is intermediate between a

Desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk'') is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...

(BW) and a

Humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

. Temperatures in Sahiwal vary between hot and very hot in summer and are mild in winters. In May, June and July, temperatures increase to maximums between 40 and 50 °C. In winter months, the temperature falls to minimums between 5 and 10 °C. Sahiwal lies on the edge of the

Thar Desert The Thar Desert (), also known as the Great Indian Desert, is an arid region in the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent that covers an area of in India and Pakistan. It is the world's 18th-largest desert, and the world's 9th-large ...

at a low altitude and so, wet seasons are warm and dry seasons are cool. Sahiwal is also affected by the

monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...

. Precipitation is very heavy in the monsoon, and dry during the rest of the year, with few or no months bringing moderate levels of precipitation. The annual average rainfall in Sahiwal is approximately 349 mm. The soil in Sahiwal is fertile. The vegetation is short and scrubby. The land supports grasses,

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

s and some forests.

Economy

The

economy An economy is an area of the Production (economics), production, Distribution (economics), distribution and trade, as well as Consumption (economics), consumption of Goods (economics), goods and Service (economics), services. In general, it is ...

of Sahiwal Division depends on

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

and associated industries. The largest crop is wheat, followed by cotton. Sahiwala 02

The Sahiwal cattle breed, a dairy breed of

Zebu The zebu (; ''Bos indicus''), also known as indicine cattle and humped cattle, is a species or subspecies of Bos taurus, domestic cattle originating in South Asia. Zebu, like many Sanga cattle breeds, differs from taurine cattle by a fatty hump ...

or "humped cattle" is grown in the region. This cattle breed is

tick Ticks are parasitic arachnids of the order Ixodida. They are part of the mite superorder Parasitiformes. Adult ticks are approximately 3 to 5 mm in length depending on age, sex, and species, but can become larger when engorged. Ticks a ...

resistant, heat tolerant and resistant to external and internal parasites Due to their heat tolerance and high milk production, Sahiwal cattle are grown in other

Asian countries This is a list of sovereign states and dependent territories in Asia. It includes sovereign state, fully recognized states, states with limited but substantial international recognition, ''de facto'' states with little or no international recogn ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

n nations such as Kenya, Burundi, Somalia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria and Caribbean nations such as Jamaica, and Guyana.''Handbook of Australian Livestock'' Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation,1989, third edition.Sahiwal Cattle
Oklahoma State University websiteRCCSC
Research Centre for Conservation of Sahiwal Cattle website. Other livestock types that are grown in Sahiwal include sheep, and goat. Fish and poultry are also in abundant. The

Nili-Ravi The Nili-Ravi is a breed of domestic water buffalo of the Punjab region of Pakistan and India. It is similar to the Murrah breed of buffalo, and is reared mainly for dairy use. The average milk yield is approximately per year; the record yie ...

is a breed of domestic

water buffalo The water buffalo (''Bubalus bubalis''), also called domestic water buffalo, Asian water buffalo and Asiatic water buffalo, is a large bovid originating in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Today, it is also kept in Italy, the Balkans ...

native to the Sahiwal area.

Education

The average urban literacy rate of Sahiwal Division (Sahiwal, Okara, and Pakpattan) is 60.7 percent. The average rural literacy rate is 33.8 percent.

Demographics

According to 2023 census, Sahiwal division had a population of 8,533,471 roughly equal to the nation of

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...

or the US state of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. According to 2017 census, Sahiwal division had a population of 7,378,065, which includes 3,769,226 males and 3,608,089 females. According to 1998

Census in Pakistan The Census in Pakistan is a legally decennial census and a descriptive count of Pakistan's population on Census Day, and of their dwellings, conducted and supervised by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was the 2023 Pa ...

, the population of Sahiwal Division was 6,271,247. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was 608 people per square kilometre, 47% were female, 75% lived in an urban environment. The urban literacy rate was 60.7 percent. The rural literacy rate was 33.8 percent.

Constituencies An electoral (congressional, legislative, etc.) district, sometimes called a constituency, riding, or ward, is a geographical portion of a political unit, such as a country, state or province, city, or administrative region, created to provi ...

Notable people

Fariduddin Ganjshakar Farīduddīn Masūd Ganjshakar ( – 16 Oct 1265), commonly known as Bābā Farīd or Sheikh Farīd (also in Anglicised spelling Fareed, Fareed ud-Deen, Masood, etc.), was a 13th-century Punjabi Muslim mystic, poet and preacher. Revered by ...

(1179 CE - 1266 CE) known as "Baba Farid" (Punjabi: بابا فرید (Shahmukhi), was a 12th-century

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 ...

preacher and saint of the

Chishti Order The Chishti order () is a Sufi Tariqa, order of Sunni Islam named after the town of Chishti Sharif District, Chisht, Afghanistan where it was initiated by Abu Ishaq Shami. The order was brought to Herat and later spread across South Asia by Mu ...

of South Asia. Ganjshakar is one of the first major poets of the

Punjabi language Punjabi, sometimes spelled Panjabi, is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language native to the Punjab region of Pakistan and India. It is one of the most widely spoken native languages in the world, with approximately 150 million native sp ...

, and is one of the pivotal saints of the

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 ...

. *

Tufail Mohammad Major (rank), Major Tufail Mohammad (; b. 22 June 1914 7 August 1958), was a Pakistani Army ranks and insignia of Pakistan, military officer and the third recipient of Pakistan's highest military award, the Nishan-e-Haider () for his actions o ...

(1914 CE - 1958 CE) was a recipient of the

Nishan-e-Haider Nishan-e-Haider (NH; or 'Emblem of the Lion') is the highest military gallantry award of Pakistan. The Nishan-e-Haider is awarded only to members of the Pakistan Armed Forces. It recognises the highest acts of extraordinary bravery in the f ...

, Pakistan's highest military award, for his contribution to the defence of Pakistan. *

Majeed Amjad Majeed Amjad (Punjabi language, Punjabi, ) (29 June 1914 – 11 May 1974) was an Urdu Urdu poetry, poet from Pakistan. One newspaper described him as a "philosophical poet of depth and sensitivity". His ghazals have been sung by various Pakist ...

(1914 CE - 1974 CE) was a writer of modern

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

literature. He was educated at the Government College

. He was inspired by the

flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

of Sahiwal. There is a park named for him. *

Abdus Salam Mohammad Abdus Salam Salam adopted the forename "Mohammad" in 1974 in response to the anti-Ahmadiyya decrees in Pakistan, similarly he grew his beard. (; ; 29 January 192621 November 1996) was a Pakistani theoretical physicist. He shared the 1 ...

(1926 CE - 1996 CE) was a

theoretical physicist Theoretical physics is a branch of physics that employs mathematical models and abstractions of physical objects and systems to rationalize, explain, and predict natural phenomena. This is in contrast to experimental physics, which uses experi ...

who won the 1979

Nobel Prize in Physics The Nobel Prize in Physics () is an annual award given by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for those who have made the most outstanding contributions to mankind in the field of physics. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the ...

for his contribution to

electroweak theory In particle physics, the electroweak interaction or electroweak force is the unified description of two of the fundamental interactions of nature: electromagnetism (electromagnetic interaction) and the weak interaction. Although these two forc ...

. He was born in Santokdas a village near

haveli lakha Haveli Lakha (Punjabi,) is a city in Depalpur Tehsil of Okara District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is located around 158 km (98.4 miles) south west of Lahore. Haveli Lakha is part of Depalpur Tehsil Depalpur Tehsil (), is an ...

tehsil depalpur where his maternal grand father was resided, raised in

Jhang Jhang ( Punjabi / ; ; ) is the capital city of Jhang District in central Punjab, Pakistan. Situated on the east bank of the Chenab river, it is the 13th most populous city of Pakistan. Etymology The historical name of the city and dis ...

and is buried in

Rabwah Rabwah (; Punjabi language, Punjabi / ; ; ), officially known as Chenab Nagar (; ), is a city in Chiniot District, Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab, Pakistan on the bank of Chenab River. It was the headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community from ...

.Kibble T. W
"Muhammad Abdus Salam, K. B. E. (29 January 1926 – 21 November 1996)"
in ''Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society'' November 1998, Vol. 44 p. 386 - 401.

References

{{Neighbourhoods of Sahiwal Divisions of Punjab, Pakistan