Muzaffargarh District () is a district of the Punjab province of Pakistan. Its capital is Muzaffargarh city. It lies on the bank of the Chenab River.

Geography and climate

Muzaffargarh spreads over an area of 8,249 km2 and forms a strip between the Chenab River on its east and Indus River on its west, which pass along the Eastern and Western boundaries respectively of the district and a triangle at Alipur tehsil of the district. The district is bounded on the north by district Layyah, on the south by Bahawalpur and Rahimyar Khan districts across the river Chenab.

Districts Multan and Khanewal are on the eastern side of district Muzaffargarh, across the river Chenab. District Jhang touches it on the northeast. Dera Gahzi Khan and Rajanpur districts lie on the western side across the river Indus. It is one of oldest districts of Punjab. According to the 1998 census of Pakistan, the population of the district was 2,635,903, of which 12.75% were urban. Muzaffargarh is one of oldest established districts of Punjab.

2010 floods

Muzaffargarh was especially hard hit by the 2010 Pakistan floods, given its position between the Chenab and Indus rivers It is spread over an area of 8,249 km2. Muzaffargarh District lies in the strip between the rivers Chenab and Indus.

The city of Muzaffargarh is located in southern Punjab province at almost the exact centre of Pakistan. The closest major city is Multan. The area around the city is a flat, alluvial plain and is ideal for agriculture, with many citrus and mango farms. There are many canals that cut across the Muzaffargarh District providing water from nearby farms. This makes the land very fertile. However usually land close to the Chenab are usually flooded in the monsoon season.

Climate

Muzaffargarh features a semi arid climate with very hot summers and mild winters. The city witnesses some of the most extreme weather in the country. The highest recorded temperature is approximately , and the lowest recorded temperature is approximately . The average rainfall is roughly . Dust storms are a common occurrence within the city.

The district's towns include Basti Malik Wala, Taliri, Mauza Bahadur Dawana, Dawana Bahadur Peer Rajan Bukhsh, Kot Addu, Khangarh and Hayat Nagar.

History Muzaffargarh () was founded by the Saddozai Nawab of Multan, Nawab Muzaffar Khan, in 1794. Muzaffargarh district was annexed by the British from its former Sikh rulers after the Second Anglo-Sikh War of 1848–1849. In 1861 it became a separate Muzaffargarh District. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the minority Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India while the Muslim refugees from India settled in the Muzaffargarh District. Muslim refugees from East Punjab, Haryana, Jammu started arriving and crossed the border into Pakistan; many were given land in Muzaffargarh District to settle.

Administration

The district is administratively divided into the following three tehsils (subdivisions), which contain a total of 93 Union Councils:Tehsils & Unions in the District of Muzaffargarh – Government of Pakistan

TehsilDivisions/Districts of Pakistan Note: Although divisions as an administrative structure has been abolished, the election commission of Pakistan still groups districts under the division namesArea (km²)Pop. (2023)Density (ppl/km²)

(2023)Literacy rate (2023)Union CouncilsJatoi1,010862,046853.5140.67%16Alipur1,391760,526546.7539.15%14Muzaffargarh2,3771,905,995801.8546.84%35Total4,7783,528,567738.5043.74%65 Demographics Population

As of the 2023 census, present Muzaffargarh district has 552,926 households and a population of 3,528,567. The district has a sex ratio of 104.18 males to 100 females and a literacy rate of 43.74%: 51.38% for males and 35.74% for females. 1,185,064 (33.60% of the surveyed population) are under 10 years of age. 662,975 (18.79%) live in urban areas.

Religion + Religion in contemporary Muzaffargarh DistrictReligiousgroup194120172023 Islam 360,8682,977,2313,515,34499.68% Hinduism 53,4583322880.01% Sikhism 3,28065~0% Christianity 1622,56510,1220.29%Ahmadi8457340.02% Others42675~89~0%Total Population418,1942,981,0483,526,642100% + Religious groups in Muzaffargarh District (British Punjab province era)Religiousgroup1881189119011911192119311941 Islam 292,476 327,727 350,177 494,915 493,369 513,265 616,074 Hinduism 43,297 50,625 52,221 68,158 69,878 72,577 90,643 Sikhism 2,788 2,715 3,225 6,322 4,869 5,287 5,882 Christianity 33 27 33 60 356 246 227 Jainism 11 1 0 1 6 0 0 Zoroastrianism 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 Buddhism 0 0 0 1 0 0 23 Judaism 0 0 0 0 0 0 Others 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total population 338,605 381,095 405,656 569,461 568,478 591,375 712,849 + Religion in the Tehsils of Muzaffargarh District (1921)TehsilIslam Hinduism Sikhism Christianity Jainism OthersTotal Muzaffargarh Tehsil 154,990 22,629 655 300 5 0 178,579 Alipur Tehsil 126,350 18,672 1,681 7 1 0 146,711 Sanawan Tehsil 96,325 11,317 1,279 49 0 0 108,970 Leiah Tehsil 115,704 17,260 1,254 0 0 0 134,218 + Religion in the Tehsils of Muzaffargarh District (1941)TehsilIslam Hinduism Sikhism Christianity Jainism OthersTotal Muzaffargarh Tehsil 192,516 27,714 962 161 0 23 221,376 Alipur Tehsil 168,352 26,144 2,318 1 0 3 196,818 Kot Adu Tehsil 117,005 14,803 1,720 52 0 5 133,585 Leiah Tehsil 138,201 21,982 882 4 0 1 161,070

Language

At the time of the 2023 census, 93.40% of the population spoke Saraiki, 3.65% Urdu and 2.50% Punjabi as their first language.

Ethnicity The most famous tribes and races are as under; Khar (offshoot of Kharal tribe), Khokhar, Dasti, Qureshi, Jatoi, Hinjra, Langrial, Thahim, Gopang, Bukhari, Gilani, Rajput, Jat and Arain. The major ethnic group are the Saraiki-speaking Jat forming the majority, with Saraiki-speaking Gujjar, Baloch, Rajputs and Pathan groups in minority.

Education Although Muzaffargarh is one of the oldest and largest districts of Pakistan by area and population, it still has only a single campus of Virtual University of Pakistan. The literacy rate is among the lowest in the country. District Muzaffargarh has a total of 1,072 male and 1,009 female public sector schools.

Notable people Milkha Singh, Indian track and field athlete Dasti family, a political family Abdul Hamid Khan Dasti Jamshed Dasti Amjad Hameed Khan Dasti Khar family, feudal lords and politicians Ghulam Mustafa Khar Ghulam Murtaza Raheem Khar Ghulam Noor Rabbani Khar Malik Ghulam Arbi Khar Safina Saima Khar

Notes

References

External links

sv:Muzaffargarh