Sahiwal District (Punjabi and ), formerly known as Montgomery District, is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan.
In 1998, it had a population of 1,843,194 people, of which 16.27% resided in urban areas. Since 2008, Sahiwal District, Okara District, and Pakpattan District have comprised the Sahiwal Division. The city of Sahiwal is the administrative headquarter of the district and the division.
History
The Sahiwal District has been settled from the pre-historical era. Harappa is an archaeological site, about west of Sahiwal, that was built approximately 2600 BCE. The area was part of South Asian empires and at the crossroads of migrations and invasions from Central Asia.
Sahiwal District was an agricultural region with forests during the Indus Valley Civilization. The Vedic period is characterized by Indo-Aryan culture which split from Indo-Iranian culture and founded in Northern Indian subcontinent. The Kambojas, Daradas, Kaikayas, Madras, Pauravas, Yaudheyas, Malavas and Kurus invaded, settled and ruled the ancient Punjab region.
After overrunning the Achaemenid Empire in 331 BCE, Alexander marched into present-day Punjab region with an army of 50,000. Sahiwal was ruled by the Maurya Empire, Indo-Greek kingdom, Kushan Empire, Gupta Empire, White Huns, Kushano-Hephthalites and the Turk and Hindu Shahi kingdoms. From the beginning of the 7th century Rajput kingdoms dominated Eastern portions of Pakistan and northern India. 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 in 1005, and followed it by the conquests of some western Punjab region. Eastern Regions of Punjab from Multan to the Rawalpindi in north (Including region of present-day Sahiwal) remained under Rajput rule until 1193. The Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire later ruled the region.
The Punjab region became predominantly Muslim due to missionary Sufi saints whose dargahs dot the landscape of Punjab region.
The pastoral tribes of this barren expanse did not appear to have paid more than a nominal allegiance to the Muslim rulers; the population for the most part remained in a chronic state of rebellion. After the decline of the Mughal Empire, this area became part of the Sikh Empire. The district came under direct British rule in 1849, when the district was officially formed with its headquarters at Pakpattan. The district was expanded to include the trans-Ravi portion in 1852, and the district headquarters were moved to Gugera. In 1865, when the railway was opened, a village on the railway, was named Montgomery and became the capital of the district.Montgomery District, Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 17, p. 410, 1860–1922 During the period of British rule, Sahiwal district increased in population and importance.
During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, there was a general rising of the Rajput clans, the district formed the scene of the only rising which took place north of the Sutlej. Before the end of May 1857, emissaries from Delhi crossed the river from Sirsa and Hissar, where open rebellion was already rife, and met with a ready reception from the Kharrals and other Rajput clans. The district authorities, however, kept down the threatened rising till 26 August 1857 when jail prisoners made a desperate attempt to break loose. At the same time Rai Ahmad Khan, a famous Kharral leader, who had been detained at Gugera, broke his arrest and, though apprehended, was released on security, together with several other suspected chieftains. On 16 September they fled to their homes, and the whole country rose in open rebellion.
Kot Kamalia was sacked. Major Chamberlain, moving up with a small force from Multan, was besieged for some days at Chichawatni on the Ravi. The situation at the civil station remained critical till Colonel Paton arrived with substantial reinforcements from Lahore. An attack which took place immediately after their arrival was repulsed. Several minor actions followed in the open field, until finally the rebels, driven from the plain into the wildest jungles of the interior, were utterly defeated and dispersed. The British troops then inflicted severe punishment on the insurgent clans, destroying their villages, and seizing large numbers of cattle for sale.Montgomery District, Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 17, p. 411
The region was traversed by the main line of the North Western Railway, from Lahore to Multan. It is irrigated by the Upper Sutlej inundation canal system and from the Ravi. The Rechna Doab was long home to the pastoral Jats, who had constantly maintained a sturdy independence against the successive rulers of northern India. The sites of Kot Kamalia and Harappa contain large mounds of antique bricks and other ruins left by the Indus Valley civilisation, while many other remains of ancient cities or villages lie scattered along the river bank, or dotted the then-barren stretches of the central waste.
The district comprised three towns and 1371 villages. Its population was 360,445 (1868), 426,529 (1881), 499,521 (1891) and 497,706 (1901). In 1901, 72% of the population were Muslims, while Hindus and Sikhs formed 28%.
The district was part of the Lahore Division of Punjab. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the minority Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India while the Muslim refugees from India settled in the Sahiwal region.
Demographics Population
As of the 2023 census, Sahiwal district has 446,606 households and a population of 2,881,811. The district has a sex ratio of 102.80 males to 100 females and a literacy rate of 64.77%: 71.06% for males and 58.29% for females. 772,183 (26.83% of the surveyed population) are under 10 years of age. 757,631 (26.29%) live in urban areas.
Religion
+ Religion in contemporary Sahiwal DistrictReligiousgroup194120172023 Islam 289,1612,450,3692,807,32997.54% Hinduism 71,0182972170.01% Sikhism 55,258440% Christianity 12,26559,31169,5062.41%Ahmadi7146230.02% Others3272,3204030.01%Total Population428,0292,513,011100%2,878,122100% + Religious groups in Sahiwal District (British Punjab province era)Religiousgroup1881189119011911192119311941 Islam 330,495 361,923 334,474 399,723 513,055 697,542 918,564 Hinduism 83,974 121,481 109,945 66,803 94,791 136,783 210,966 Sikhism 11,964 16,032 19,092 68,175 95,520 148,155 175,064 Christianity 93 85 66 581 10,408 17,245 24,432 Zoroastrianism 2 0 1 4 0 7 4 Jainism 1 0 8 13 12 38 49 Buddhism 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 Judaism 0 0 0 0 0 0 Others 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 Total population 426,529 499,521 463,586 535,299 713,786 999,772 1,329,103
+ Religion in the Tehsils of Sahiwal District (1921)TehsilIslam Hinduism Sikhism Christianity Jainism OthersTotal Montgomery Tehsil 156,965 37,080 23,737 4,887 6 0 222,675 Okara Tehsil 104,015 15,091 24,481 5,123 6 0 148,716 Dipalpur Tehsil 151,572 20,106 29,210 90 0 0 200,978 Pakpattan Tehsil 100,503 22,514 18,092 308 0 0 141,417 + Religion in the Tehsils of Sahiwal District (1941)TehsilIslam Hinduism Sikhism Christianity Jainism OthersTotal Montgomery Tehsil 289,161 71,018 55,258 12,265 33 294 428,029 Okara Tehsil 203,602 41,008 39,682 8,288 10 37 292,627 Dipalpur Tehsil 210,835 37,743 26,077 314 0 3 274,972 Pakpattan Tehsil 214,966 61,197 54,047 3,234 6 25 333,475
Language
At the time of the 2023 census, 96.95% of the population spoke Punjabi and 2.28% Urdu as their first language.
Location
Sahiwal Division is in the southeast of Punjab. From Multan Division it lies between 30 and 40 north latitude and 73-06 longitude. It is above sea level. It forms a parallelogram lying NE-SW along the River Ravi. It is 100 km from east to west and 45 km from the north-western boundary of the Division of Sahiwal, Division Faisalabad, District Toba Tek Singh. The dry River Khushak Bias separates it from the District Pakpattan. Okara District is east of the division. District Khanewal and District Vehari form boundaries with the division. On the southern side is Pakpattan District, where there is a shrine of the Sufi Fareed Shaker Gunj.
Administration Sahiwal District consists of 531 villages in two subdivisions. 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 CouncilsChichawatni1,5911,155,978726.5765.25%...Sahiwal1,6101,725,8331,071.9564.44%... It is on the main bypass, 3 kilometers from the main city. Sahiwal Division has an area of 301 km2. Sahiwal Division contains subtowns like Qadirabad, Yousafwala, Iqbal Nagar, Kassowal, Noorshah, Harappa and Ghaziabad. There are transport connections via Highway Services and Pakistan Railways to all over Pakistan.
District Administration Officers +Deputy Commissioners (DC)NameCadreDate of JoiningDate of Relinquish of ChargeWajid Ali ShahPAS26-Aug-2021NowBabar BashirPASAug-202025-Aug-2021
Sahiwal dairy cattle breed The Sahiwal cattle breed is the best dairy breed of zebu or humped cattle (Bos Indicus), followed by the very similar Red Sindhi and Butana breeds.Synthetic Dairy Breed Proposal It originated in the dry Punjab region which lies along the Indo-Pakistani border and was once kept in large herds by herdsmen called "Jaanglees." With the introduction of irrigation to the region their numbers dripped, and farmers used them as draft and dairy animals. The Division Sahiwal has one of the best dairy breeds in India and Pakistan. It is tick-resistant, heat-tolerant and resistant to internal and external parasites. Cows average 2270 kilograms of milk while suckling a calf and much higher milk yields have been recorded. Due to their heat tolerance and high milk production they have been exported to other Asian countries, Africa, Caribbean and around the world. As oxen, they are docile and slow, making them more useful for slow work.
Their colour can range from reddish brown to red, with varying amounts of white on the neck, and the underline. In males, the colour darkens towards the extremities, such as the head, legs and tails. Sahiwal breed arrived in Australia via New Guinea in the early 1950s. In Australia, the Sahiwal breed was initially selected as a dual-purpose breed. It played a valuable role in the development of the two Australian tropical dairy breeds, the Australian milking zebu and the Australian Friesian Sahiwal. Sahiwal breeds are now used in Australia for beef production, as crossing high-grade Sahiwal sires with Bos taurus animals produced a carcass of lean quality with desirable fat cover.
The Sahiwal breed is the heaviest milker of all zebu breeds and displays a well-developed udder. It sires small, fast-growing calves and is noted for its hardiness under unfavourable climatic conditions.Handbook of Australian Livestock, Australian Meat & Livestock Corporation, 1989, 3rd edition.Genus Bos: Cattle Breeds of the World, 1985, MSO-AGVET (Merck & Co., Inc.), Rahway, N.J.Mason, I.L. 1996. A World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds, Types and Varieties. Fourth Edition. C.A.B International. 273 pp.Sahiwal Cattle
Harappa One of the ancient civilizations on archaeological evidence dated 3300 B.C. southwest from downtown in suburb of Harapa which was the northern city of Indus Valley Civilization.Harappa Harrapa is now a large village in the Sahiwal Division of Punjab, southwest of the district capital. Archaeologists think that in ancient times Harappa was the urban centre in the upper Indus region, much like Mohenjo-daro dominated the lower Indus Valley and Ganweriwal might have been the urban centre for what is now Rajasthan. The site at Harappa was first excavated by archaeologist Alexander Cunningham in 1872–73, two decades after Brick Robbers carried off the visible remains of the city. He found an Indus seal of an unknown origin.