Gujrat (Punjabi, ) is a district of Gujrat Division in the Pakistani province of Punjab. The Gujrat District was created by the British Government in 1846. According to the 2023 Pakistani census, the population of the Gujrat District is 3,219,375.
Geographics
It is bounded on the northeast by Bhimber district, on the north by Mirpur district, on the northwest by the River Jhelum, which separates it from Jhelum district, on the east and southeast by the Chenab River, separating it from the districts of Gujranwala and Sialkot, and on the west by Mandi Bahauddin district. Gujrat district is spread over an area of 3,192 square kilometres.
It is geographically located between the Chenab River and Jhelum River and headquartered at the city of Gujrat.
History Ancient history According to the British Imperial Gazetteer:
However the foundation of the capital, Gujrat, according to the Ancient Geography of India:
Islamic Rule (Ghaznavid, Ghurid, Delhi, Suri, and Mughal Empires) In 997 CE, Mahmud Ghaznavi inherited the Ghaznavid dynasty established by his father Sebuktegin. After defeating the Hindu Shahis, he conquered their kingdom entirely which included the Punjab region of modern-day Pakistan.
After defeating the Ghaznavids, the Ghurids took over the region. They were in turn succeeded by the Sultanates of Delhi.
The Mughal emperor Akbar established Gujrat as a district along with many others when he began consolidating his rule over his vast empire. Jahangir, Akbar's son and successor, in his memoirs records the following information on Gujrat:
Revenue records have been preserved in the families of the hereditary registrars (kanungos), and these exhibit Gujrat as the capital of a district containing 2,592 villages, paying a revenue of 11.6 million. In 1605, the famous Sayyid Abdul Kasim received Gujrat as a fief from Akbar.
In 1707, with Aurangzeb's death, the decline of Mughal power began in the Punjab region. Nadir Shah occupied the Punjab including Gujrat during his invasion of the Mughal Empire in 1739. The area was captured by Punjabi Gakhar tribesmen from near the Rawalpindi area after the invasion.
Gujrat and Punjab as a whole was devastated further from the invasions of the Durrani Afghans (Pashtuns) under Ahmad Shah Durrani between 1748 and 1767. Durrani took direct control over Punjab after Mir Mannu, the Mughal governor of Punjab, died in 1753. Durrani would frequently cross the area for plunder and to fight the newly emerged Sikh Misls.
Sikh and British era The Sikhs eventually took over most of northern Punjab after Ahmad Shah Durrani's final invasion in 1767. The Sikhs under Gujjar Singh Bhangi took Gujrat after defeating the local Punjabi Ghakhars under Muqqarab Khan.
In 1798, the Bhangi leader Sahib Singh pledged allegiance to the Sukerchakia Misl of Ranjit Singh. By 1810, Ranjit Singh's armies captured the city from Bhangi forces, thereby extending the rule of the Sikh Empire to the city.
The Sikh empire declined following Ranjit Singh's death in 1839. The British East India Company defeated the Sikhs between 1845 and 1846 during the First Anglo-Sikh War, reducing their power significantly. Two years later, the empire collapsed after the British EIC again decisively defeated the Sikhs at the Battle of Gujrat, thus ending the Second Anglo-Sikh War. The Sikh empire was entirely annexed and incorporated into the rule of the British EIC. Gujrat district was annexed by the British from its former Sikh rulers after the Second Anglo-Sikh War of 1848–1849.
Demographics
As of the 2023 census, Gujrat district has 489,337 households and a population of 3,219,375. The district has a sex ratio of 99.83 males to 100 females and a literacy rate of 81.37%: 84.81% for males and 77.95% for females. 717,826 (22.32% of the surveyed population) are under 10 years of age. 1,324,264 (41.13%) live in urban areas.
Religion
As per the 2023 census, Islam is the dominant religion with 98.92% of the population while there is a minority of 0.95% Christians who live mainly in urban areas.
+ Religion in contemporary Gujrat DistrictReligiousgroup194120172023 Islam 622,90288.12% 2,730,946 3,181,32298.92% Hinduism 45,8026.48% 120 2170.01%Sikhism 36,0555.10%38~0% Christianity 2,0700.29% 21,117 30,4850.95%Ahmadi 4,007 3,8250.12% Others360.01% 99 113~0%Total Population706,865100%2,756,2893,216,000100% + Religious groups in Gujrat District (British Punjab province era)Religiousgroup1881189119011911192119311941 Islam 607,525 669,347 655,838 650,893 709,684 786,750 945,609 Hinduism 72,450 72,394 69,346 49,430 62,529 73,356 84,643 Sikhism 8,885 19,018 24,893 44,693 49,456 59,188 70,233 Christianity 255 114 460 570 2,373 3,097 4,449 Jainism 0 0 11 48 4 32 10 Buddhism 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 Zoroastrianism 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Judaism 0 0 0 0 0 0 Others 0 2 0 0 0 0 8 Total population 689,115 760,875 750,548 745,634 824,046 922,427 1,104,952 + Religion in the Tehsils of Gujrat District (1921)TehsilIslam Hinduism Sikhism Christianity Jainism OthersTotal Gujrat Tehsil 255,252 26,209 13,241 845 4 0 295,551 Kharian Tehsil 224,020 12,608 13,270 303 0 0 250,201 Phalia Tehsil 230,412 23,712 22,945 1,225 0 0 278,294 + Religion in the Tehsils of Gujrat District (1941)TehsilIslam Hinduism Sikhism Christianity Jainism OthersTotal Gujrat Tehsil 331,261 29,197 18,896 1,545 10 14 380,923 Kharian Tehsil 291,641 16,603 17,159 525 0 14 325,942 Phalia Tehsil 322,707 38,843 34,178 2,321 0 38 398,087
Language
According to the 2023 Pakistani census, 93.47% of the population spoke Punjabi, 3.48% Urdu and 2.16% Pashto as their first language.
Administration The district is administratively subdivided into following tehsils: 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 CouncilsGujrat1,4631,746,1731,193.5682.48%...Kharian1,1541,174,9351,018.1479.69%...Sarai Alamgir575298,267518.7381.55...Jalalpur Jattan...............Kunjah...............
Education Gujrat district has the 2nd highest literacy rate in Punjab(2023). District Gujrat has a total of 1,475 government schools at primary and secondary level. Out of these public schools, 60 percent (889 schools) are for girls. According to the latest available data, 323,058 students are enrolled in the public schools while 10,581 teachers are working in these schools.
Notable people Politicians
Aitzaz Ahsan, Pakistani barrister, politician Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry, President of Pakistan (19721977) Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, politician, former chief minister of Punjab. Mian Tariq Mehmood, politician, former MPA, minister Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi, politician Moonis Elahi, former federal minister, former MPA and MNA Chaudhry Muhammed Farooq, former law minister Nawabzada Ghazanfar Ali Gul, former Federal Minister of Pakistan Mian Muhammad Afzal Hayat, former chief minister of Punjab, former ambassador Shujaat Hussain, 16th prime minister of Pakistan (30 June to 28 August 2004) Chaudhry Jaffar Iqbal, Vice-President of PML-N Punjab Qamar Zaman Kaira, former federal minister of Pakistan Mian Imran Masood, former MPA and minister of education Punjab. Ahmad Mukhtar, former minister for defence, Government of Pakistan Yasmin Qureshi, British MP
Scholars
Ismat Beg, scientist Faisal Masud, medical doctor
Military
Major Muhammad Akram, Nishan-e-Haider Major Raja Aziz Bhatti, Nishan-e-Haider Mohammad Shariff, former chief of Pakistan Navy and chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Raheel Sharif, 15th Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan Army Major Shabbir Sharif, Nishan-e-Haider ACM Zaheer Ahmad Babar, serving Air Chief of Pakistan (Pakistan Air Force).
Poets
Orya Maqbool Jan, former civil servant, writer, columnist Shareef Kunjahi, Punjabi writer and poet Anwar Masood, poet Krishna Sobti, Hindi writer Fakhar Zaman, writer and poet
Sport
Tanwir Afzal, Hong Kong cricketer. Imtiaz Bhatti, Pakistani cyclist and former pilot of Pakistan Air Force. Mudassar Bukhari, Dutch cricketer. Rizwan Cheema, Pakistani-Canadian cricketer. Munir Dar, Hong Kong cricketer. Ali Warraich, Pakistan kabaddi player.
Actors/Actresses
Inayat Hussain Bhatti, film director and actor Ejaz Durrani, actor Shagufta Ejaz, actress Sabiha Khanum, actress
Musicians
Adeel Chaudhry, also a dentist, actor, and model Alam Lohar, Punjabi folk singer Arif Lohar, Punjabi folk singer Zoe Viccaji, Pakistani singer-songwriter and musical actress
Other
The family of UK-born Shafilea Ahmed, an honour killing victim, originated from Uttam.
See also List of populated places in Gujrat District
References
External links
Gujrat, Pakistan