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Rawalpindi راولپنڈی | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country |  Pakistan |
| Province | Punjab |
| District | Rawalpindi |
| Population (2017) | |
| • Total | 3,258,547 |
| Time zone | UTC+5 (PST) |
Rawalpindi is a tehsil - an administrative subdivision - of Rawalpindi District in the western part of the Punjab province, Pakistan, it contains the district capital - the city of Rawalpindi.
Archaeological remains found on the site of the city of Rawalpindi date the establishment of settlements there to ancient times. There are ruins of a Buddhist settlement contemporary to the more celebrated ruins at nearby Taxila. It is thought that a Hun raid destroyed the first city. After Battle of Balakot, forces of Maharaja Ranjit Singh mainly Gheba tribe settled in Attock and Rawalpindi.
The Muslim ruler Mahmud of Ghazni gifted the ruined city to a Ghakkar chief, Kai Gohar. Because it was vulnerable to invaders, the town remained deserted until another Ghakkar chief, Jahanda Khan, restored it and named it Rawalpindi (after the village Rawal).
Rawalpindi remained under the rule of Ghakkars until Muqrab Khan, the last Ghakkar ruler, was defeated by Sikhs in 1765. Under Sikh rule, traders were invited to settle in Rawalpindi. A thriving trade was established, but during the nineteenth century the Sikhs lost the city to the British, who established a cantonment south of the old city.
In 1879, the Punjab Northern Railway was extended to Rawalpindi. The train service was formally inaugurated on January 1, 1886. It housed the headquarters of Northern Command of the British Army until 1947, and thereafter the headquarters of the Pakistan Army.
The tehsil was described in the Imperial Gazetteer of India as follows:
"North-western Tehsil of Rawalpindi District, Punjab, lying between 33°19' and 33°50' N. and 72°34' and 73°23' E., with an area of 764 square miles (1,980 km2). The population in 1901 was 261,101, compared with 243,141 in 1891. The tahsil contains the town and cantonment of RAWALPINDI (population, 87,688), the headquarters ; and 448 villages. The land revenue and cesses in 1903-4 amounted to 2.6 lakhs. MANIKIALA and SHAHDHERI are places of great archaeological interest. The Sohan river, which crosses the tahsil from east to west, divides it into two distinct portions. To the north lie the rich plains round Rawalpindi town, sloping up to the outlying spurs of the Himalayas, which form the northern boundary of the tahsil. To the south the country is cut up by torrent beds and ravines into little plateaux, which vary in soil and character, but resemble each other in difficulty of access". [1]
Over the years, Rawalpindi has retained its traditional culture, though it has been extensively modernized since the creation of Pakistan in 1947. It is twinned with Islamabad, Pakistan's new capital.
The bazaars of the old city are famous for quaint old shops in Saddar bazaar, Moti bazaar, Raja bazaar and Kashmiri bazaar. Sarafa bazaar is famous for beaten gold and silver jewellery, brass and copper-ware.
Rawalpindi has long been a major market for exports from Kashmir and the North-West Frontier Province. The bazaars specialize in handicrafts such as inlaid sheesham and walnut furniture, Kashmiri silver, shawls and jackets, embroidered and woollen kurtas and household linen, potohar shoes and chappals, cane baskets and furniture, walking sticks, and hand-woven Kashmiri and Bokhara carpets.
Rawalpindi is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the fourth most populous city in Pakistan and third most populous in Punjab according to 2017 Census. Rawalpindi is situated close to Pakistan's capital Islamabad, and the two are jointly known as the "twin cities" because of the social and economic links between them.
Rawalpindi District is a district located in the northernmost part of the Punjab province of Pakistan. Parts of the district form part of the Islamabad Rawalpindi metropolitan area. Rawalpindi city is the district capital.
Kohat is a city that serves as the capital of the Kohat District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is regarded as a centre of the Bangash tribe of Pashtuns, who have lived in the region since the late 15th century. With a population of over 220,000 people, the city is the fourth-largest in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the 35th-largest in Pakistan in terms of population. Kohat's immediate environs were the site of frequent armed skirmishes between British colonialist forces and local tribesmen in the mid to late 19th century. It is centred on a British-era fort, various bazaars, and a military cantonment. Pashto and the Kohati dialect of Hindko are the main languages spoken in Kohat.
Jhelum is a city on the East Bank of the Jhelum River, which is located in the district of Jhelum in the North of Punjab province, Pakistan. It is the 44th largest city of Pakistan by population. Jhelum is known for providing many soldiers to the British Army before independence, and later to the Pakistan armed forces, due to which it is also known as City of Soldiers or Land of Martyrs and Warriors.
Attock, formerly known as Campbellpur, is a city located in Punjab, Pakistan, not far from the country's capital Islamabad. It is the headquarters of the Attock District and is 36th largest city in the Punjab and 61st largest city in the country, by population. The city was founded in 1908 several miles southeast of the historical city of Attock Khurd, which had been established by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the 16th century, and was initially named in honour of Sir Colin Campbell.
Sargodha is a city and capital of Sargodha Division, located in Punjab province, Pakistan. It is Pakistan's 12th largest city by population and one of the fastest-growing cities of the country. Sargodha is also known as the City of Eagles.
Nowshera is the capital city of Nowshera District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is the 78th largest city in Pakistan and ninth largest city in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Gujar Khan is a city in Rawalpindi District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is also the headquarters of Gujar Khan Tehsil, the largest tehsil of Punjab by land area.
Chakwal District is in Pothohar Plateau of Punjab, Pakistan. It is located in the north of the Punjab province, Chakwal district is bordered by Talagang to its south, Rawalpindi to its north east, Jhelum to its east, Talagang The district was created out of parts of Jhelum and Attock in 1985.
Majha is a region located in the central parts of the historical Punjab region split between India and Pakistan. It extends north from the right banks of the river Beas, and reaches as far north as the river Jhelum. People of the Majha region are given the demonym "Mājhī" or "Majhail". Most inhabitants of the region speak the Majhi dialect, which is the basis of the standard register of the Punjabi language. The most populous city in the area is Lahore on the Pakistani side, and Amritsar on the Indian side of the border.
Lalkurti, is a locality in the heart of Rawalpindi cantonment in Pakistan. Places with the same name are also found in many other garrison cities of Pakistan and India, such as Peshawar, Lahore, Kanpur, Ambala, Meerut and Delhi.
Chaklala is a major suburban town of Rawalpindi in the Punjab province of Pakistan.
Kharian Cantonment, (Punjabi: کھاریاں ﮐﻴﻨٹ) or Kharian Cantt is one of the largest Cantonment in Pakistan. It is located near Kharian city, in the Gujrat district of Punjab province.
Ayub National Park, commonly known as Ayub Park or, historically, Topi Rakh Park, is a national park located on the Grand Trunk Road, not far away from the old presidency in Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan.
In spring 1947, an uprising against the Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir broke out in the Poonch jagir, an area bordering the Rawalpindi district of West Punjab and the Hazara district of the North-West Frontier Province in the future Pakistan. It was driven by grievances such as high taxes, the Maharaja's neglect of World War veterans, and above all, Muslim nationalism with a desire to join Pakistan. The leader of the rebellion, Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, escaped to Lahore by the end of August 1947 and persuaded the Pakistani authorities to back the rebellion. In addition to the backing, Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan authorised an invasion of the state, by the ex-Indian National Army personnel in the south and a force led by Major Khurshid Anwar in the north. These invasions eventually led to the First Kashmir War fought between India and Pakistan, and the formation of Azad Kashmir provisional government. The Poonch jagir has since been divided across Azad Kashmir, administered by Pakistan and the state of Jammu and Kashmir, administered by India.
Kallar Syedan is a city located in Punjab, Pakistan, and is the headquarters of the Kallar Syedan Tehsil.
