Chakwal

Coordinates: 32°55′49″N 72°51′20″E / 32.93028°N 72.85556°E / 32.93028; 72.85556

Chakwal چکوال
Chakwal
Coordinates: 32°33′N 72°31′E / 32.55°N 72.51°E / 32.55; 72.51
Country	Pakistan
Province	Punjab
District	Chakwal
Government
- MPA	Chaudhry Ayaz Ameer
Elevation	498 m (1,634 ft)
Population (2010)
- Total	117,221
Time zone	PST (UTC+5)
Number of Union councils	5
Stefan Helders, World Gazetteer. "Chakwal". http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&dat=32&geo=-172&srt=pnan&col=aohdq&pt=c&va=x&geo=442573285. Retrieved March 1, 2010.

Chakwal (Punjabi, Urdu: چکوال) is the capital of Chakwal District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located 90 km south-east of the federal capital, Islamabad^[1] and is named after Chaudhry Chaku Khan,^[2] chief of the Mair Minhas tribe from Jammu, who founded it in 1525 CE during the era of the Mughal Emperor, Zaheerudun Babur. It remained a small but central town of the Dhan Chaurasi Taluka for many centuries. In 1881, during the British era, it was declared the Tehsil Headquarters. It was finally upgraded to district status in 1985. The area of Chakwal city is about 10 square kilometres.^{[citation needed]}

History

Chakwal is located in the Dhanni region of the Pothohar Plateau in northern Punjab, Pakistan. The Pothohar Plateau (also spelled Potwar or Potohar) (Urdu: سطح مرتفع پوٹھوہار) was the home of the ancient Soan valley civilization, which is evidenced by the discovery of fossils, tools, coins, and remains of ancient archaeological sites. The Indus Valley civilization flourished in this region between the 23rd and 18th centuries BC. Some of the earliest Stone Age artefacts in the world have been found on the plateau, dating from 500,000 to 100,000 years ago. The crude stone recovered from the terraces of the Soan testify to human endeavour in this part of the world from the inter-glacial period.^[3]

The Stone Age people produced their equipment in a sufficiently homogeneous way to justify grouping the inhabitants of this area into one. Around 3000 BC, small village communities developed in the Pothohar area.^[4]

For much of its early history, Dhanni was an uninhabited part of the Jammu state of the Dogra Rajputs, and Khokhar Rajputs, held as a hunting ground for the Rajas of Jammu.^[5]

Chaudhry Sidhar settled villages named after his sons Chaku, Murid and Karhan and as Chaku Khan became the chief, he decided to settle in Chakwal, the village named after him and make it the center of administration of the Taluka. Kassar chiefs founded the villages of Bal-Kassar and Dhudial.^[6]

Awans,Waince, Mair Minhas, Khokhar Rajputs, Mughal Kassar and Kahut Quriesh were probably the Six landowning tribes that were originally settled in this tehsil by the Mughal Emperor Zaheerudin Babur. The main concentration of the Mair-Minhas and Rajputs was in the center (Haveli-Chakwal), North-East (Badshahan), West (Rupwal) and South West (Thirchak-Mahal). The Kassars in the northern part of the tehsil, the area called 'Babial' and 'Chaupeda' and the Kahuts in 'Kahutani' in the South East.^{[citation needed]}

These tribes, particularly the Mair-Minhas Chaudhrials of Chakwal, rose to further prominence during the short rule of Sher Shah Suri who handed them control over the adjoining territories, as far as Swan River in Potohar and the Pind Dadan Khan plains in the South.^{[citation needed]}

After the Mughal ruler, King Humayun, returned to India with the help of the Persians, he handed over Potohar, including Dhanni, to the Gakhars, who had helped him escape from India during Sher Shah's revolt and reign. The Gakhars moved the capital of the taluka from Chakwal to a neighbouring town, Bhon, and stationed their Kardars there.^{[citation needed]}

The Mair-Minhas and Mughal Kassar tribes again rose to power after King Aurangzeb's death. They had supported his son Moazzam Shah in his quest for power and, in return, he re-appointed the Mair-Minhas chief Gadabeg Khan as the Taluqdar and Chaudhry of the entire 'Dhan Chaurasi', whereas the rule of the Kassar Chaudhrys was confirmed in Babial and Chaupeda 'illaqa'.^{[citation needed]}

Their rule over Dhanni continued during the Sikh era; Chaudhry Ghulam Mehdi had invited Sardar Mahan Singh to this side of Jhelum River. It was during that era that the Dhanni breed of horses became popular; even Maharaja Ranjeet Singh's personal horses were kept in the stables of the 'Chakwal Chaudhrials'. Maharaja Ranjeet Singh was very kind to Chaudhrials of Chakwal due to their obedient services.^{[citation needed]}During the Independence War of 1857 Chaudhrials of Chakwal strengthened the hand of the British Raj by escorting the treasury from Chakwal to Rawalpindi and got the khilats and Jagirs.^[7]

Chakwal's non-Muslim minorities departed during partition of the subcontinent in 1947. In April 2009 a terrorist attack on the mosque killed more than 30 people.^[8][9]

Geography

A view of Dhani Plains

Sunset at a Lake on River Dharabi

Canyons near Thirchak Mahal

Chakwal's landscape features the canyons in Thirchak-Mahal. There are man-made and natural lakes around the city in neighbouring communities.^[10]

On the top of this hill is a shrine called Chehl-Abdal of Chehl Abdal”^{[citation needed]} hill top which is at 3,500 feet (1,100 m) above sea level. Another well-known tourist place in the area is Kalar Kahar, 2,500 feet (760 m) above sea level. The famous temple-fort of Katas Raj is nearby. Chakwal is connected by road to Jhelum and Lahore via the Sohawa road.^{[citation needed]}

Chakwal is a semi-arid area with a shortage of irrigation systems and water sources for agriculture. Over 70% of the population engages in agriculture, mostly subsistence agriculture dependent on rainfall. Most villages have no irrigation system.^{[citation needed]}

Language

The people of Pothohar speak Pothohari. However, the people of Chakwal and the Dhanni area (now known as Chakwal Tehsil) do not speak Pothohari and are ethnologically not regarded as Potoharis. They speak a Chakwali or Dhanni dialect of Punjabi, which is closer to Shahpuri, a dialect spoken in the Shahpur-Salt Range area.^{[citation needed]}

Social Welfare Organizations

Saviours Trust Islamabad based NGO is working for emergency relief and long-term development projects in Pakistan. For more details please visit www.savioursngo.org or call at +92315-SAVIOUR (7284687)

Administration

Map of Chakwal city

In addition to being the district capital, Chakwal city is also the administrative centre of Chakwal tehsil (a subdivision of the district). The city of Chakwal itself is divided into five Union councils:^[11] and Chakwal district is divided in to 68 union councils.

Education

There are a number of educational institutions being developed in the city, such as University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila, the Swedish Institute of Technology and others.^{[citation needed]}

The Arya Samaj founded the first school in Chakwal at the start of the 20th Century, and others, both religious and secular, followed. More information on basic child education can be found on the district government webpage.^[12]

Media

An English newspaper called, " The Revolution " is also published in Chakwal. The first online newspaper (in Urdu) was established by Riaz Butt named as Dhudial News^[13] Dhudial Nama (in Urdu) is also found online.^[14] and Dhudial2Day is online in Urdu and English, but published irregularly in English.^[15] There are number of small villages and town in chakwal. One of them is Waulah.

References

1. ^ Location of Chakwal - Falling Rain Genomics
2. ^ District Gazeteer of Jhelum 1904 - Ibbetson, D.: "Punjab settlement report", page 87. Punjab Government Press, 1862
3. ^ The International year book and statesmen's who's who. Kelly's Directories, Brill Academic Publishers. 1953. http://books.google.com/books?id=08YSAAAAIAAJ. Retrieved 17 July 2011. 
4. ^ Pakistan tourism directory. Holiday Weekly. 1992. http://books.google.com/books?id=QneAAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 17 July 2011. 
5. ^ Rosen, C. (29 November 2000). World resources 2000-2001: people and ecosystems : the fraying web of life. United Nations Development Programme, Elsevier. p. 184. ISBN 9780080437811. http://books.google.com/books?id=Gu6QZBRhq6cC&pg=PA184. Retrieved 17 July 2011. 
6. ^ Ibbeyson, D: "Punjab settlement report", page 88. Punjab Government Press, 1862
7. ^ Mutiny Report, Punjab Govt. Record, Page386
8. ^ Butt, Usama (16 September 2010). Pakistan's Quagmire: Security, Strategy, and the Future of the Islamic-Nuclear Nation. Continuum International Publishing Group. p. 239. ISBN 9780826433008. http://books.google.com/books?id=DOIE6IN1JMMC&pg=PA239. Retrieved 17 July 2011. 
9. ^ "Deadly blast in Pakistani mosque". Al Jazeera. 2009-04-05. Archived from the original on 2009-06-20. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/04/2009458654609775.html. Retrieved 2009-04-05. 
10. ^ Adamson, Hilary; Shaw, Isobel (1981). A traveller's guide to Pakistan. Asian Study Group. http://books.google.com/books?id=uhkMAAAAIAAJ. Retrieved 17 July 2011. 
11. ^ Tehsils & Unions in the District of Chakwal - Government of Pakistan
12. ^ http://www.chakwal.edu.pk/
13. ^ http://www.dhudialnews.com
14. ^ Dhudial Nama
15. ^ Dhudial2Day

See also

• List of Cities of Punjab, Pakistan by Area
• Kakazai