Rahon

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
native_name = Rahon | type = city | latd = 31.05 | longd = 76.12
locator_position = right | state_name = Punjab
district = Nawanshahr
leader_title =
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altitude = 250
population_as_of = 2001
population_total = 12,046| population_density =
area_magnitude= sq. km
area_total =
area_telephone =
postal_code =
vehicle_code_range =
sex_ratio =
unlocode =
website =
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Rahon is a city and a municipal council in the Nawanshahr district of the Indian state of Punjab.

Geography

Rahon is located at coord|31.05|N|76.12|E|. [ [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/23/Rahon.html Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Rahon] ] It has an average elevation of 250 metres (820 feet).Situated on the Jullundur City Jaijon Doaba line of the Northern Railway, Rahon is 7 KM from Nawashahr, the tahsil/subdivision headquarters, and 65 KM from Jalandhar, the district headquarters. It is also connected by road with Nawashahr (8 KM), Jadla (12 KM), Ludhiana (51 KM), and Phillaur (37 KM). Its population was 12,046 in 2001. It is a Class-III municipality.

History

It is said to have been founded about 2000 years ago by Raja Raghab, who called it Raghupur, by which name it continued to be called in correspondence by the Pandits of the place till early in the present century. After that it came into the possession of Gujars, who were driven out by the Mahtons, who in their turn succumbed to the Ghorewaha Rajputs, whose conquest of the country is put down as having occurred in the time of Muhammad Ghori (d. 1206 AD). Their leader Rana Rajpal, renamed the town ‘Rahon’, after a certain lady called ‘Raho’. In support of this derivation may be quoted the opinion entertained by some that, it is unlucky to speak of this town by its proper name, in the morning, when fasting. Till breakfast it is called ‘Zanana shahr’, or ‘Women town”. In the time of Ibrahim Lodhi (1517-1526 AD), the town is reported to have a population of 145000 and was a flourishing trading center on the route to Tibet and Central Asian Countries. The art of shoe making attained a high degree of skill and a pair prepared by one Mian Khaki Shah of Rahon is said to be still lying in the museum at Lahore (Pakistan). Towards the beginning of the Mughal period, the town was occupied by the Raja of Machhiwara, Rana Udho. He actively assisted Akbar (1556-1605 AD). During his fight for the Delhi throne and defeated and captured the rebellious Bairam Khan. As a reward, the Raja allowed to retain the jagir of Rahon. In Akbar’s time, Rahon was the capital of the DardhakMahal and gave its name to one of the two tarafs into which the Mahal was divided. In Aurangzeb’s reign (1658-1707 AD) a brick fort was built here. The Rajputs of Rahon were Chaudhris and men of much influence during the Muhammadan rule. In AD 1759, Rahon was seized by Tara Singh Gheba, the head of the Dhallewali Confederacy, and remained in his possession till his death, when it was added to Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s dominions. It is evidently a very old town and, from its commanding situation on an eminence overlooking the low valley of the Satluj, must have been a place of importance. Rahon’s importance was primarily due to its location on the ancient trade route to Tibet and Central Asia and it began to fall in importance as soon as a new route through Kabul was opened during the Mughal times. Its proximity to big marsh made it a victim of periodic out breaks of malaria in an epidemic form. Consequently, its population has greatly declined. It wa said to be 69000 when the British took over the place after the First Anglo Sikh War in 1846 and it was 6607 in 1971. After the division of the country in 1947 the Muslim population of Rahon had to go to Pakistan and the Hindu and Sikh population that came from Pakistan started living here.

Places of Interest

There are several places of historical interest in Rahon. There is the Panch Tirthian tank which was got excavated by Rana Udho as a place of pilgrimate for his five sons who could not proceed on pilgrimage due to the illness of his father. The samadh of Rana Udho also exists at Rahon. There is another tank, called Ramsar, adjoining the samadhs of Tara Singh Gheba and his brave widow which was constructed by their son Jhanda Singh. There is also an old serai, said to have been built in the reign of Shah Jahan (1627-1658 AD). Another holy place in the town is Suraj Kund which is said to have been built by one Bawa Aughar during the period of Pathan rule. There is also a tomb, built during the rule of the Tughluq dynasty, which is said to contain the ashes of a saint.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, [GR|India] Rahon had a population of 12,046. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Rahon has an average literacy rate of 72%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 76%, and female literacy is 68%. In Rahon, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.

External links

* [http://nawanshahr.nic.in/html/cities_and_towns.htm Govt. Website on rahon]

References