Gujrat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about a city in Pakistan. For the Indian state see Gujarat.
| Gujrat گجرات |
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| General Information | |
| Province | Punjab |
| Calling code | 053 |
| Time zone | PST (UTC+5) |
| No. of Towns | |
| Estimate | [1] 2006 |
| Government | |
| City Mayor (Nazim) | Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain |
| No. of Union Councils | |
| Emblem | |
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Gujrat (Urdu/Punjabi: گجرات) is a city in Pakistan located in Gujrat District in the Punjab Province. A person living in Gujrat is called Gujrati.
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[edit] Location
Gujrat is situated 120 km north of Lahore. To the north lies Jhelum, to the south Gujranwala, to the west Mandi-Bahauddin, and to the east Pakistan-Administrated Kashmir. It is located near the Chenab river. The city is surrounded many villages from which the local labour market is supplied.
[edit] History
Gujrat is an ancient city whch was founded by Raja Bachhan Pal in 460 BC, according to General Cunningham, the British historian. Gujrat's history is long and wide-reaching in its significance. Historical consensus is that it existed in the time of Alexander the Great, and that the city's Raja Porus put up a fierce challenge to Alexander's invasion at the bank of river Jehlum.
During the Mughal Empire period, Mughal royalty would travel through the district en-route to Kashmir. When King Jahangir died while he was returning from Kashmir, the news of his death was not released to avoid any unrest in the empire. As such, his abdominal organs were taken out and buried in Gujrat. To this day an annual festival is held commemorating this event, commonly known as the "Festival of Jahangir".
There are many historical buildings and ruins in and around Gujrat. In the time of Shair Shah Suri a road was built to link the city to Jalal Pur Jattan (another major town of the district). The road still exists today, along with its period stone wall. The nearby towns of Adowal, Dinga and Kunjah are also historically important.
Major Raja Aziz Bhatti, a recipient of the Nishan-e-Haider (Pakistan's highest aviation award) during the India-Pakistan war of 1965 was born in Laadhian, a village near Gujrat. He was killed in the war and interred in the village.
Major Muhammad Akram, another recipient of the Nishan-e-Haider during the India-Pakistan war of 17th december 1971, was born at Dinga, a village of Gujrat.
Major Shabir Sharif was another recipient of the Nishan-e-Haider. He was born at Kunjah, a village near Gujrat.
[edit] Political Importance
Many famous political personalities have come from Gujrat, including Fazal Elahi Chaudhry, former President of Pakistan; Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, former Prime Minister of Pakistan ; and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Chief Minister of Punjab. formre commerce Minister of Pakistan Ch. Ahmad Mukhtar
[edit] Gates of Gujrat
There are four gates in Gujrat;
1. Shahdaula gate on the east
2. Dhaki gate on the west
3. Sheshanwala gate on the north
4. Shah Faisal gate on the south
In old times, the city was situated within the gates. At the night, the gates were closed, and nobody was allowed to enter inside the city afterwords. Except sheshanwala gates, rest of the gates can still be seen.
[edit] Sites of interest
The Zahoor palace, situated in the center of the city (Pakistan Chawk), is the hub of political activity in Gujrat. The same building has been the residence of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi. Over the ages, the building has influenced the political history of the city. Gujrat houses the shrines and tombs of many renowned Islamic Sufis and saints. The most notable include the shrine of Kanwan Wali Sarkar and the shrine of Shah-Daula.
[edit] Economy
Gujrat's principal industries include fan manufacture and export, pottery and furniture. Gujrat has a unique status throughout Punjab due to its relatively impressive manufacturing capabilities: there are around 1000 industrial units operating in the district. Several small and large textile industrial units have been established in Jalalpur Jattan, a large town near the city.
The fields of Gujrat produce a large rice crop. Thanks to the system of irrigation canals, Gujrat produces sugarcane, wheat, gram and a wide range of pulses and vegetables.
[edit] Culture
"Sohni Mahinwal" is a famous folk tale of the Punjab region. The heroine of the story, named "Sohni" (a Punjabi word, meaning "beautiful"), came from the Gujrat region. She used to meet her lover "Mahinwal" by crossing the Chenab river, sitting on a pitcher. The tale is still told to this day, and is an essential part of Punjabi culture. The anniversary of Kanwan-Wali Sarkar is held in August every year. At the same time, a fair to celebrate the event is held. Traditionally, it always rains heavily at this time.
[edit] Education
History tells us that region of Gujrat has kept its status at the peak in the field of education. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan named the region as "Khita-e-Younan", means "Territory resembling to Greece". Nawab Sir Fazal Ali is a known personality, who is behind educating Gujratis. Even today, Gujrat has developed a noticeable education system. Several schools and colleges are located at Gujrat. The University of Gujrat is prominent university of the region
[edit] Transport
Gujrat is linked directly by road to Gujranwala, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin and Bhimber (Pakistan-Administrated Kashmir). The main Peshawar-Karachi railway line passes through Gujrat, linking the city to Jhelum and Gujranwala districts, with the nearest junctions at Wazirabad and Lalamusa.
[edit] See also
