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Khanewal (Template:Lang-ur), (Template:Lang-pa) is a city and the capital of Khanewal District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the host city to the second largest railway station in Pakistan. Khanewal is located at 30°18'0N 71°55'0E with an altitude of 128 metres and is named after the earliest settlers here who belonged to the clan ‘Daha’ (jatt clan) and used ‘khan’ in their names. That is how the city came to be known as ‘khan-e-wal’.

History

In 997 CE, Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi, took over the Ghaznavid dynasty empire established by his father, Sultan Sebuktegin. In 1005 he conquered the Shahis in Kabul and followed it by the conquests of the Punjab region. The Delhi Sultanate and later the Mughal Empire also ruled the region. The Punjab region became predominantly Muslim during the rule of the Delhi Sultanate and later the Mughal Empire due to forced conversions.

Under Mughal rule, the city flourished and was notable for commerce and trade. After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Sikh invaded and occupied Jhang. The Muslims faced severe restrictions during the Sikh rule. Under the British Raj, there was agricultural development. The predominantly Muslim population supported Muslim League and Pakistan Movement. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the minority Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India while the Muslim refugees from India settled in the Khanewal District. Khanewal became the district in 1985 firstly it was Tehsil of Multan

Languages & Demography

As per national census of 1998, Punjabi is the main language of Khanewal district.Urdu, the national language, is spoken widely.

Khagga, Daha, Bodla and Haraj Sials are the largest castes of Khanewal.

History

Khanewal has a rich and vibrant history which can be traced back to the early 1900s. Khanewal is famous for its cotton growing industry. Daha are regarded as the initial settlers and founders of Khanewal. Khagga, Daha, Bodla and Haraj are the largest castes of Khanewal. Historically Khanewal is an old city having its earliest foundations laid by the British Empire owing to its importance as a railway junction. The city was a junction of the Wazirabad-Khanewal railway line and provided a connection to the city of Karachi via Lahore. Its straight roads show that it is a well planned town by the British people. The earliest settlers are said to be the Dahas who have the 'Khan' in their names and the city was named after them as Khan-e-wal. Following a great public move led by the then famous lawyer Malik Mohammad Aslam Metla Khanewal was declared district in 1985. In Khanewal city the different languages are spoken i.e. Urdu, Siraiki and Pushto as well. The main caste inhabited in Khanewal are Awan, Rana, Sheik,Jatt, Pathan, Bucha,Sial, Kamboh, Arayin, Niazi, Mahar, Baloch.

Industry and agriculture

Khanewal is an agricultural city and is located in Pakistan's 'Cotton belt' – an area covering Khanewal, Multan and Bahawalnagar. Over the last forty to fifty years industry has also been established in and around the city. Sir William Roberts established cotton trading and ginning installations in the area known as Brooke Bond which is now called Unilever, a company that specialises in making tea. There are over 900 workers employed by Unilever. The people of Khanewal are mostly engaged in agricultural activities which are the main source of income for the people of the district. Other industries in Khanewal include chemical production and oil extraction.

Landmarks

Khanewal has many landmarks from the British Colonial period, mostly built in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Among the most famous landmarks in Khanewal are the Khanewal railway Junction, the 'Jangle Wali Kothi' (foundation stone laid in 1913 by a Railway Engineer) situated in the Civil Lines area of Khanewal and the well known "Gul-e-Shafraz", with its very beautiful foundation stone laid in 1896 by a shangrila engineer posted to Khanewal Railway Junction during the colonial period. Another location which is regarded as one of the oldest in the suburbs of Khanewal is Kothi of Amir Baksh Khan Bhutta. The Khanewal junction remains a historic landmark as some parts of it have remained unchanged for over 130 years. Khanewal also has similar colonial landmarks dating back to early 20th century, all private properties, but truly historic. There is no cinema in Khanewal City.

Several of these remarkable properties were built and used by Sir William Roberts who is considered along with several others as one of the founding fathers of Khanewal and the famous BCGA (British Cotton Growers Association) farms located just outside Khanewal. Another historical place is "The Methodist Church, Church of Pakistan Diocese of Multan" which is situated (6-Civil Lines) in the center of the city.

College and schools

Educational Institutes in Khanewal include Punjab College Khanewal from the Punjab Group of Colleges. Science Higher Secondary School, Govt. Model High School Khanewal, Khanewal Public School and College Khanewal, The City School Senior and Junior branch, Bandesha College for Information Technology in south Punjab, Govt Islamia Degree College, Govt Degree College for Women, Muslim Commerce College Civil Lines, Govt College Of Commerce Peoples Colony, LUCK Post Graduate College Civil Lines, Punjab College of Business Administration P.Colony, Quaid-e-Azam Tech. College Ismail Plaza, Technical Training Int. Peoples Colony, Govt Vocational College Lahore Road Khanewal, Homeopathic College, SCOPE Post Graduate College Block # 12,Govt Model Girls High School, Govt M.C Girls High School, Govt MC Middle School No 1-B, Govt Railways Girls High School, Young Scholars Secondary School Khanewal, Govt. Model High School Khanewal.

Notable cricket players from Khanewal

• Masood Anwar is a former Pakistani cricketer who played in one Test in 1990.
• Rao Iftikhar Anjum was selected for the Pakistani squad to play in the 2007 Cricket World Cup.nowadays he is Representing *Islamabad Leopards in Pakistan's Domestic T20
• Shabbir Ahmed is a former Pakistani cricketer. He is a line-and-length pace bowler who took eight wickets for 109 runs on his Test debut against Bangladesh

References

1. Tehsils & Unions in the District of Khanewal – Government of Pakistan
2. District Profile: Southern Punjab- Khanewal – Dawn, Pakistan
3. Location of Khanewal – Falling Rain Genomics
4. Muslim Invasion
5. Intolerant ruler: Aurangzeb (BBC.co.uk)
6. Guru Tegh Bahadur (BBC.co.uk)
7. http://www.census.gov.pk/publications.php#dcr
8. Punjab – Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 20, p. 324.
9. British Cotton Growers Association

30°18′11″N 71°55′51″E / 30.3030°N 71.9309°E / 30.3030; 71.9309

External links

• Khanewal travel guide from Wikivoyage

• Populated places in Khanewal District