Chakwal
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Elevation
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498 m (1,634 ft)
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Population (2010) • Total
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117,221
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48000
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0543
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Number of Union councils
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5
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Chakwal: (چکوال)
Chakwal is the capital of Chakwal District,
Punjab, Pakistan.
It is located 90 km south-east of the federal capital, Islamabad
and is named after Chaudhary Chaku Khan, 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 kilometers.
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
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.
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.
Chaudhary 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.
Awans,Waince, Mair Minhas, Khokhar Rajputs,Bhatti Rajputs, Mughal Kassar and Kahut Quriesh were
probably the Seven 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 Kassar
in the northern part of the tehsil, the area called 'Babial' and 'Chaupeda' and
the Kahuts
in 'Kahutani' in the South East.
These tribes, particularly the Mair-Minhas Chaudharials
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.
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 neighboring town, Bhon, and
stationed their Kardars there.
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 Chaudhary
of the entire 'Dhan Chaurasi', whereas the rule of the Kassar Chaudharys
was confirmed in Babial and Chaupeda 'illaqa'.
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'. In 1801 Ranjit Singh visited
the Dhanni, which had been in a very disturbed state, subduded it without resistance,
and returned to Lahore
During the Independence War of 1857 Chaudharials
of Chakwal strengthened the hand of the British Raj by escorting the treasury
from Chakwal to Rawalpindi
Awans remain the most prominent and dominant tribe
of the Chakwal keeping their holds in the central and westward areas of Salt
Ranges and adjoining areas on both sides of the ranges since their arrival in
the region with Sultan Mehmood Ghaznavi and Qutab shah during the series of
Ghaznavid attacks on India. They also hold their domination in many but
scattered villages of Chakwal. (e.g. Bhaun, Sarkal Kassar, jand, mohra awan
etc.) Shamsuddin of Bhaun struggled a lot to get recognition of Awans in the
area as Hindus were known superior and local inhabitants of Chakwal area.
Chakwal's non-Muslim minorities
departed during partition of the subcontinent in 1947 but the city is still in
their heart and mind and had never forgotten it. In April 2009 a terrorist attack on the mosque killed more than 30
people.
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 Dhudial Nama Voice
of Chakwal Daily Chakwal Nama (in Urdu) also found online. Dhudial
Nama and Dhudial2Day online in Urdu and English, but published
irregularly in English. Chaudhary Ayaz Ameer [Politician/Writer] also writing
English & Urdu column in many news papers.
Politics
Politics
 |
| GAH VILLAGE |
Geography
 |
ROADS OF CHAKWAL |
 |
KATAS RAJ MANDIR CHOA SYDEN SHAH |
 |
BHATTI GUJJAR M-2 |
 |
| PATALIAN DARBAR ROAD |
 |
| PATALIAN |
 |
| PATALIAN DARBAR |
 |
| DHOKE TALIAN DEM |
Chakwal's landscape features the
canyons in Thirchak-Mahal. There are man-made and natural lakes around the city
in neighboring communities.
On the top of this hill is a shrine
called Chehl-Abdal of Chehl Abdal 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.
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.
Language
Inhabitants of Chakwal District speak
Dhani, Majhi, and Potohari dialects of Punjabi Language.
Administration
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 Jamalwal
Village is 19 kilometer from Chakwal City
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