Gujrat

Gujrat (Urdu/Punjabi: گجرات) is a city in Pakistan. It is the capital of Gujrat District and the Gujrat Tehsil subdivision in the Punjab Province^[1]. People living in Gujrat refer to themselves as Gujratis, which sometimes leads to confusion with people from the Indian state of Gujarat which neighbors Pakistan. The major sources of livelihood of Gujrat populace are agriculture and small industries.

History

Gujrat is an ancient city which was founded by Raja Bachhan Pal Gurjar in 460 BC, according to General Cunningham, the British historian. 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 the Jehlum River. The establishment of Gujrat City was realized early in the 1900 century after the British Empire and in support of regional land lords (e.g., Daswandi Khan of Daswandi Pura).

During the Mughal period Mughal royalty would used to 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 chaos 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”.

Two main battles between British and Sikh armies were fought in this district: the Battle of Chillianwala and Battle of Gujrat. Only after winning the battle of Gujrat on 22 February 1849 did the British declare victory in Punjab.

Geography

Gujrat is an ancient city of Pakistan located between two famous rivers, Jhelum River and Chenab River. Because of its proximity to the rivers, the land is good for cultivation of rice and sugarcane as main crops. It is bounded on the northeast by Jammu and Kashmir, on the northwest by the Jhelum River, on the east and southeast by the Chenab River, separating it from the districts of Gujranwala and Sialkot; and on the west by Mandi Bahauddin District.

Climate

The city has moderate climate. During the peak of summer, the daytime temperature shoots up to 45°C, but the hot spells are relatively short due to the proximity of the Azad Kashmir Mountains. During the winter, the minimum temperature may fall below 2°C. The average rainfall at Gujrat is 67 cm.

Culture

Gujrat produces low-temperature pottery and ceramic goods, hukkas, artistic handicrafts, flower pots, “Changairian” (made from the leaves of palm and date trees), cotton mates and woolen shawls. Sohni Mahiwal 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 near Karuan wala Gujrat is celebrated with a fair in August every year. He is known as the one of the greatest saints that ever lived. A famous miracle was when water in a well actually turned to milk for a period of time. The well is still there. The locals have a myth that it rains heavily at the time of fair (but actually the rain falls because of monsoon)and “Wengi Wali Sarkar” anniversary in 5 January every year at village Haji Wala near Karianwala Tehsil and District Gujrat.

Economy/Industry

Gujrat is also known for its clay with which the locals have, for long, produced quality pottery. The city also produces fine furniture. Over the last few decades, Gujrat has also attained a name in the manufacture and export of electric fans. Gujrat is also home to one of the two largest shoe manufacturing companies in Pakistan, namely Service Industries, which runs a large shoe factory in the city.

There are about 1,059 cottage-level and small- to large-scale industrial units operating in the district. Rice production and export is another major product of Gujrat. There are many other factories engaged in manufacturing of electrical goods, electric motors and rice cleaning mills. Most are cottage industries, providing employment to a large number of people and accounting, in aggregate, for more than 90 percent of the domestic market.

Transport

The district, with 1,019 kilometres of road, is linked with Gujranwala, Jhelum, and Mandi Bahauddin districts through metalled roads. The main Peshawar – Karachi railway line passes through the city and it is amongst an important railway stations of this route. The district is linked with Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Sargodha and Gujranwala districts through Pakistan Railway Network. Daewoo Express has a terminal at GT Road Gujrat, started on May 14, 2004 and connects Gujrat with Lahore. Gujrat airport does not host any commercial flights, and people use the nearby Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore and Sialkot International Airport for domestic and international flights. There is a small airport in nearby village Sabowal who PAF use for trainee pilots C130.