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Gujranwala district | |
|---|---|
District | |
 _Sheranwala_Garden%2cGujranwala%2cPunjab_%2cPakistan.jpg) Top:Nishan-e-Manzil Bottom: Baraari in Sheranwala Garden | |
 Map of Punjab with Gujranwala District highlighted | |
| Coordinates:32°10′N73°50′E / 32.167°N 73.833°E /32.167; 73.833 | |
| Country |  Pakistan |
| Province |  Punjab |
| Division | Gujranwala |
| Established | 1852; 173 years ago (1852) |
| Founded by | British Raj |
| Headquarters | Gujranwala |
| Administrative Subdivisions | 04
|
| Government | |
| • Type | District Administration |
| • District Police Officer | N/A |
| • District Health Officer | N/A |
| Area | |
• District | 2,426 km2 (937 sq mi) |
| Population (2023)[2] | |
• District | 4,966,338 |
| • Rank | 7th, Punjab 7th, Pakistan |
| • Density | 2,047/km2 (5,302/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 3,224,962 (64.94%) |
| • Rural | 1,741,376 (35.06%) |
| Literacy | |
| • Literacy rate |
|
| Time zone | UTC+5 (PKT) |
| Postal code | 52200 |
| Area code | 055 |
| Number ofTehsils | 4 |
| Languages | Punjabi (predominant, native) Urdu (minority) |
| Website | gujranwala |
Gujranwala District[a] is adistrict within theGujranwala Division ofPunjab,Pakistan. It is bordered by the districts ofWazirabad,Sialkot,Hafizabad andSheikhupura. Gujranwala district has 5National Assembly and 12Punjab Assembly constituencies.
Gujranwala belongs to theMajha region of ancientPunjab. The village of Asarur has been identified as the location of Taki, an ancient town, visited by the Chinese pilgrimHiuen Tsiang contains immense ruins of Buddhist origin. After the time of Tsiang little is known about Gujranwala till the Islamic conquests byMahmud of Ghazni, by this time, however, Taki had fallen into oblivion whileLahore had become the capital of Punjab. Lahore had replaced Taki as the major city of Punjab and it became the second capital of theGhaznavids. The contemporary village of Asarur has been identified as the site of the ancient city. From the beginning of the 7th centuryGujjar kingdoms dominated Eastern portions of Pakistan and northern India. The district flourished duringMughal rule, from the days ofAkbar to those ofAurangzeb, wells were scattered over the whole country, and villages lay thickly dotted about the southern plateau, now a barren waste of grass land and scrub jungle. Their remains may still be found in the wildest and most solitary reaches of the Bar.[4] The Punjab region became predominantlyMuslim due tomissionarySufi saints whosedargahs dot the landscape ofPunjab region.
Eminabad andHafizabad were the chief towns (the latter now part of a separate district), while the country was divided into six well-tilledparganas. But before the end of the Islamic period the tract was mysteriously depopulated. The tribes at present occupying the District are all immigrants of recent date, and before their advent the whole region seems for a time to have been almost entirely abandoned. The only plausible conjecture to account for this sudden and disastrous change is that it resulted from the constant wars by which the Punjab was convulsed during the last years of Mughal Imperial rule.[4]
After the decline of theMughal Empire following Aurangzeb's death in 1707, theAfsharids in 1739 under their powerful Turko-Iranian conquerorNadir Shah destroyed what remained of the once powerful Mughal Empire. Between 1747 and 1772 theDurrani Afghans ofAhmad Shah Abdali and theSikh Misls vied for control of the region following the power vacuum left by theMughals. The area was under the control of theDurrani Empire for a short period of time. Eventually the SikhSukerchakia Misl ofCharat Singh won out and occupied the area of Gujranwala making it his new capital.
TheChatthas under their leaderNur Muhammad Chattha declared independence fromMughal Empire in 1750 and formed the Chattha State.[5] AfterPir Muhammad Chattha's death his sonGhulam Muhammad Chattha inherited the Chattha state and the hatred ofSukerchakias. The rivalry was passed down toMahan Singh and Ghulam Muhammad Chattha.[6][7]
Under his leadership the Chathas gained several successes over the Sikhs,[8] and it at one time looked as if the progress of the Sikh arms had been arrested and their dominion in theDoab annihilated.[6]
Chattha State was annexed when Jan Muhammad Chattha was killed in a siege led byRanjit Singh when the latter recovered the lost Chattha state with Afghan aid.[9]
Bhattis (Rajputs) maintained a sturdy independence. In the end, however, the Sukerchakia misl succeeded in bringing them under its power.[4] Maha Singh's sonRanjit Singh, founder of theSikh Empire, was born in Gujranwala. Gujranwala was the capital of theSukerchakia Misl hence many important personalities of theSikh Empire were born here such asRanjit Singh and his most famous generalHari Singh Nalwa.
In 1849, the district was occupied by theBritish East India Company who annexed the entirety of theSikh Empire after defeating them in theSecond Anglo-Sikh War.[10] TheDogra dynasty collaborated with the British and helped them in bringing down theSikh Empire. A cantonment was established at Wazirabad, which was abolished in 1855. The District formed a part originally of the extensive District of Wazirabad, which comprised the whole upper portion of the Rechna Doab.[11]
In 1852 this unwieldy territory was divided between Gujranwala andSialkot District. The District, as then constituted, stretched across the entire plateau, from the Chenab to the Ravi; but in 1853 the south-eastern fringe, consisting of 303 villages, was transferred toLahore District, and three years later a second batch of 324 villages was handed over to the same District. There was no outbreak during theIndian Rebellion of 1857 and the Hindus and Sikh rallied to the side of Government with the greatest enthusiasm whileMuslims rallied for theMughals.[11] According to the 1901 census the District had a population of 890,577 and contained 8 towns and 1,331 villages. Its population according to the 1881 census was 616,892 rising to 690,169 in 1891. The population increased by 29 per cent between 1891 and 1901 - the increase being greatest in the Hafizabad and Khangah Dogran tahsils, owing to the extension of canal-irrigation and the colonisation of the Bar.[11] At the time the district was divided into four tehsils, namely:Gujranwala,Wazirabad,Hafizabad and Khangah Dogran (the headquarters of each being at the place from which it is named).[11] The chief towns during British rule were the municipalities of Gujranwala, the headquarters of the District,Wazirabad,Rasulnagar,Ali Pur Chattha, Eminabad,Qila Didar Singh, and thenotified area of Sodhra.[11] During theBritish era, the district of Gujranwala was part ofLahore Division.[12]
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 360,982 | — |
| 1961 | 490,678 | +3.12% |
| 1972 | 874,948 | +5.40% |
| 1981 | 1,223,379 | +3.79% |
| 1998 | 2,112,474 | +3.27% |
| 2017 | 4,180,670 | +3.66% |
| 2023 | 4,966,338 | +2.91% |
| Sources:[13] District was bifurcated in 2022 | ||
As of the2023 census, the residual Gujranwala district has 706,796 households and a population of 4,966,338. The district has a sex ratio of 103.96 males to 100 females and a literacy rate of 76.65%: 77.94% for males and 75.31% for females.[14][15] 1,322,407 (26.73% of the surveyed population) are under 10 years of age.[16] 3,224,962 (64.95%) live in urban areas.[14]
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islam | 96.40% | |||
| Christianity | 3.49% | |||
| Other or not stated | 0.11% | |||
| Religious group | 1941[18] | 2017[19] | 2023[20] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
Islam | 285,845 | 61.31% | 4,024,927 | 96.27% | 4,768,730 | 96.40% |
Sikhism | 76,035 | 16.31% | — | — | 134 | ~0% |
Hinduism [b] | 58,343 | 12.51% | 255 | 0.01% | 916 | 0.02% |
Christianity | 44,596 | 9.56% | 150,943 | 3.61% | 172,863 | 3.49% |
| Ahmadi | — | — | 4,432 | 0.11% | 3,892 | 0.08% |
| Others | 1,429 | 0.31% | 237 | ~0% | 226 | 0.01% |
| Total Population | 466,248 | 100% | 4,180,794 | 100% | 4,946,761 | 100% |
| Note: 1941 census data is for Gujranwala tehsil of erstwhile Gujranwala district, which roughly corresponds to contemporary Gujranwala district. District and tehsil borders have changed since 1941. | ||||||
| Religious group | 1881[21][22][23] | 1891[24] | 1901[25] | 1911[26][27] | 1921[28] | 1931[29] | 1941[18] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| Islam | 452,640 | 73.37% | 475,494 | 68.9% | 531,908 | 70.28% | 622,430 | 67.4% | 443,147 | 71.06% | 521,343 | 70.82% | 642,706 | 70.45% |
| Hinduism[b] | 127,322 | 20.64% | 166,278 | 24.09% | 169,594 | 22.41% | 176,075 | 19.07% | 101,566 | 16.29% | 92,764 | 12.6% | 108,115 | 11.85% |
| Sikhism | 36,159 | 5.86% | 45,316 | 6.57% | 51,607 | 6.82% | 107,748 | 11.67% | 50,802 | 8.15% | 71,595 | 9.73% | 99,139 | 10.87% |
Jainism | 577 | 0.09% | 727 | 0.11% | 932 | 0.12% | 950 | 0.1% | 754 | 0.12% | 1,071 | 0.15% | 1,445 | 0.16% |
| Christianity | 194 | 0.03% | 2,353 | 0.34% | 2,748 | 0.36% | 16,215 | 1.76% | 27,308 | 4.38% | 49,364 | 6.71% | 60,829 | 6.67% |
Zoroastrianism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 1 | 0% | 4 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
Buddhism.svg) | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
Judaism | — | — | 0 | 0% | 8 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Others | 0 | 0% | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Total population | 616,892 | 100% | 690,169 | 100% | 756,797 | 100% | 923,419 | 100% | 623,581 | 100% | 736,138 | 100% | 912,234 | 100% |
| Note1:British Punjab province era district borders are not an exact match in the present-day due to various bifurcations to district borders — which since created new districts — throughout the historicPunjab Province region during the post-independence era that have taken into account population increases. Note2: Population decrease between 1911 and 1921 census due to the creation ofSheikhupura District, as a result of the large population increase in the region, primarily due to theChenab Canal Colony. | ||||||||||||||
| Tehsil | Islam | Hinduism | Sikhism | Christianity | Jainism | Others[c] | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| Gujranwala Tehsil | 181,657 | 61.67% | 53,392 | 18.13% | 38,299 | 13% | 20,496 | 6.96% | 723 | 0.25% | 0 | 0% | 294,567 | 100% |
| Wazirabad Tehsil | 109,652 | 74.98% | 23,699 | 16.2% | 6,893 | 4.71% | 5,973 | 4.08% | 27 | 0.02% | 4 | 0% | 146,248 | 100% |
| Hafizabad Tehsil | 151,838 | 83.08% | 24,475 | 13.39% | 5,610 | 3.07% | 839 | 0.46% | 4 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 182,766 | 100% |
| Note:British Punjab province era tehsil borders are not an exact match in the present-day due to various bifurcations to tehsil borders — which since created new tehsils — throughout the historicPunjab Province region during the post-independence era that have taken into account population increases. | ||||||||||||||
| Tehsil | Islam | Hinduism[b] | Sikhism | Christianity | Jainism | Others[d] | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| Gujranwala Tehsil | 285,845 | 61.31% | 58,343 | 12.51% | 76,035 | 16.31% | 44,596 | 9.56% | 1,411 | 0.3% | 18 | 0% | 466,248 | 100% |
| Wazirabad Tehsil | 157,961 | 76.7% | 22,451 | 10.9% | 13,543 | 6.58% | 11,829 | 5.74% | 18 | 0.01% | 150 | 0.07% | 205,952 | 100% |
| Hafizabad Tehsil | 198,900 | 82.86% | 27,321 | 11.38% | 9,561 | 3.98% | 3,955 | 1.65% | 16 | 0.01% | 281 | 0.12% | 240,034 | 100% |
| Note1:British Punjab province era tehsil borders are not an exact match in the present-day due to various bifurcations to tehsil borders — which since created new tehsils — throughout the historicPunjab Province region during the post-independence era that have taken into account population increases. Note2:Tehsil religious breakdown figures for Christianity only includes local Christians, labeled as "Indian Christians" oncensus. Does not includeAnglo-Indian Christians orBritish Christians, who were classified under "Other" category. | ||||||||||||||
At the time of the 2023 census, 91.61% of the population in the residual district spokePunjabi and 6.48%Urdu as their first language.[2]
As per the 2020 gazetteer of Gujranwala District, the distribution in terms of tribes and castes are the following:[30]
| Tribe/caste | Presence |
|---|---|
| Jat | 30% |
| Rajput | 20% |
| Arain | 20% |
| Gujjar | 5% |
| Shaikh | 5% |
| Mughal | 5% |
| Kashmiri | 5% |
| Minorities | 3% |
| Others | 7% |
Gujranwala is in fact a City district. The district is divided into the following tehsils:
Furthermore, there are the following towns under these tehsils:
The first four towns lie in Gujranwala City and Saddar tehsils while the last two towns are under their respective tehsils, i.e. Tehsil Kamoke and Naushehra Virkan respectively.
Gujranwala is the district headquarters while Gujranwala, Kamoke and Naushehra Virkan are tehsil headquarters.
| # | Tehsil | Area (km2)[31] | Pop. (2023) | Density (ppl/km2) (2023) | Lit. rate (2023)[32] | Union Councils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gujranwala City | 131 | 2,511,118 | 19,168.84 | 79.39% | |
| 2 | Gujranwala Saddar | 783 | 1,133,101 | 1,447.13 | 75.71% | |
| 3 | Kamoke | 834 | 681,339 | 816.95 | 73.04% | |
| 4 | Nowshera Virkan | 678 | 640,780 | 945.10 | 71.36% |
The main Peshawar-Karachi railway line passes through Gujranwala district. The district is linked with Sialkot, Hafizabad and Gujrat districts through railway network.[33]
Gujranwala District is 3rd largest industrial city of Pakistan, and important player in famous Golden Triangle of Pakistan. Gujranwala contributes at least 5% to the GDP of Pakistan.[citation needed] Gujranwala is largest manufacturer of sanitary fittings, textiles, plastic furniture, pots, room coolers and heaters, gas stove and agricultural tools and equipment. Pakistan's top quality Basmati rice is grown in this region.[34]
:0 was invoked but never defined (see thehelp page).
Places adjacent to Gujranwala District | |
|---|---|
Provincial capital:Lahore | ||
| Bahawalpur |  | |
| Dera Ghazi Khan | ||
| Faisalabad | ||
| Gujranwala | ||
| Gujrat | ||
| Lahore | ||
| Mianwali | ||
| Multan | ||
| Rawalpindi | ||
| Sahiwal | ||
| Sargodha | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
