Sialkot District ضلع سیالکوٹ | |
|---|---|
 .jpg) Top: Bab-e-Sialkot (Gate of Sialkot) Bottom: Village of Kotli Noonan | |
 Map of Sialkot District highlighted | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Province | Punjab |
| Division | Gujranwala |
| Established | 1852; 173 years ago (1852) |
| Capital | Sialkot |
| Government | |
| • Type | District Administration |
| • Deputy Commissioner | Muhammad Zulqarnain Langrial |
| • District Police Officer | Abdul Ghaffar Qaisrani |
| • CEO Education | Mian Riaz Ahmed |
| Area | |
| 3,016 km2 (1,164 sq mi) | |
| Population | |
| 4,499,394 | |
| • Density | 1,492/km2 (3,864/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 1,481,968 (32.94%) |
| • Rural | 3,017,426 (67.06%) |
| Language(s) | |
| • Main language(s) | Urdu,Punjabi |
| Literacy | |
| • Literacy rate |
|
| Time zone | UTC+5 (PST) |
| Area code | 052 |
| Number ofTehsils | 4 |
| Website | sialkot |
Sialkot District[a] is adistrict within theGujranwala Division ofPunjab, Pakistan. Located in northeastern Punjab, the city ofSialkot is the headquarters of the district. It houses theSialkot Cantonment, established in 1852.
The district is administratively divided into the following fourtehsils (subdivisions), which contain a total of 122Union Councils:[4][5]
| # | Tehsil | Area (km²)[6] | Pop. (2023) | Density (ppl/km²) (2023) | Lit. rate (2023)[7] | Union Councils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pasrur | 975 | 970,366 | 995.25 | 74.52% | 28 |
| 2 | Daska | 690 | 980,547 | 1,421.08 | 79.19% | 42 |
| 3 | Sambrial | 450 | 460,280 | 1,022.84 | 79.89% | 30 |
| 4 | Sialkot | 901 | 2,088,201 | 2,317.65 | 79.42% | 52 |
Sialkot District was an agricultural region with forests during theIndus Valley Civilization. TheVedic period is characterized byIndo-Aryan culture that flourished in thePunjab region. TheKambojas,Daradas,Kaikayas, Madras,Pauravas,Yaudheyas,Malavas andKurus invaded, settled and ruled the ancientPunjab region. After overrunning theAchaemenid Empire in 331 BCE,Alexander marched into the present-day Punjab region with an army of 50,000. The Sialkot was ruled byMaurya Empire, theIndo-Greek kingdom,Kushan Empire,Gupta Empire,White Huns,Kushano-Hephthalites, theArabs and Hindu Shahi kingdoms.
In 997 CE,Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi took over theGhaznavid dynasty empire established by his father,Sultan Sebuktegin, In 1005 he conquered theShahis inKabul in 1005 CE and followed this by the conquests of thePunjab region. TheDelhi Sultanate and laterMughal Empire ruled the region.
At an early date the District fell to theMughal Empire, and under theMughals formed theRechna Doab sarkar of the Subah of Lahore. UnderShah Jahan the sarkar was entrusted toAli Mardan Khan, the famous engineer, who dug a canal through it to bring water from theChenab river to the imperial gardens inLahore.
On the decline of the Mughal Empire Ranjit Singh Deo, a Rajput hill chief, extended his sway over the lowlands, owning a nominal allegiance to Delhi. In 1748 he transferred his allegiance toAhmad Shah Durrani, who addedZafarwal and two otherparganas to his fief. Before his death in 1773 Ranjit Deo had secured possession of the whole District, except the Sialkot town and its dependencies, which were held by aPashtun family.[8] Sialkot district was annexed by the British from its formerSikh rulers after theSecond Anglo-Sikh war of 1848–1849.[9]
During theIndian Rebellion of 1857 the station was denuded of British troops; and the Native regiments which were left behind the rose, and, after sacking the jail, treasury, and courthouse, and massacring several of the European inhabitants, marched off towards Delhi, only to be destroyed by Nicholson at Trimmu Ghat. The rest of the Europeans took refuge in the fort, and on the morning after the departure of the rebels order was restored. The only events of interest in the subsequent history of the District are the plague riots that occurred at the villages of Shahzada and Sankhatra in 1901.[8]
Numerous mounds are scattered about the District, which marks the sites of ancient villages and towns. None of them, except that on which the Sialkot fort stood, has been excavated, but silver and copper utensils and coins have been dug up from time to time by villagers. Most of the coins are those of Indo-Bactrian kings. The excavations in Sialkot revealed the existence of some old baths, with hot-water pipes of solid masonry. The fort itself, of which very little now remains, is not more than 1,000 years old and is said to have been rebuilt by Shahab-ud-din Ghori at the end of the twelfth century.[8]
In 1859,Gurdaspur,Amritsar and Sialkot were placed in the new division of Sialkot. But in 1884,Gurdaspur along withAmritsar again became a part of theLahore Division.
According to the 1901 census, the district had a population of 1,083,909 and contained 7 towns and 2,348 villages. The population at the previous three enumerations was: 1,004,695 (1868), 1,012,148 (1881) and 1,119,847 (1891). The population decreased between 1891 and 1901 by 3.2,[8] the decrease being greatest in the Raya tahsil and least in the Daska tahsil. TheChenab Colony was responsible for this fall in population, with no less than 103,000 persons having left to take land in the newly irrigated tracts.[10]
The district was subdivided into five tehsils, namely: Sialkot, Pasrur, Zafarwal, Raya and Daska, the headquarters of each being at the place from which it is named. The chief towns of the district were Sialkot, Daska, Jamki, Pasrur, Kila Sobha Singh, Zafarwal and Narowal.[10]
| Tehsil | Area (sq mi) | Towns | Villages | Population (1901) | Population per sq mi | Population variation 1891–1901 | Number of literate people |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sialkot | 428 | 1 | 637 | 312,668 | 730.5 | +3.2 | 12,101 |
| Pasrur | 394 | 2 | 443 | 193,746 | 491.7 | −5.0 | 5,601 |
| Sambrial | 485 | 1 | 456 | 192,440 | 396.8 | +10.4 | 5,586 |
| Daska | 360 | 2 | 332 | 206,148 | 572.6 | −0.6 | 4,103 |
| Total | 1,991 | 7 | 2,348 | 1,083,909 | 544.4 | −3.2 | 31,341 |
In 1930, thetehsils of Raya, Daska and Pasrur were split up and parts of these were amalgamated intoGujranwala District. In 1991, the tehsils of Narowal and Shakar Garh (which was tehsil Shankar Garh of Gurdaspur district before theindependence ofPakistan in 1947) were split up and formed into the newNarowal District.
Sialkot District lies southeast ofGujrat District, southwest ofJammu district (in Indian-administeredJammu and Kashmir), whileNarowal District is to the southeast andGujranwala District is situated to the west.
Sialkot district is spread over an area of 3,016 square kilometers.
Sialkot is hot and humid during the summer and cold during the winter. June and July are the hottest months. The maximum temperature during winter may drop to −2 °C (28 °F). The land is generally plain and fertile. The average annual rainfall is about 1000 mm. Over 25.82% of the population of the district is urban.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 961,721 | — |
| 1961 | 1,045,958 | +0.84% |
| 1972 | 1,509,424 | +3.39% |
| 1981 | 1,802,505 | +1.99% |
| 1998 | 2,723,481 | +2.46% |
| 2017 | 3,894,938 | +1.90% |
| 2023 | 4,499,394 | +2.43% |
| Sources:[11] | ||
As of the2023 census, Sialkot district has 671,320 households and a population of 4,499,394. The district has a sex ratio of 102.58 males to 100 females and a literacy rate of 78.37%: 80.24% for males and 76.50% for females.[12][13] 1,116,259 (24.96% of the surveyed population) are under 10 years of age.[14] 1,481,968 (32.94%) live in urban areas.[12]
Muslims are the majority community making up 96.19% of the population, while Christians (descendants of Hindu Dalits who converted during the British Colonial period) are the principal minority.[15]
| Religious group | 1941[16]: 42 | 2017[17] | 2023[18] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
Islam | 592,236 | 64.17% | 3,740,507 | 96.04% | 4,302,067 | 96.19% |
Hinduism | 176,989 | 19.18% | 2,870 | 0.07% | 3,195 | 0.07% |
Sikhism | 92,715 | 10.05% | — | — | 260 | ~0% |
Christianity | 54,498 | 5.91% | 136,254 | 3.50% | 154,884 | 3.46% |
| Ahmadi | — | — | 14,771 | 0.38% | 11,386 | 0.25% |
| Others | 6,461 | 0.7% | 536 | 0.01% | 668 | 0.01% |
| Total Population | 922,899 | 100% | 3,894,938 | 100% | 4,472,462 | 100% |
| Note: 1941 census data is for Sialkot, Daska and Pasrur tehsils of Sialkot district, which roughly corresponds to contemporary Sialkot district. District and tehsil borders have changed since 1941. | ||||||
| Religious group | 1881[19][20][21] | 1891[22] | 1901[23] | 1911[24][25] | 1921[26] | 1931[27] | 1941[28] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| Islam | 669,712 | 66.17% | 685,342 | 61.2% | 716,953 | 66.15% | 604,801 | 61.74% | 580,532 | 61.9% | 609,633 | 62.23% | 739,218 | 62.09% |
| Hinduism[b] | 299,311 | 29.57% | 371,265 | 33.15% | 302,012 | 27.86% | 242,325 | 24.74% | 217,912 | 23.24% | 206,421 | 21.07% | 231,319 | 19.43% |
| Sikhism | 40,195 | 3.97% | 49,872 | 4.45% | 50,982 | 4.7% | 81,761 | 8.35% | 74,939 | 7.99% | 94,955 | 9.69% | 139,409 | 11.71% |
| Christianity | 1,535 | 0.15% | 11,668 | 1.04% | 11,939 | 1.1% | 48,620 | 4.96% | 62,266 | 6.64% | 66,365 | 6.77% | 75,831 | 6.37% |
Jainism | 1,388 | 0.14% | 1,696 | 0.15% | 2,008 | 0.19% | 2,029 | 0.21% | 2,147 | 0.23% | 2,236 | 0.23% | 3,250 | 0.27% |
Zoroastrianism | 7 | 0% | 4 | 0% | 9 | 0% | 17 | 0% | 27 | 0% | 7 | 0% | 14 | 0% |
Buddhism.svg) | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 6 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 3 | 0% |
Judaism | — | — | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Others | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 1,453 | 0.12% |
| Total population | 1,012,148 | 100% | 1,119,847 | 100% | 1,083,909 | 100% | 979,553 | 100% | 937,823 | 100% | 979,617 | 100% | 1,190,497 | 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 1901 and 1921 census due to large population migrations south to newly created tehsils and districts in theChenab Canal Colony. | ||||||||||||||
| Tehsil | Islam | Hinduism | Sikhism | Christianity | Jainism | Others[c] | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| Sialkot Tehsil | 175,385 | 60.38% | 85,711 | 29.51% | 11,679 | 4.02% | 16,195 | 5.58% | 1,472 | 0.51% | 27 | 0.01% | 290,469 | 100% |
| Pasrur Tehsil | 89,067 | 63.26% | 26,615 | 18.9% | 13,360 | 9.49% | 11,395 | 8.09% | 351 | 0.25% | 0 | 0% | 140,788 | 100% |
| Zafarwal Tehsil | 97,303 | 61.22% | 50,361 | 31.69% | 6,192 | 3.9% | 5,000 | 3.15% | 80 | 0.05% | 0 | 0% | 158,936 | 100% |
| Raya Tehsil | 119,705 | 60.78% | 29,847 | 15.16% | 29,293 | 14.87% | 17,919 | 9.1% | 172 | 0.09% | 0 | 0% | 196,936 | 100% |
| Daska Tehsil | 99,072 | 65.74% | 25,378 | 16.84% | 14,415 | 9.57% | 11,757 | 7.8% | 72 | 0.05% | 0 | 0% | 150,694 | 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. | % | |
| Sialkot Tehsil | 241,505 | 61.49% | 104,090 | 26.5% | 25,306 | 6.44% | 17,080 | 4.35% | 2,797 | 0.71% | 1,986 | 0.51% | 392,764 | 100% |
| Pasrur Tehsil | 166,519 | 66.23% | 44,059 | 17.52% | 26,031 | 10.35% | 13,250 | 5.27% | 110 | 0.04% | 1,455 | 0.58% | 251,424 | 100% |
| Narowal Tehsil | 146,982 | 54.93% | 54,330 | 20.3% | 46,694 | 17.45% | 19,348 | 7.23% | 240 | 0.09% | 4 | 0% | 267,598 | 100% |
| Daska Tehsil | 184,212 | 66.09% | 28,840 | 10.35% | 41,378 | 14.85% | 24,168 | 8.67% | 103 | 0.04% | 10 | 0% | 278,711 | 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, 92.01% of the population spokePunjabi, 4.86%Urdu, 1.27%Mewati and 1.22%Pashto as their first language.[29]
Provincial capital:Lahore | ||
| Bahawalpur |  | |
| Dera Ghazi Khan | ||
| Faisalabad | ||
| Gujranwala | ||
| Gujrat | ||
| Lahore | ||
| Mianwali | ||
| Multan | ||
| Rawalpindi | ||
| Sahiwal | ||
| Sargodha | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
32°31′12″N74°33′00″E / 32.52000°N 74.55000°E /32.52000; 74.55000
