Chiniot (

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Chiniot District Chiniot District (Punjabi and ur, ), became the 36th district of the Punjab province of Pakistan in February 2009. Before this, it was a tehsil of Jhang District. History Chiniot region was an agricultural region with forests during the In ...

in the province of

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

, Pakistan. Located on the bank of the river

Chenab The Chenab River () is a major river that flows in India and Pakistan, and is one of the 5 major rivers of the Punjab region. It is formed by the union of two headwaters, Chandra and Bhaga, which rise in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul regi ...

, it is the 28th largest city of Pakistan. It is also known for its intricate wooden furniture, architecture, and mosques, and is home to the

Omar Hayat Mahal Omar Hayat Mahal (), also spelt Umer Hayat Mahal, and alternatively known as Gulzar Manzil, is an early 20th-century wooden haveli mansion in Chiniot, Pakistan. The mansion was started in 1923, and was completed by 1935. The mansion, originally ...

History

Early

The origins of Chiniot are obscure, and historical records accurately detailing its founding are unavailable. According to some accounts, the city was founded by an ancient king's daughter named Chandan, who while on a hunting expedition, was charmed by the surrounding area, and ordered the construction of the settlement of ''Chandaniot,'' alternatively spelt ''Chandniot,'' which was named in her honour. The name Chiniot, a contracted version of the original name, eventually gained favour, though the older name had been used up until at least the 1860s.

Mughal

During Mughal rule, Chiniot was governed as part of the ''

subah A Subah was the term for a province (State) in the Mughal Empire. The word is derived from Arabic and Persian. The governor/ruler of a ''Subah'' was known as a '' subahdar'' (sometimes also referred to as a "''Subeh''"), which later became ''subed ...

,'' or province, of

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...

. The city reached is zenith under the reign of Mughal Emperor

Shah Jahan Shihab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram (5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), better known by his regnal name Shah Jahan I (; ), was the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire, reigning from January 1628 until July 1658. Under his emperorship, the Mugha ...

, and his governor of the area, Nawab Sadullah Khan of the ''Thahim'' tribe, who served between 1640 and 1656. Under Sadullah Khan's governorship, Chiniot's famous

Shahi Mosque Shahi Mosque ( ur, جامع مسجد شاہی) is a historic 17th century mosque located in Chiniot, Punjab, Pakistan. It was built under supervision of Mughal Grand Vizier Saadullah Khan. See also * Islam in Pakistan Islam is the large ...

was built. Chiniot's artisans were renowned for their skill during the Mughal era, and were employed in the decoration of the

Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mu ...

, and Lahore's

Wazir Khan Mosque ; ''Masjid Wazīr Khān'') is a 17th-century mosque located in the city of Lahore, capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab. The mosque was commissioned during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a part of an ensemble of buildings tha ...

Mughal decline and Sial rule

Following the collapse of Mughal authority after the death of Emperor

Aurangzeb Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...

in 1707, the local Sial tribe, a tribe of Zamindar status, s under the rule of Walidad Khan was officially granted governorship of the area on account of his loyalty to the Delhi throne. Though nominally a part of the declining Mughal realm, Walidad Khan forged an largely independent state in western Punjab that controlled the region between

Mankera Mankera (In Punjabi and ur, ), is the principal town of Mankera Tehsil, an administrative subdivision of Bhakkar District, in the Punjab (Pakistan), Punjab province of Pakistan. It is situated about west of the city of Lahore. Bhakkar is loca ...

and

Kamalia Kamalia ( pa, , ur, ) is a city in the Toba Tek Singh District of Punjab, Pakistan. It is the administrative center of Kamalia Tehsil. It is the 42nd largest city of Pakistan by population and has a lot more population compared to nearby ci ...

Chiniot suffered heavily during the

Durrani The Durrānī ( ps, دراني, ), formerly known as Abdālī (), are one of the largest tribes of Pashtuns. Their traditional homeland is in southern Afghanistan (Loy Kandahar region), straddling into Toba Achakzai in Balochistan, Pakistan, but ...

invasion of the late 1748.

Sikh

The Sial state around Chiniot was encroached upon by

Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...

chieftains in the north, and from

Multan Multan (; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, on the bank of the Chenab River. Multan is Pakistan's seventh largest city as per the 2017 census, and the major cultural, religious and economic centre of southern Punjab. Multan is one of the List ...

i chiefs in the south, before coming under control of the

Bhangi Misl The Bhangi Misl (Punjabi pronunciation: ə̃˨ŋɡiː mɪsəl was a large and most powerful Sikh Misl headquartered was in Amritsar. It was founded in the early 18th century by Sardar Chhajja Singh Dhillon,Sikh History (2004)"The Bhangi Misal ...

Sikhs by 1765. The Sikhs imposed an annual tribute on the Sial chief, Inayatullah Khan, which he ceased paying in 1778 before also capturing Chiniot. He died in 1787, though the city had reverted to Bhangi Sikh rule before his death. The city suffered during the Sikh ''Misl'' states period in which the city region's Bhangis battled the Sukerchakia ''Misl''. Chiniot was captured by

Ranjit Singh Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839), popularly known as Sher-e-Punjab or "Lion of Punjab", was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century. He s ...

in 1803, and thereafter became part of the

Sikh Empire The Sikh Empire was a state originating in the Indian subcontinent, formed under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who established an empire based in the Punjab. The empire existed from 1799, when Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured Lahor ...

. The city was invested in Sial chief Ahmad Khan, who promised to pay tribute to Ranjit Singh's kingdom. Khan stopped paying tribute, and briefly seized full control of the region in 1808, but was decisively defeated by Ranjit Singh's forces in 1810.

British

The city came under British rule by 1849, and the city was constituted as a municipality in 1862. In 1875, the city's population was 11,999. During the British period, a vast network of canals were laid to irrigate Punjab, resulting in the creation of many new "canal colonies" around Chiniot. Chiniot's famous

was built between 1923 and 1935 for a businessman who made his fortune in

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

Geography

Location

Chiniot is at the intersection of the

Faisalabad Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur ( Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pak ...

Sargodha Sargodha ( Punjabi and ur, ) is a city and capital of Sargodha Division, located in Punjab province, Pakistan. It is Pakistan's 12th largest city by population and one of the fastest-growing cities of the country. Sargodha is also known as ...

and

Jhang Jhang (Punjabi language, Punjabi, ur, ), ) is the capital city of Jhang District, in the central portion of the province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab, Pakistan. Situated on the east bank of the Chenab river, it is the List of most populous c ...

roads. It is northwest from

and north of

. Chiniot city is spread over an area of with an average elevation of .

Rabwah Rabwah (Urdu, pnb, ), officially known as Chenab Nagar ( ur, ), is a city in Chiniot District, Chiniot, Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab, Pakistan on the bank of Chenab River. It was the headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community since Septemb ...

city, the headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Community is on the other side of the Chenab River. In the center of river a worship center (or Chilla Gah) of the Sufi

Bu Ali Shah Qalandar Sharafuddeen Bu Ali Shah Qalandar Panipati, renowned as Bu Ali Qalandar (1209–1324 CE), born in Panipat, Haryana, India, was a Qalandar and Sufi saint of the Owaisī Order, who lived and taught in India. His shrine or dargah (mausoleum ...

is located.

Topography

Chiniot city lies on left bank of the

Chenab River The Chenab River () is a major river that flows in India and Pakistan, and is one of the 5 major rivers of the Punjab region. It is formed by the union of two headwaters, Chandra and Bhaga, which rise in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul regi ...

, and is located on a small rocky hill. Much of the surrounding area consists of

alluvial plain An alluvial plain is a largely flat landform created by the deposition of sediment over a long period of time by one or more rivers coming from highland regions, from which alluvial soil forms. A floodplain is part of the process, being the sma ...

s, interspersed with rocky outcroppings of

slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...

and

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

that reach up to 400 feet in height around Chiniot.

Climate

Chiniot has a

hot semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

''BSh''). The weather in Chiniot is variable.

Demographics

According to the 1998 census, the population of Chiniot Tehsil was 965,124 (included urban 172,522). According to the

2017 Census of Pakistan The 2017 Census of Pakistan was a detailed enumeration of the Pakistani population which began on 15 March 2017 and ended on 25 May 2017. It was the first census taken in the country in the 21st century, nineteen years after 1998 Census of Pakist ...

, the city has the population of 278,747. The language spoken is Punjabi.

Economy

The important products of Chiniot includes silk, cotton, wheat, sugar, rice, milk, pottery, wooden furniture, etc. The city's agricultural economy is largely derived from "canal colonies" established during British rule when a vast network of canals were laid to irrigate Punjab. Chiniot is famous for his wooden furniture, and developed as a centre of woodworking given its close proximity to the Chenab River - as timber from

Kashmir Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...

would be floated down the river towards Chiniot. Chiniot's artisans are renowned for their skill, and were employed in the construction of both the

and

. The city's metalworkers, along with those of Lahore, were considered the best in Punjab during the British period, and Chinioti designs and were considered superior to those of

Hoshiarpur Hoshiarpur () is a city and a Municipal corporations in India, municipal corporation in Hoshiarpur district in the Doaba region of the Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab. It was founded, according to tradition, during the early part of the ...

Jalandhar Jalandhar is the third most-populous city in the Indian state of Punjab and the largest city in Doaba region. Jalandhar lies alongside the Grand Trunk Road and is a well-connected rail and road junction. Jalandhar is northwest of the state ...

. Ramzan Sugar Mills is located at Faisalabad Road.

Education

Educational institutions in Chiniot include * Allama Iqbal Model School, Chiniot * Chenab College, Chiniot * Govt Al Islah High School, Chiniot * Govt High School Inayatpur, Chiniot * Govt High School Salara, Chiniot * Govt Islamia College, Chiniot * Govt Islamia High School, Chiniot * Govt Primary School, Shareen Awan Chiniot * Govt Mudrassa-tul-Banat High School, Chiniot * Khatam e Nabuwat Institute of Modern Sciences (KIMS) College, Chiniot * Masoomeen Foundation High School, Chiniot * Masoomeen School and College, Chiniot * National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (NUCES) * Punjab College, Chiniot * Superior College, Chiniot * Tips College, Chiniot * Unified P/G Science College, Chiniot

Libraries

After his death, Sheikh Omar Hayat's palace

was converted into a library by the

Government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=hakúmat-e pákistán) abbreviated as GoP, is a federal government established by the Constitution of Pakistan as a constituted governing authority of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provin ...

Transport and communication

Chiniot is connected with the rest of Pakistan by a main highway and rail line. The nearest international airport is

Faisalabad International Airport Faisalabad International Airport is an international airport and standby Pakistan Air Force military base situated on Jhang Road, southwest of the city centre of Faisalabad, in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The airport is home to two flyi ...

, which is from Chiniot.

Culture

Chiniot’s Shahi Masjid (Badshahi Mosque)

Islamic occasions

In Chiniot people celebrate Islamic occasions with great arrangements. On 12 Rabi' al-awwal, 1440th birthday celebration of the Islamic Prophet

Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...

, people of Chiniot arranged a 63-maund cake, one of the largest cakes in the world.

Furniture

Chiniot is known for its furniture. Chinioti craftsmen and artisans have for centuries carved flowers and geometric patterns onto

cellulose Cellulose is an organic compound with the formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to many thousands of β(1→4) linked D-glucose units. Cellulose is an important structural component of the primary cell wall ...

fibres. Masons from Chiniot are thought to have been employed during the construction of the

and Golden Temple.

Sport

Cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

is the most popular sport in Chiniot.

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

is also played here . Other popular sports include

hockey Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players pe ...

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

kabbadi Kabaddi is a contact team sport. Played between two teams of seven players, the objective of the game is for a single player on offence, referred to as a "raider", to run into the opposing team's half of the court, touch out as many of their ...

, and

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

Notable people

* Ilyas Chinioti, Politician (Member of Provincial Assembly, Punjab) * Manzoor Ahmad Chinioti, father of Ilyas Chinioti *

Nasir Chinyoti Nasir Chinyoti (ناصر چنیوٹی) is a Pakistani actor and comedian from Chiniot. He started his acting career from Multan stage. Nasir has starred in many stage dramas/telefilms in various languages including Urdu and Punjabi. He is the mo ...

, a famous stage drama comedy actor * Saadullah Khan, Mughal Grand Vizier * Wazir Khan, a court physician in Mughal Empire, famous for the

* Muhammad Masood Lali, Politician (Member of Provincial Assembly, Punjab) * Mian Muhammad Mansha, Prominent Businessman, owner of the

MCB Bank Limited MCB Bank Limited () is a Pakistani multinational commercial bank which is based in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The majority of shares are owned by Pakistani conglomerate Nishat Group and Malaysian bank Maybank. The bank has a network of 1,600 bran ...

and

Nishat Group Nishat Group ( ur, ) is a Pakistani multinational conglomerate company which is based in Lahore, Pakistan. The company was founded by Pakistani business magnate Mian Muhammad Yahya in 1951. Mian Muhammad Mansha is the current chairman of the gr ...

* Syed Hassan Murtaza, Politician (Member of Provincial Assembly, Punjab) * Muhammad Nawaz, Former Director General of Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) * Syed Anayat Ali Shah, politician (MNA) *

Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh (; born 12 September 1946) is a Pakistani politician who is currently serving as Federal Minister of Maritime Affairs, in office since 11 March 2024. He had been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan, from August 201 ...

, politician and former President of

Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) is the Chamber of Commerce for Karachi, Pakistan. They aim to improve Pakistan's business environment and economic well-being, especially in Karachi. They seek to provide advocacy and opport ...

Saqlain Anwar Sipra Muhammad Saqlain Anwar Sipra is a Pakistani politician who had been a Member of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab, from 2002 to May 2018. Early life and education He was born on 14 August 1977 in Jhang. He graduated in 1997 from Government ...

, politician in

Bhawana Bhawana (also spelled as Bhowana) ( pa, , ur, ) is a city and capital of Bhawana Tehsil, Bhawana Tehsil of Chiniot District in Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located on the bank of the Chenab River, Chenab river, bounded by Faisal ...

Notes

External links

Chiniot Tehsil Municipal Administration
s official site
Chiniot Map
{{Authority control Populated places in Chiniot District Cities in Punjab (Pakistan) Chiniot District Populated places in Punjab, Pakistan