Jhelum District (

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Pothohar Plateau The Pothohar Plateau ( ur, ) is a plateau in north-eastern Pakistan, located between Indus River and the Jhelum River, forming the northern part of Punjab. Geography Potohar Plateau is bounded on the east by the Jhelum River, on the west by the ...

, and partially in

Punjab Plain The Punjab Plain is a large alluvial plain in Eastern Pakistan and Northwestern India. The plain includes the Pakistani province of Punjab and the Indian states of Punjab and Haryana, and parts of Rajasthan. This plain is around 200–300 meters ...

of the

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 ...

province of

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. Jhelum is one of the oldest districts of Punjab. It was established on 23 March 1849. According to the 1998

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

, the

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

had a population of 936,957, of which 31.48% were urban. Jhelum District has a diverse population of 1,103,000 (2006).Population of Jhelum District
/ref>

Jhelum Jhelum ( Punjabi and ur, ) is a city on the east bank of the Jhelum River, which is located in the district of Jhelum in the north of Punjab province, Pakistan. It is the 44th largest city of Pakistan by population. Jhelum is known for p ...

is known for providing many soldiers to the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

and later to the

Pakistan armed forces The Pakistan Armed Forces (; ) are the military forces of Pakistan. It is the world's sixth-largest military measured by active military personnel and consist of three formally uniformed services—the Army, Navy, and the Air Force, which are ...

due to which it is also known as 'city of soldiers' or 'land of martyrs and warriors'. The district of Jhelum stretches from the

river Jhelum A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

almost to the

Indus The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in Western Tibet, flows northwest through the disputed region of Kashmir, ...

. Salt is quarried at the Mayo mine in the

Salt Range The Salt Range ( pnb, ) is a mountain range in the north of Punjab province of Pakistan, deriving its name from its extensive deposits of rock salt. The range extends along the south of the Potohar Plateau and the north of the Jhelum River. The ...

. There are two coal mines in the district from which the North-Western railway obtains parts of its supply. These are the only coal mines in Punjab province which are in working condition. The chief center of the salt trade is

Pind Dadan Khan Pind Dadan Khan (P.D. Khan), a city in Jhelum District, Punjab, Pakistan, is the capital of Pind Dadan Khan Tehsil, which is an administrative subdivision of the district. Location It is located at 32°35'16N 73°2'44E on the bank of River Jhelu ...

. The district is crossed by the main line of the North-Western railway and also traversed along the south by a branch line. It is located in the north of the Punjab province, Jhelum district is bordered by

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

Mandi Bahauddin Mandi Bahauddin (Urdu and pa, ) is a city in northern Punjab, Pakistan. It is also the capital of Mandi Bahauddin District. It is the 41st largest city of Pakistan by population according to the 2017 census. It has exellent agricultural land ...

to its south,

Khushab Khushab ( punjabi: خُوشاب) is a town as well as a district of Sargodha Division, located in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The word ''Khushab'' means "sweet water." Khushab city also serves as the headquarters of Khushab Tehsil, an admini ...

to its southwest,

Jhelum River The Jhelum River (/dʒʰeːləm/) is a river in the northern Indian subcontinent. It originates at Verinag and flows through the Indian administered territory of Jammu and Kashmir, to the Pakistani-administered territory of Kashmir, and then ...

to its south and east, Gujrat to its east,

Chakwal Chakwal ( Punjabi and ur, ) is a city in Rawalpindi Division, Punjab province, Pakistan. It is the 66th largest city of Pakistan by population. Chakwal is located 90 kilometres south-west of the federal capital, Islamabad and 270 kilomet ...

to its west, Mirpur to its northeast, and

Rawalpindi Rawalpindi ( or ; Urdu, ) is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad, and third largest in Punjab after Lahore and Faisalabad. Rawalpindi is next to Pakistan's ...

to its north.

Administration

The district of Jhelum, which covers an area of ,

Jhelum City Jhelum ( Punjabi and ur, ) is a city on the east bank of the Jhelum River, which is located in the district of Jhelum in the north of Punjab province, Pakistan. It is the 44th largest city of Pakistan by population. Jhelum is known for p ...

is the main city of the district.

Tehsils

District is administratively divided into four

tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...

s #

Sohawa Sohawa is a town in the Punjab province of Pakistan, and is the capital of the Sohawa Tehsil, which is an administrative subdivision of Jhelum District in Punjab. Sohawa has grown from a small village in 1947 to a large town in 2014, with majo ...

Dina Dina ( ar, دينا, he, דִּינָה, also spelled Dinah, Dena, Deena) is a female given name. Women * Dina bint Abdul-Hamid (1929–2019), Queen consort of Jordan, first wife of King Hussein * Princess Dina Mired of Jordan (born 1965), Princ ...

Union Councils

which are divided into 53 Union Councils.

History

Early history

The history of the district dates back to the Hindu mythological period of the

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...

. The epic represents the Salt Range as the refuge of the five

Pandava The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledg ...

brethren during the period of their exile, and every salient point in its scenery is connected with some legend of the national heroes. Modern research has fixed the site of the conflict between

Alexander Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

and

Porus Porus or Poros ( grc, Πῶρος ; 326–321 BC) was an ancient Indian king whose territory spanned the region between the Jhelum River (Hydaspes) and Chenab River (Acesines), in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. He is only menti ...

as within Jhelum district, though the exact spot at which the Macedonian king affected the passage of the Jhelum (or Hydaspes) has been hotly disputed. The Panhwars,

Janjua The Janjua (also spelt janjua'', Junjua, Janjuah'') is a Rajput clan found predominantly in Pakistan's Punjab Pothohar Plateau. History Connection with the Hindu Shahis The 10th century Arab historian Masudi mentioned that in his time the ki ...

s and

Jats The Jat people ((), ()) are a traditionally agricultural community in Northern India and Pakistan. Originally pastoralists in the lower Indus river-valley of Sindh, Jats migrated north into the Punjab region in late medieval times, and subse ...

, who now hold the Salt Range and its northern plateau respectively, appear to have been the earliest inhabitants. The

s, who appear to represent the oldest breed of Punjab and who still inhabit a large tract in the east of the District; while the Awans and Ghakars who cluster in the western plain, are apparently later invaders, the Janjuas were the dominant race during the before and early Muslim era and they long continued to retain their independence until the time of Sikh invaders, both in Jhelum itself and in the neighboring District of Rawalpindi.

Sultanate era

In 997 CE, Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi, took over the

Ghaznavid dynasty The Ghaznavid dynasty ( fa, غزنویان ''Ġaznaviyān'') was a culturally Persianate, Sunni Muslim dynasty of Turkic ''mamluk'' origin, ruling, at its greatest extent, large parts of Persia, Khorasan, much of Transoxiana and the northwest ...

empire established by his father, Sultan Sebuktegin, he conquered the Shahis in

Kabul Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...

in 1005, and followed it by the conquests of northern

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

. The

Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526).

and later

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

ruled the region. The Punjab region became predominantly

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

due to

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...

saints whose

dargah A dargah ( fa, درگاه ''dargâh'' or ''dargah'', Turkish: ''dergâh'', Hindustani: ''dargah'' दरगाह درگاہ, bn, দরগাহ ''dorgah'') is a shrine or tomb built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often ...

s dot the landscape of

, which is also reflected in Jhelum.

British era

During British rule, Jhelum was a district of

Rawalpindi Division Rawalpindi Division, also known as Pothohar Division, is an administrative division of Punjab Province, Pakistan. Rawalpindi city is the capital of the division. According to the 2017 Census of Pakistan, the total population of division was 10 mi ...

, and was larger than the current district of Jhelum. On 1 April 1904, the tehsil of

Talagang Talagang ( ur, ) is a city and the headquarters of the Talagang District located in Punjab, Pakistan. The former Talagang Tehsil Talagang Tehsil (تلا گنگ تحصیل), is a tehsil of Talagang District in the Punjab province of Pakistan ...

was detached from the District and incorporated with the new District of Attock. According to the Gazetteer of the Jhelum District of 1904, 88.7% of the population were Muslim. The old Jhelum district (minus Talagang) covered an area of 2,813 square miles (7285 km²) and included

Chakwal Tehsil Chakwal Tehsil ( ur, ), is an administrative subdivision (tehsil) of Chakwal District in the Punjab (Pakistan), Punjab province of Pakistan. The tehsil is subdivided into 30 Union Councils of Pakistan, Union Councils - five of which form the capi ...

– it was bordered by Shahpur and

Attock Attock ( Punjabi and Urdu: ), formerly known as Campbellpur (), is a historical city located in the north of Pakistan's Punjab Province, not far from the country's capital Islamabad. It is the headquarters of the Attock District and is 61st larg ...

to the west, and by

to the north – the

separated it 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 ...

to the north-east and from Gujrat and Shahpur to the south-east and south.

Independence

The predominantly Muslim population supported under the leadership of Raja Ghazanfar Ali khan of PD Khan

Muslim League Muslim League may refer to: Political parties Subcontinent ; British India *All-India Muslim League, Mohammed Ali Jinah, led the demand for the partition of India resulting in the creation of Pakistan. **Punjab Muslim League, a branch of the organ ...

and

Partition of India The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...

. After the

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...

in 1947, the minority

Hindus Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

and

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

migrated to

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

while the

refugees from

settled in the Jhelum District. Since independence the agriculture and industry of Jhelum developed and forms part of the

economy of Pakistan Pakistan is a low income developing country. Its economy is the 23rd-largest worldwide in terms of GDP based on purchasing power parity (PPP). According to a 2021 estimate, the Country has a population of 227 million people ( 5th-largest wo ...

Topography

Jhelum City

The district capital,

, is situated on the right and left bank of the

, the left side of Jhelum is known as

Sarai Alamgir Sarai Alamgir ( pnb, ) is the main town of Sarai Alamgir Tehsil, located in the Gujrat district in the north of the Punjab province of Pakistan. Sarai Alamgir is one of four tehsils of Gujrat district. Sarai Alamgir covers on the eastern ba ...

and it also contains the

Military College Jhelum Military College Jhelum (MCJ) is a feeder military Intermediate College, in Sarai Alamgir, Pakistan. Though it is physically located in Gujrat District, due to its very close proximity it is still associated with the City of Jhelum, and is c ...

(MCJ). The 16th-century

Grand Trunk Road The Grand Trunk Road (formerly known as Uttarapath, Sarak-e-Azam, Shah Rah-e-Azam, Badshahi Sarak, and Long Walk) is one of Asia's oldest and longest major roads. For at least 2,500 years it has linked Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent. ...

passes through the city.

city is near the site of the

Battle of the Hydaspes The Battle of the Hydaspes was fought between Alexander the Great and king Porus in 326 BC. It took place on the banks of the Jhelum River (known to the ancient Greeks as Hydaspes) in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent (modern-day Pu ...

between the armies of

and

This battle took place a few miles downstream from the city center, along the river banks.

Population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

of the Jhelum city (proper) is about 172,073 (2009) and it is the 35th largest city of

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

. A

cantonment A cantonment (, , or ) is a military quarters. In Bangladesh, India and other parts of South Asia, a ''cantonment'' refers to a permanent military station (a term from the British India, colonial-era). In military of the United States, United Stat ...

was built during the British rule, which has grown up into a strong Garrison, with an Infantry Division commanded by a Major General.

River Jhelum

The river Jhelum is navigable throughout the district, which forms the south-eastern portion of a rugged Himalayan spur, extending between the Indus and Jhelum to the borders of the Sind Sagar Doab. Its scenery is very picturesque, although not of so wild a character as the mountain region of Rawalpindi to the north, and is lighted up in places by smiling patches of the cultivated valley. The backbone of the district is formed by the Salt Range, a treble line of parallel hills running in three long forks from east to west throughout its whole breadth. The range rises in precipices, broken by gorges, clothed with brushwood, and traversed by streams which are at first clear but become impregnated with the saline matter over which they pass. Between the line of hills lies a table-land, in which the small lake of

Kallar Kahar Kallar Kahar ( ur, ) is a town and subdivision (Tehsil) of Chakwal District in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the capital of Kallar Kahar Tehsil.Sohan Sohan is a village and union council of Jhelum District in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. It is part of Jhelum Tehsil, and is located at 33°3'25N 73°26'30E with an altitude of 303 metres (997 feet). Most of the population belong to t ...

, and finally into the Indus; those of the opposite slope collect themselves into small torrents and empty themselves into the Jhelum River.

Khewra Salt Mine

The Khewra Salt Mine (or Mayo Salt Mine) is located in Khewra, north of

, an administrative subdivision of Jhelum District, which rises from the

Indo-Gangetic Plain The Indo-Gangetic Plain, also known as the North Indian River Plain, is a fertile plain encompassing northern regions of the Indian subcontinent, including most of northern and eastern India, around half of Pakistan, virtually all of Bangla ...

. It is Pakistan's largest and oldest salt mine and the world's second largest. It is a major tourist attraction, drawing up to 40,000 visitors a year. Its history dates back to its discovery by Alexander's troops in 320 BC, but it started trading in the Mughal era. The main tunnel at ground level was developed by Dr. H. Warth, a mining engineer, in 1872 during British rule. After

, the Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation took over the mine, which still remains the largest source of salt in the country, producing more than 350,000 tons per annum of about 99% pure

halite Halite (), commonly known as rock salt, is a type of salt, the mineral (natural) form of sodium chloride ( Na Cl). Halite forms isometric crystals. The mineral is typically colorless or white, but may also be light blue, dark blue, purple, p ...

. Estimates of the reserves of salt in the mine vary from 82 million tons to 600 million tons.

Tilla Jogian

Tilla Jogian is the highest peak in the Eastern Salt Range. At 975 meters (3200 ft) above sea level, it is about 25 km to the west of Jhelum City and 10 km west of the model village of

Khukha Khukha is a village in Jhelum District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is a Union Council, an administrative subdivision, of Jhelum Tehsil Tilla Tilla Satellite Launch Centre, primary known as Tilla Range, is a spaceport west of Jhelum city in Punjab (Pakistan). The facility is also known as Mashhood Test Firing Range (MTFR). The spaceport has been used as a launch site for the Hatf and ...

is highly rewarding.

Rohtas Fort Rohtas Fort or Rotas Ghur ( Punjabi, ur, ; ''Qila Rohtas'') is a 16th-century fortress located near the city of Dina in Jhelum district of the Punjab province of Pakistan. An Afghan warlord turned Padishah, Sher Shah Suri built the fort, w ...

is located to the east of Tilla Jogian at a distance of about 7 km from

, a rapidly expanding town on the

Rohtas Fort

Rohtas Fort (Qila Rohtas) is a historical garrison fort located near the city of Jhelum. It was built by

Raja Todar Mal Raja Todar Mal (1 January 1500 – 8 November 1589) was the Finance Minister (Mushriff-i-Diwan) of the Mughal empire during Emperor Akbar's reign. He was also the Vakil-us-Sultanat (Counsellor of the Empire) and Joint Wazir. He was one of the ...

, under the orders of the

Afghan Afghan may refer to: *Something of or related to Afghanistan, a country in Southern-Central Asia *Afghans, people or citizens of Afghanistan, typically of any ethnicity ** Afghan (ethnonym), the historic term applied strictly to people of the Pas ...

king

Sher Shah Suri Sher Shah Suri ( ps, شیرشاه سوری) (1472, or 1486 – 22 May 1545), born Farīd Khān ( ps, فرید خان) , was the founder of the Sur Empire in India, with its capital in Sasaram in modern-day Bihar. He standardized the silver coin ...

, to subdue the rebellious tribes of the northern Punjab region, in the 16th century. This fort is about 4 km in circumference. The Rohtas fort was built to crush the local Gakhar tribes of Potohar, who rebelled against the

Sur dynasty The Sur Empire ( ps, د سرو امپراتورۍ, dë sru amparāturəi; fa, امپراطوری سور, emperâturi sur) was an Afghan dynasty which ruled a large territory in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent for nearly 16 year ...

after the Mughal emperor

Humayun Nasir-ud-Din Muhammad ( fa, ) (; 6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556), better known by his regnal name, Humāyūn; (), was the second emperor of the Mughal Empire, who ruled over territory in what is now Eastern Afghanistan, Pakistan, Northern ...

was ousted by the former. It took eight years to build the fort, it was captured by Mughal emperor

in 1555.

Nader Shah Nader Shah Afshar ( fa, نادر شاه افشار; also known as ''Nader Qoli Beyg'' or ''Tahmāsp Qoli Khan'' ) (August 1688 – 19 June 1747) was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran and one of the most powerful rulers in Iranian h ...

, the Turkic ruler of

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

, Afghan ruler

Ahmed Shah Abdali Ahmad Shāh Durrānī ( ps, احمد شاه دراني; prs, احمد شاه درانی), also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī (), was the founder of the Durrani Empire and is regarded as the founder of the modern Afghanistan. In July 1747, Ahma ...

and the

Maratha army The Maratha Army was the land-based armed forces of the Maratha Empire, which existed from the late 17th to the early 19th centuries in India. 17th century Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of Maratha Empire, raised a small yet effective l ...

also camped here during their respective campaigns in the

. Rohtas was also occasionally used for administrative purposes by

Maharaja 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 ...

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 ...

, after he captured it in 1825.

Agriculture

Jhelum District has a total area of , out of which are cultivated. The area is located on the eastern part of

Potohar The Pothohar Plateau ( ur, ) is a plateau in north-eastern Pakistan, located between Indus River and the Jhelum River, forming the northern part of Punjab. Geography Potohar Plateau is bounded on the east by the Jhelum River, on the west by the ...

upland along with River Jhelum.

Agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

in the District Jhelum depends mainly on rainfall. The average rainfall of the area varies from 20 to . About three-fourths of this precipitation is received in

monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...

season and the remaining one-fourth is received during the rest of the year. The irrigated area at present is limited but the emphasis on the construction of small dams is gradually increasing. Wheat remains the main crop. In Tehsil P.D. Khan, salt is the predominant feature that is spoiling the rich agricultural land day by day. There is a long strip of very rich and virgin soil along the river which could be made a paradise of citrus plantation by drip irrigation if the local people are motivated and the Government of Punjab expressed some interest in it.

Sports

The main sports of the area are centred on agricultural pursuits and excellence and include ''bugdar'' (stone) lifting by young men. A localised version of

kabaddi 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 ...

, bull races centered on a Persian water wheel at the villages of

Kantrili Kontrili is a small village in Jhelum District, Punjab province, Pakistan. Culture Kontrili is known for its traditional cultural practices like crop chopping. Each year on the third weekend of February, a famous ''mela'' (fair) is held. Thous ...

, Nathwala, and Jada near the suburban town of

Kala Gujran Kala Gujran (in Punjabi کالا گُجراں) is a town and union council of Jhelum District in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. It is part of Jhelum Tehsil, and is located at 33°10'48N 72°57'59E with an altitude of 467 metres (1535 fee ...

. ''Tent pegging'' also known as ''neza bazi'' which indicates the region's prowess during war and battle and hence the city has attributed the name of the land of martyrs and warriors.

Zamir Jaffri Cricket Stadium Zamir Jaffri Cricket Stadium is a cricket stadium in Jhelum, Pakistan. It is named after Jhelumi poet Syed Zamir Jafri. It was a local district-level stadium, but now the Pakistan Cricket Board has upraised it for regional level events. Six ext ...

near Suleiman Park is named after

Zamir Jafri Syed Zamir Jafri (Urdu: سيد ضمير شاه جعفري) (January 1, 1916 – May 12, 1999) was a Pakistani poet, writer, social critic, comedian, columnist, broadcaster and telecaster. He is best known for his work revolved around his Urdu poe ...

, a poet from Jhelum.

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 ...

is another sport that is common in Jhelum.

Flora and fauna

Vegetation of the forests of Jhelum Forest Division is dry, deciduous shrub type, phulai, Kahu (wild olive), and sanatha are the main species. The stocking, on the whole, is poor and the forests are open. Vegetation is poor on sandstone and red marl. The southern slopes are often devoid of vegetation while northwestern slopes carry good forests. The forests of Jhelum Forests Division are burdened with the right of grazing, browsing, and firewood. Under settlement out of total area only about (45%) are right free. The remaining 55% are open to grazing. The fauna of the district is mostly indigenous restricted, like the vegetation, but similarly varied and interesting. The rugged and rough terrain, low rainfall, the scantly cover of vegetation, and the burning passions of the increasing number of hunters, all have their share in limiting the animal kingdom in the district. The river offers a better environment than elsewhere though the hills support more interesting wildlife. Urial (an animal from a deer family) and chinckara are spot aids while wild boar are found in the Salt Range. Wolves, foxes, and wild cats are also found. Hare is fairly common. Chikor grey and black partridge are also found in the parts of the district. Migratory ducks like teal pintail and mallard and some geese visit during winter.

Climate

The climate of the tract is extreme. In winter it is very cold and summer is very hot. The average rainfall varies from 48 to 69 m.m per annum which is much below the required quantity but in the rainy season, the water torrents flow from north to the river Jhelum at a very fast speed and cause damages to the crops, bridges, roads, and are responsible for the soil erosion in the District. Over the years, global climate change has affected Jhelum as well as any other place on Earth and below comparison charts from Weatherbase show the difference in climate between 2008 and 2015:

Demographics

At the time of the 2017 census the district had a population of 1,222,403, of which 601,406 were males and 620,862 females. Rural population is 868,106 (71.02%) while the urban population is 354,297 (28.98%). The literacy rate was 78.98%.

Religion

As per the 2017 census

Muslims Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...

were the predominant religious group with 98.92% while Christians were 1.00% of the population.

Language

At the time of the 2017 census, 86.54% of the population spoke

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a British Th ...

, 2.48%

Pashto Pashto (,; , ) is an Eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family. It is known in historical Persian literature as Afghani (). Spoken as a native language mostly by ethnic Pashtuns, it is one of the two official languages ...

and 2.28%

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Development organizations

Rehmat Welfare Foundation Jhelum is a charity project working for poor and needy people of fifty-mile area including Jhelum which cannot afford the expenses of their daily life and very expensive general medical and kidney dialysis treatment. Civil Society Human and Institutional Development Program (CHIP) is working in

Sohawa Tehsil Sohawa is an administrative sub-division (Tehsil) of the Jhelum District, situated in the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab province of Pakistan, located in the northwestern part of the district. One sign of Sohawa is the toll plaza by the name of 'Tarakk ...

since 2004, with its field office in the area CHIP has successfully mobilized community people to get organize into Community Based Organizations, Community Citizen Boards and Women Organizations. Further, CHIP has duly built the capacity of these local entities to take new initiatives. These community-level organizations, in collaborative partnerships with CHIP, are working on several development projects. The main focus of these projects is to eliminate illiteracy from villages of Sohawa especially those where government education structure does not exist, make clean drinking water available, provide technical support to the local farmers, raise skill development opportunities for women, and include them in the decision-making process, aiding social inclusion, so as to better represent the communities they live in. The local community-level organizations developed by CHIP are making successful efforts in implementing development projects by deriving funds from local government bodies.

Universities, colleges and schools

Presentation Convent School, Jhelum Presentation Convent High School, Jhelum, was founded by the Presentation Sisters and is regulated by the Catholic Board of Education under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lahore. History On 13 January 1950, four sisters arrived in Jhelum ...

* Punjab College, PD Khan * Punjab College, G.T Road, Jhelum * QMA Jinnah College, PD Khan * Research Girls College, Kala Gujran * SLS College Jhelum * Superior College, Jhelum * The Educator School, G.T Road, Jada *

University of the Punjab The University of the Punjab (Urdu, pnb, ), also referred to as Punjab University, is a public, research, coeducational higher education institution located in Lahore, Pakistan. Punjab University is the oldest public university in Pakistan. ...

, Jhelum campus * VU Jhelum Campus * Wings College of Commerce, 4-Civil Lines, Jhelum * World Over School and College Academy, Jhelum

Notable people

* Maj. Muhammad Akram,

Nishan-e-Haider Nishan-e-Haider (NH; ), is the highest military gallantry award of Pakistan. The Nishan-e-Haider is awarded posthumously and only to members of the Pakistan Armed Forces. It recognises the highest acts of extraordinary bravery in the face of ...

Jagjit Singh Aurora Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Arora (also Jagjit Singh Aurora)Both spellings are used in official documents; though "Aurora" predominates in the listings in the pre-Independence ''Indian Army List'', as do those in the ''Gazette of India''. ...

, commander Eastern Theatre, Indian Army in Indo-Pak War of 1971 *

Fawad Chaudhry Fawad Ahmed Hussain Chaudhry (born 7 April 1970) is a Pakistani politician and a senior member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, who was Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, in office since 14 April 2021 to 10 April 2022. Previously ...

, Pakistani politician *

Sunil Dutt Sunil Dutt (born Balraj Dutt; 6 June 1929 — 25 May 2005) was an Indian actor, film producer, director and politician. Dutt was one of the major stars of Hindi cinema in the late 1950s and 1960s and continued to star in many successful film ...

, Indian actor and politician *

Gulzar Sampooran Singh Kalra (born 18 August 1934), known professionally as Gulzar, is an Indian Urdu poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, and film director known for his works in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of greatest Urdu poets of this ...

, Indian filmmaker, lyricist and poet *

Chaudhry Altaf Hussain Chaudhry Altaf Hussain ( Punjabi and ur, ), was a Pakistani politician who served as the 19th Governor of Punjab, Pakistan in 1993 and again from 1994 and 1995. Previously, he had been member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from 1956 ...

, ex-governor Punjab * Dr. Ghulam Hussain *

, poet *

Asif Nawaz Janjua General Asif Nawaz Janjua NI(M), HI(M), SBt, psc, (Urdu: ; 3 January 1937 – 8 January 1993) was a senior officer of the Pakistan Army who served as the fourth Chief of Army Staff from 16 August 1991 until his death by Arsenic poiso ...

, general and ex-chief of the Army Staff, Pakistan *

Ghazanfar Ali Khan Raja Ghazanfar Ali Khan Khokhar (16 August 1895 – 17 April 1963) was an Indian politician and monarch. He was born in Pind Dadan Khan, a town in Jhelum district, British India. He was a leading member of the All India Muslim League and a tr ...

, leader of the

Pakistan Movement The Pakistan Movement ( ur, , translit=Teḥrīk-e-Pākistān) was a political movement in the first half of the 20th century that aimed for the creation of Pakistan from the Muslim-majority areas of British India. It was connected to the pe ...

* Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza, Islamic Scholar *

Porus the Elder Porus or Poros ( grc, Πῶρος ; 326–321 BC) was an ancient Ancient India, Indian king whose territory spanned the region between the Jhelum River (Hydaspes) and Chenab River (Acesines), in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. H ...

– king, ancient warrior

References

External links

Jhelum District Official Portal

Jhelum Police Website

TMA Jhelum Website

Unofficial Jhelum Website

Jhelum Networks Official Website
{{Coord, 32, 56, N, 73, 44, E, type:adm2nd_source:itwiki, display=title Districts of Punjab, Pakistan