Muzaffargarh (

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' 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 a ...

, Pakistan. Located on the 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 ...

, it is the capital of the district with the same name. It is the 39th largest city of Pakistan by population.

History

The Muzaffargarh region was an agricultural and forested area during the rule of the Indus Valley civilization. Then came the

Vedic period The Vedic period, or the Vedic age (), is the period in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age of the history of India when the Vedic literature, including the Vedas (ca. 1300–900 BCE), was composed in the northern Indian subcontinent, betwe ...

, which was characterized by the introduction of Indo-Aryan culture from into the Punjab province. Over time, several other civilizations came to power in the ancient town and surrounding district: the

Kambojas Kamboja ( sa, कम्बोज) was a kingdom of Iron Age India that spanned parts of South and Central Asia, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature. Eponymous with the kingdom name, the Kambojas were an Indo-Iranian people o ...

, the

Daradas Daradas were a people who lived north and north-west to the Kashmir valley. This kingdom is identified to be the Gilgit region, in the Gilgit-Baltistan region (part of ancient Baloristan) along the river Sindhu or Indus. They are often spoken alo ...

, the

Kekaya Kekaya ( Sanskrit: ) was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe of north-western South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age. The members of the Kekaya tribe were called the Kaikayas. Location The Kekayas were located between the Gāndh� ...

s, the Madras, the

Pauravas The Pauravas were an ancient dynasty on the Indus (present-day India and Pakistan) to which King Porus may have belonged. Porus and the Pauravas The origins of the Pauravas are still disputed. The Pauravas may be related to the Puru tribe, du ...

, the

Yaudheya Yaudheya (Brahmi script: 𑀬𑁅𑀥𑁂𑀬) or Yoddheya Gana (Yoddheya Republic) was an ancient militant confederation. The word Yaudheya is a derivative of the word from yodha meaning warriors.“Yaudheyas.” Ancient Communities of the Hima ...

s, the

Malavas The Malavas (Brahmi script: 𑀫𑁆𑀫𑀸𑀭𑀯 ''Mmālava'') or Malwas were an ancient Indian tribe. Modern scholars identify them with the Mallian people (Malloi) who were settled in the Punjab region at the time of Alexander's invasion ...

and the Kurus. After the fall of the Achaemenid Empire in 331 BCE,

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to ...

marched into the present-day Punjab province with an army of 50,000 men. The Muzaffargarh region was, during different time periods, also ruled by the Maurya Empire, the

Indo-Greek kingdom The Indo-Greek Kingdom, or Graeco-Indian Kingdom, also known historically as the Yavana Kingdom (Yavanarajya), was a Hellenistic-era Greek kingdom covering various parts of Afghanistan and the northwestern regions of the Indian subcontinent (p ...

, the Kushan Empire, the

Gupta Empire The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gold ...

, the White Huns, the

Kushano-Hephthalites The Hephthalites ( xbc, ηβοδαλο, translit= Ebodalo), sometimes called the White Huns (also known as the White Hunas, in Iranian as the ''Spet Xyon'' and in Sanskrit as the ''Sveta-huna''), were a people who lived in Central Asia during th ...

, and the Turk and

Hindu Shahi The Hindu Shahis (also known as Odi Shahis, Uḍi Śāhis, or Brahman Shahis, 822–1026 CE) were a dynasty that held sway over the Kabul Valley, Gandhara and western Punjab during the early medieval period in the Indian subcontinent. Details ...

kingdoms. In 997 CE, Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi took over the

Ghaznavid Empire 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 northwes ...

, and, in 1005, 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 ...

, which granted him power over the Punjab region. The Delhi Sultanate and later the

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 ...

also ruled the region. The location of the present-day town became predominantly Muslim during this time because of the arrival of

missionary A missionary is a member of a 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.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

Sufis 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 still persist in the area. After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Sikhs conquered the Muzaffargarh District. Later, in 1848, the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was him ...

assumed control of the area. In 1794, the town of Muzaffargarh was founded by governor of

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 old ...

Nawab Muzaffar Khan Early life Nawab Muzaffar Khan was born in 1757 in Multan. He was the eldest son of his father. They were four brothers and one sister. He was well educated in religion, civil administration and warfare. He took part in the affairs of the state in ...

, who was also the Governor of

at the time. The meaning of the word is "Fort of Muzaffar" because the "historic district" lies within the walls of a fort built by the governor. In 1864, it became the capital of the Muzaffargarh District. The place was also referred to as Kala Pani (''Black Water''), as it is located between two rivers: the Indus and the

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 ...

. It was linked to the surrounding lands by bridges during the British era. During the independence movement of Pakistan, the Muslim population supported the

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 the Pakistani Movement. In 1947, after Pakistan gained independence, the minority Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India while the Muslim refugees from India settled in Muzaffargarh.

Geography and climate

Muzaffargarh spreads over an area of and forms a strip between the Chenab River to the east and Indus River to the west. Muzaffargarh is above sea level. Muzaffargarh was hit especially hard by the

2010 Pakistan floods The floods in Pakistan began in late July 2010, resulting from heavy monsoon rains in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab and, Balochistan regions of Pakistan, which affected the Indus River basin. Approximately one-fifth of Pakistan's tot ...

, given its position between the Chenab and Indus rivers. Muzaffargarh is located at almost the exact geographical center of Pakistan. The closest major city is

. The area around the city is a flat alluvial plain and is ideal for agriculture, with many

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...

and mango farms. There are also canals that cut across the Muzaffargarh District, providing water to farms. During the monsoon season, the land close to the Chenab is usually flooded. Muzaffargarh features an

arid climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk''), is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in deser ...

with very hot summers and mild winters. The city has experienced some of the most extreme weather in Pakistan. The highest recorded temperature was approximately , and the lowest recorded temperature was approximately . The average rainfall is roughly .

Dust storms A dust storm, also called a sandstorm, is a meteorological phenomenon common in arid and semi-arid regions. Dust storms arise when a gust front or other strong wind blows loose sand and dirt from a dry surface. Fine particles are trans ...

are a common occurrence within the city.

Cultural heritage sites

* Tomb of Tahir Khan Nahar * Tomb of Sheikh Sadan Shaheed

Transportation

Muzaffargarh has connections with other cities by several means of transportation.

Road

The town is linked to the rest of the district by paved roads that stretch for . Buses to

leave frequently, because of their close proximity to each other. There are also buses that travel to more distant destinations. The N-70 National Highway connects the city to the other parts of Pakistan. This highway allows for direct travel to Rawalpindi,

Islamabad Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital ...

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 Pakis ...

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...

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 ...

, and

Bahawalpur Bahawalpur () is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. With inhabitants as of 2017, it is Pakistan's 11th most populous city. Founded in 1748, Bahawalpur was the capital of the former princely state of Bahawalpur, ruled by the Abbasi fa ...

Railways

Muzaffargarh is connected by rail with all parts of Pakistan, as it lies on the branch track between Rawalpindi,

Mianwali Mianwali (Punjabi/ ur, ) is the capital city of Mianwali District in Punjab, Pakistan. The 81st largest city of Pakistan, it is known for its diverse population of, Punjabi and Pashtun ethnicities. History Mianwali District was an agricult ...

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 lar ...

. The main Peshawar-Karachi railway line passes through

Multan District Multan District ( ur, ), is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan. According to the 1998 census of Pakistan it had a population of 3,116,851 (1.315 million or 42.2% in urban areas). Its capital is the city of Multan. The district of ...

Power Plants

Muzaffargarh Nuclear Power Complex

According to the

Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

, the

Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) (Urdu: ) is a federally funded independent governmental agency, concerned with research and development of nuclear power, promotion of nuclear science, energy conservation and the peaceful usage of nuclea ...

(PAEC) plans to install three nuclear reactors at Muzaffargarh. The Muzaffargarh Nuclear Power Complex will have a production capacity of 1100 megawatts.

Muzaffargarh Thermal Power Plant

Muzaffargarh has three units of electricity producing 1350 Mega Watt. The plant operates on fuel but Th
Russian company
has signed an agreement to give imported coal to run a thermal units. At first, the upgradation of the thermal power plant was included in CPEC projects but in 2017, Chine excluded it from the agreement due to unclear reasons. The location is almost from the main city of Muzaffargarh.

Notable places

Fayyaz Park

Fayyaz Park Muzaffargarh is only one Park in the city. This is situated in the center of the city. This park was named after ex-Deputy Commissioner Muzaffargarh Fayyaz Bashir. Recently the park has been upgraded and made ready for families to walk and spend their time with families. Fayyaz park is located near Katchehry Chowk beside National Bank Main city branch.Place of park was previously the residence of Deputy Commissioner.

Notable people

, founder of Muzaffargarh * Sardar Kaure Khan Jatoi, leading personality for his social services *

Mushtaq Ahmed Gurmani Nawab Mian Mushtaq Ahmed Gurmani ( ur, ; (1905 – 1981) was a Pakistani politician who served as the Diwan of the Bahawalpur State. He was from Sinanwan. After the partition of India and the accession of Bahawalpur, he served as a 'Minist ...

, former governor of West Pakistan *

Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan ( ur, نواب زاده نصر الله خان) (13 November 1916 – 27 September 2003) was a senior politician in British India and later Pakistan. He was also a prominent Urdu poet. He was the only West Pakistani to ...

, A prominent political figure in Pakistan *

Hina Rabbani Khar Hina Rabbani Khar (Urdu: ; born 19 November 1977) is a Pakistani politician, who is serving as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs since 19 April 2022. She was previously appointed in July 2011 as the Foreign Minister of Pakistan at the ...

, former Foreign Minister and the first female foreign minister *

Ghulam Mustafa Khar Malik Ghulam Mustafa Khar ( ur, ; born 2 August 1937) is a Pakistani politician and feudal lord who has previously served as the Chief Minister of Punjab and Governor of Punjab. Early life He was born on 2 August 1937 in Sanawan in Kot Add ...

, former Governor of Punjab and former Chief Minister of Punjab * Ghulam Noor Rabbani Khar, politician * Sultan Mehmood, politician *

Jamshed Dasti Jamshed Ahmad Khan Dasti ( ur, ; born 15 February 1978) is a Pakistani politician who had been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan between 2008 and May 2018. Early life He was born on 15 February 1978. Political career He was ele ...

, politician *

Azhar Hussain Azhar Hussain ( ur, ; born 15 March 1984, Muzaffargarh)Azhar Hussain

, wrestler

References

External links

Website of Muzaffargarh
{{Authority control * * Populated places established in 1794 1794 establishments in India