Nowshera (; ; ps, نوښار, ''pr.'' ''Nowkhār'' ) is the capital city of

Nowshera District Nowshera District ( ps, نوښار ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Peshawar Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. The capital and district headquarter is Nowshera city. Overview and history Nowshera was a tehsil (sub di ...

in the

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, ...

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...

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 ...

. It is the 78th largest city in Pakistan and ninth largest city in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Located in the

Valley of Peshawar The Valley of Peshawar ( ps, د لوی پېښور وادي; ur, وادئ پشاور), or Peshawar Basin, historically known as the Gandhara Valley, is a broad area situated in the central part of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The va ...

, Nowshera lies on the Kabul River, and is approximately east of the provincial capital

Peshawar Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...

, along the historic

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. ...

Etymology

The local

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 ...

name of the city is ''Nowkhār'' (), which means "New City". It was translated into

Dari Persian Dari (, , ), also known as Dari Persian (, ), is the Variety (linguistics), variety of the Persian language spoken in Afghanistan. Dari is the term officially recognised and promoted since 1964 by the Politics of Afghanistan, Afghan government ...

and

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Nowshera was developed during the Afghan

Durrani Empire The Durrani Empire ( ps, د درانيانو ټولواکمني; fa, امپراتوری درانیان) or the Afghan Empire ( ps, د افغانان ټولواکمني, label=none; fa, امپراتوری افغان, label=none), also know ...

. The

Battle of Nowshera The Battle of Nowshera ( ps, د نوښار جګړه; pa, ਨੌਸ਼ਹਿਰ ਦੀ ਲੜਾਈ) was fought in Nowshera in March 1823 between the Yusufzai Afghans, supported by the Peshawar sardars, alongside Azim Khan Barakzai, the Afgha ...

was fought in March 1823 between the forces of

Pashtuns Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically re ...

with support from

Azim Khan Sardar Mohammad Azim Khan Barakzai ( ps, عظیم خان) was a Pashtun noble who served as Afghan governor of Kashmir (1812–1819). He was the second son of the Barakzai chief Payinda Sarfaraz Khan, while his elder brother Fateh Khan was king ...

Barakzai Bārakzai ( ps, بارکزی, ''Bārakzay;'' plur. ps, بارکزي, ''Bārakzī'') is the name of a Pashtun tribe from present-day, Kandahar, Afghanistan. '"Barakzai" is a common name among the Pashtuns and it means "son of Barak" in Pashto. A ...

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 ...

governor against the

Sikh Khalsa Army The Sikh Khalsa Army (), also known as Khalsaji or simply Sikh Army, was the military force of the Sikh Empire. With its roots in the Khalsa founded by Guru Gobind Singh, the army was later modernised on Franco-British principles by Maharaja Ran ...

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 ...

.Ganda Singh (1986) ''Maharaja Ranjit Singh: First Death Centenary Memorial''. Nirmal Publishers The battle was a decisive victory for 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 ...

against Afghans and led to their occupation of the

Peshawar Valley The Valley of Peshawar ( ps, د لوی پېښور وادي; ur, وادئ پشاور), or Peshawar Basin, historically known as the Gandhara Valley, is a broad area situated in the central part of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The va ...

Joseph Greenwood Joseph Greenwood (1818 – 18 July 1861) was a soldier and New Zealand politician. Greenwood was born in St Pancras, London. His parents were Thomas Greenwood and Esther née Munden. He joined the 31st Regiment of Foot in Bengal, India, ...

(1844) ''Narrative of the late Victorious Campaigns in Afghanistan: under General Pollock; with recollections of seven years' service in India''. London: H. Colburn. During

British rule 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 himsel ...

, Nowshera was a town and cantonment as well as

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 ...

of the Peshawar District (later

Peshawar Division Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...

). The town was on the route of the North-Western Railway and Grand Trunk Road. The population according to the 1901 census of India was 9,518. The Imperial Gazetteer of India described the cantonment as follows:

Languages and major tribes

Until 1920 KP province was part of Punjab under Ranjeet Singh. Historically locals use to speak Hindko dialect of Punjabi language which is spoken in Old City and areas of Nowshera Kalan,

Akora Khattak Akora Khattak ( ps, اکوړه خټک , Urdu: اکوڑہ خٹک ) or Sarai Akora is a town in Jehangira tehsil of Nowshera District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It sits beside the Kabul River, which merges with the Indus River ...

, Shaidu, Jehangira and several other villages situated along the Grand Trunk Road. After demographic changes in recent decades due to Afghan Refugees and Tribal peoples arrival, Pashto language speakers are in majority today.

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Khattak The Khattak ( ps, خټک) tribe are a prominent Pashtun tribe located in the Khattak territory, which consists of Karak, Nowshera, Kohat districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. History Khushal Khan Khattak A warrior poet by the name of ...

, Paracha, Awan, Kaka Khel, Gakhar Rajgan, Gujjar,

Arain Arain (also known as Raeen) are a large Punjabi agricultural tribe with strong political identity and organisation, found mainly in the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Sindh with a small population in parts of Indian Punjab, Uttar Pradesh ...

, Babar, Yousafzai, Muhammadzai and Manki khel. The Khattak tribe makes up 65% of the population of the District. especially their sub-tribe Akora Khattak. The Kakakhels are a prominent Syed clan of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. Their roots reach to Hazrat Ali bin Ismail bin Imame-Jafer Sadiq. Kakakhels are descendants of the Islamic Sufi (wali) Syed Kastir Gul (also known as Kaka Sahib), and Sheikh Rahamkar - a student of Sheikh Hazrat Akhun Adeen/Adyan Seljuki. Kastir Gul was affectionately known as "Kakasahib", and his descendants are known as Kakakhels - meaning "the sons of Kakasahib". The clan originated in a small village known as "Kakasaib" in Nowshera. (It is a matter of debate whether Kaka Khels qualify as a Pashtun tribe as they are a family group with affiliation to one progenitor, Kaka Sahib – but it is not known if he was a Pashtun – Mian or Miah are the descendents of Kaka Sahib.) Khattaks are the Largest tribe in District Nowshera with approximately 65%-70% of total district population. Nizampur area, Khairabad, Akorra Khattak, Mera Akorra, Misri banda, Jehangira, Merra Jehangira, Shaidu, Wattar, Surya Khel, Cherat area, Manki Sharif, and all surrounding areas of these villages are dominated by Khattak tribe. On the right side of Kabul river across district Nowshera are non Khattack Pashtun tribe living in

Akbarpura Akbarpura, or Akbarpūra is a village, which is located roughly northeast of Peshawar and is part of Pabbi Tehsil of Nowshera District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. Akbarpura is named after the Mughal Emperor Akbar, who camped there before ...

, Zakhi, Mohab Banda( all banda-jat villegs), khushmaqam, Tarkha, etc.

Geography

Nowshera District is bordered by

Peshawar District Peshawar District ( ps, پېښور ولسوالۍ, hnd, , ur, ) is a district in Peshawar Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is located about 160 km west of the Pakistan's capital Islamabad. The district headquarter is ...

to the west,

Mardan District Mardan District ( ps, مردان ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Mardan Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. The district is named after Mardan city, which is also the headquarters of the district. The district is famou ...

to the north, Charsadda District to the northwest, Swabi District to the northeast,

Kohat District Kohat District ( ps, کوهاټ ولسوالۍ , ur, ) is a district in Kohat Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Kohat city is the capital of the district. History Mughal era From the early sixteenth century the history of Ko ...

to the south, Orakzai Agency to the southwest, and

Attock District Attock District (Urdu and pnb, ) is a district in Pothohar Plateau of the Punjab Province of Pakistan. Its capital is Attock city. The district was created in April 1904 by the merging of tehsils of nearby districts. Its former name was C ...

to the east. Generally, winters are cold from November to February, and summers are hot from June to August.

Demography

is the native language of the majority of residents.

Hindko Hindko (, romanized: , ) is a cover term for a diverse group of Lahnda dialects spoken by several million people of various ethnic backgrounds in several areas in northwestern Pakistan, primarily in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pun ...

(a Punjabi language dialect) is also spoken in the city and parts of surrounding villages.

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

The population of Urban dwellers was 227030 (25.96%) and that of Rural dwellers was 647343 (74.04%). The annual growth rate was 2.9%. The literacy rate was 89%.

Transportation

Nowshera is well connected with the rest of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and other provinces of Pakistan through airports, railways, and roads.

Air

Bacha Khan International Airport Bacha Khan International Airport , formerly known as Peshawar International Airport, is an international airport located in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Located in the southwestern end of the city of Peshawar, it is the fourth-busies ...

in Peshawar and

Islamabad International Airport Islamabad International Airport () is the international airport serving Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan. It is located south-west of the city, and is accessed via Srinagar Highway. The airport commenced full operations in 6 May 2018 ...

in Islamabad are situated at a drive of around 1 hour and 2 hours, respectively.

Rail

Pakistan Railways Pakistan Railways ( ur, ) is the national, state-owned railway company of Pakistan. Founded in 1861 and headquartered in Lahore, it owns of track across Pakistan, stretching from Torkham to Karachi, offering both freight and passenger servi ...

offers passengers and freight rail services.

Kabul River railway station The Kabul River railway station ( ur, ) is a Pakistan Railways train station in northwestern Pakistan. It is located on the Kabul River in the city of Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Nowshera, in the Nowshera District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It for ...

and Nowshera Junction railway station are in the city.

Road

National Highway 5, or N-5, is Pakistan’s longest highway running from the port city of Karachi to the border crossing at Torkham. Its total length is 1,756 km and it runs north from Karachi located in Sindh province to Hyderabad, Moro and Khairpur before crossing into Punjab province where it passes through Multan, Sahiwal, Lahore, Sheikhupura District, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Jhelum and Rawalpindi. At Rawalpindi, it turns eastwards and passes through Attock Khurd before crossing the Indus River into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to continue through Nowshera and Peshawar before entering the Khyber Pass and reaching the border town of Torkham. The M-1 motorway in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is 155 km long, with 67 km in Punjab and the remaining 88 km in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. It has become a vital link to Afghanistan and Central Asia and is expected to take much traffic off the highly used N5. It is part of Pakistan’s Motorway Network. M1 begins northeast of Peshawar as it moves in an eastern direction, crossing over the Kabul River. From here it passes through Charsadda, Risalpur, Swabi and Rashakai before crossing the Indus River. The historical Grand Trunk (GT) Road also passes through Nowshera.

Swat Expressway The Swat Motorway ( ur, , ps, سوات بزرگراه ), also known as the M-16 or Swat Expressway, is a four-lane motorway and provincial controlled-access highway in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Phase-1 of the project, comp ...

also starts nearby Nowshera and ends at near Swat.

Economic Zone

After the launch of CPEC project, Rashakai village of Nowshera is now an Economic Zone of KPK.

Administrative units

* Tehsils 02 * Union Councils 47 * Mauzas 153 * Municipal Committees 04 * Town Committees 01 * Cantonment 03

References

External links

* {{Authority control Cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Populated places in Nowshera District Kabul River

Etymology

Languages and major tribes

Geography

Demography

Transportation

Air

Rail

Road

Economic Zone

Administrative units

See also

References

External links