Sarai Alamgir ( pnb, ) is the main town of

Sarai Alamgir Tehsil Sarai Alamgir Tehsil (Urdu: ) is one of four administrative areas, or Tehsils, in the District of Gujrat. The Tehsil is located on the eastern bank of the Jhelum River across from the larger town of Jhelum. East of the Tehsil is the Upper Jhelum C ...

, located in the Gujrat district in the north 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 a ...

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 fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

. Sarai Alamgir is one of four tehsils of Gujrat district. Sarai Alamgir covers on the eastern bank of the

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 ...

, across from the larger town of Jhelum. East of the town is the Upper Jhelum Canal. Sarai Alamgir was raised to the level of Municipal Committee in 1976. After the implementation of Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2001, it was given the status of Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA).

Geography and climate

Sarai is located at (32.900000, 73.750000); it lies at above sea level. The municipality has a moderate climate. During the summer, temperatures can reach for short periods. Winter months are mild, temperatures rarely falling below . Sarai Alamgir is located south of Jhelum City, which lies across the

. To the north of Sarai, cities are Mirpure and

Bhimber Bhimber ( ur, ) is the capital of Bhimber District, in the Azad Kashmir. The town is on the border between Jammu region and Punjab in Pakistan proper about by road southeast of Mirpur. History Bhimber was the capital of the Chibhal dynasty, ...

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 ...

and Rasul are located to the south of Sarai Alamgir.

History

In ancient history, the region participated in the Indus Valley civilization and the Gandhara civilization. At a later date, 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 ...

took place nearby, between the armies of

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 ...

and the Great

King 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 men ...

.Battle between Alexander the Great and King Porus near Sarai Alamgir and Jhelum area
on livius.org website, Retrieved 20 January 2023 In the past, people of influence would build a Sarai, which would be caravan stations and rest houses for travelers. A typical Sarai would consist of a drinking well, a praying area and a resting place for people. The 'Sarai' (rest area) at Sarai Alamgir was founded by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb because of its strategic location on the

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. ...

and the

, and its proximity to Kashmir. Over time, Sarai Alamgir developed into a central town for adjoining village populations. Sarai Alamgir gained prominence when the King George V Royal Indian Military School was established on 3 March 1922; it was one of four such cadet schools in

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

to benefit the sons of members of the Royal

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...

. The college is now known as 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 co ...

and is one of the oldest institutions in Pakistan.(Irfan Shareef
Sarai Alamgir
The Nation (newspaper), Published 9 April 2021, Retrieved 20 January 2023

Administration

The Tehsil Municipal Administration is a corporate body and consists of the Tehsil Nazim, Tehsil Municipal Officer, four Tehsil Officers and other officials of the Local Council Service, and officials of the offices entrusted to the Tehsil Municipal Administration. A Tehsil Nazim is the head of Tehsil Municipal Administration and exercises all functions and powers assigned to him under the Ordinance. The Tehsil Municipal Officer acts as coordinating and administrative officer, in charge of the Tehsil Officers.

Surrounding important places

Sarai Alamgir is a historic crossroads between the ancient

and the

. Nearby are the sites of the

, the historic and ancient Alexandrian city of Bukephala (or Bucephala) and the huge

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, whic ...

Boundaries

Sarai Alamgir city has these cities in its surrounding areas:

West

Jhelum

East

Kharian Kharian ( ur, ), is a city located within the Gujrat District of the Punjab province of Pakistan. Kharian is the headquarters of Kharian Tehsil. According to 2017 Census of Pakistan, it has a population of about 87,419. It is known as Littl ...

North

Mirpur, Azad Kashmir

South

Rasul

Union councils

Sarai Alamgir Tehsil consists of nine union councils that, along with their respective populations in 1998, are: * Mandi Bhalwal (109): 18,960 * Bhagnagar (113): 17,282 * Karyala (113): 20,531 * Simbli (114): 21,936 * Khohar (115): 32,486 * Sarai Alamgir-I (116): 17,271 * Sarai Alamgir-II (117): 19,895 * Thill Bakohal (110): 18,574 * Baisa (111): 20,353

Communications

The nearest

international airports An international airport is an airport with customs and border control facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries around the world. International airports are usually larger than domestic airports and they must feature longer r ...

are at

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 ...

and

Sialkot Sialkot ( ur, ) is a city located in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the capital of Sialkot District and the 13th most populous city in Pakistan. The boundaries of Sialkot are joined with Jammu (the winter capital of Indian administered Jammu and Ka ...

, about and away, respectively.Nearest Islamabad International Airport on Civil Aviation Authority website
Retrieved 20 January 2023 There are other transport links to the town, including a railway station, the

, the

and the Upper Jhelum Canal. Sarai Alamgir is located on GT Road (N5) and Pakistan's main railway line. A highway connects it with

, while the other one goes to Mirpur, Azad Kashmir. A Motorway interchange is also in the pipeline which will be completed by 2023.

References

{{Reflist Cities in Punjab (Pakistan) Populated places in Gujrat District