Gujranwala

Gujranwala گوجرانوالہ
General Information
Country	Pakistan
Province	Punjab
Coordinates	32.16°′″N 74.18°′″E / Expression error: unexpected / operator, Expression error: unexpected / operatorCoordinates: 32.16°′″N 74.18°′″E / Expression error: unexpected / operator, Expression error: unexpected / operator
Elevation	m ( ft) AMSL
Area	km² ( sq mi)
Calling code	055
Time zone	PST ([[UTC+5]])
No. of Towns
Population	3,500,000 (1998)
Government
No. of Union Councils	192

Gujranwala (Urdu: گوجرانوالہ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan with a population of 1,132,509 (1998 census). Gujranwala is located at 32.16° North, 74.18° East and is 700 feet above sea-level. The district of Gujranwala, with a population of about 11 million has an area of 3198 km², making Gujranwala the fifth largest city in Pakistan. It borders with Ghakhar Mandi and some small towns and villages. Punjabi is the local language, however English and Urdu are also common, particularly in schools and offices, as is the case in almost all of Pakistan.

History

The human settlements in Gujranwala existed since antiquity. The first name of the settlement according to the compilers of the first edition of the district Gazette was "Khanpur Shansi" after an member of the Jat tribe who founded eleven villages in the nearby area. Gujjars also settled in the Gujranwala region. They reached such dominance that the town came to be known as Gujranwala.

In 630 AD the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim, Hsuan Tsang visited a major town known as Tse-kia (or Taki) which was in the vicinity of modern Gujranwala. A mound near the modern village of Asarur has been identified as the site of the ancient city. Until the arrival of the Muslims little is known of Gujranwala, except that Taki had fallen into oblivion and Lahore had become the chief city. Under Muslim rule the district flourished for a time; but a mysterious depopulation took place and the whole region seems to have been almost entirely abandoned. The district gazetteer dates the name of Gujranwala to approximately the middle of the 16th century . Other smaller towns in the vicinity e.g. Sohdara, Eminabad, Wazirabad, and Ghakhar have older antecedents than Gujranwala itself.

The Sikhs occupied the Punjab after the death of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir in 1707. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the most powerful of all the Sikh rulers and ruled over for 40 years. After his death in 1840 the Sikh Empire was divided and disintegrated. The area was conquered and annexed by the British in 1849. A railway line was built alongside the Grand Trunk Road in 1881 to connect Gujranwala with other cities of the Punjab and made commercial trade between cities more convenient.

After Pakistani independence in 1947, Gujranwala developed rapidly and is now a leading city of Pakistan. It is an agricultural marketing center (grains, melons, sugarcane), it is also a commercial and industrial center, manufacturing ceramics,iron safes, copper, brass, and aluminum utensils. The establishment of an industrial park with textile, silk, pipefitting, electric fan, and tannery production increased its importance. Cultivation in the surrounding area is dependent upon canal irrigation. Wheat, cotton, rice, barley, and pearl millet are the chief crops.

Economy

Gujranwala is a major agricultural and industrial city of Punjab, Pakistan. The rural areas around Gujranwala produce a large variety of agricultural goods, the main crops are wheat, potatoes,barley and pearl millet. The Gujranwala Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) shares a building with the zonal and circle offices of Habib Bank Limited, United Bank Limited, Allied Bank Limited and State Bank of Pakistan.

Gujranwala's industrial areas have numerous textile mills, cutlery manufacturing and large agricultural processing plants. The major exports include rice, sugar, textiles, carpets, glass goods, medical equipment, leather products, metal utensils, agricultural equipment, and automotive machinery parts as well as producing machinery for military uses. The main source of energy is a hydro-electric project on the Chenab River.

Transportation

Gujranwala is a major center of rail, highway and river transportation. It has a dry port for the export of local products to the rest of the world. The nearest airport is the newly-built Sialkot International Airport.

Health

There are many hospitals, clinics and NGOs in Gujranwala, such as the Sundas Foundation and Roshni Homes.

Education

There are several colleges affiliated with the University of the Punjab which also operates a main campus offering courses such as LLB, BCom, MCom, and MBA. There is also the Rachna Engineering University in Gujranwala.

Sports

The main sport in Gujranwala is wrestling, this city has always been famous for its Pehlwans (wrestlers) in Pakistan, which is why the city is also called Pehlwanon Ka Shehar (City of Wrestlers). The main sports are cricket, kabaddi, wrestling, hockey, soccer. This city is also home to the international-standard Jinnah Cricket Stadium.

Cuisine

Gujranwala is renowned all over Pakistan for its cuisine, especially barbecue meat dishes and roasted sparrow (Bhune Chirre & Roosi Batair).

See also

• Gujranwala District
• Gujranwala Division
• Gujranwala Electric Power Company
• Ahmed Nager Chatha
• Aminabad

External links

• Gujranwala city
• Article on Gujranwala from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica
• Gujranwala Chamber of Commerce and Industries (GCCI)
• Population Size and Growth of Major Cities, 1998 Census

Coordinates: 32°09′N, 74°11′E

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