Jhang

History

The city of Jhang was built in 1288 by Rai Sial, a chief of the Sial tribe. The Sial tribe ruled this region ever since then until the last Sial ruler of Jhang, Ahmad Khan (1812 to 1822) was defeated by Ranjit Singh after fierce fighting.

Under the collective rule of the Sial Khans of Jhang and other Sial sub-tribes such as the Rajbana and Bharwana, in the zenith of their power, the Sial territory of Jhang extended up to the Muzafargarh boundary in the south, and the entirety of Chiniot, Kamalia and Kabirwala ilakas. The territory extended to parts of Bhakkar and Sargodha. The Garh Mahraja and Ahmadpur Sial ilakas were added to the possessions of the Rajbana Sial tribe who drove out the Baloch tribes to the Thal and defeated the Nawab of Multan by the mid 17th century.

Under the British Raj, the towns of Jhang and Mighiana, lying two miles (3.2 km) apart, became a joint municipality, then known as Jhang-Maghiana.

Geography

Jhang Sadr is located at 31.27 latitude and 72.33 longitude and is situated at an elevation of 158 meters above sea level.

Jhang is situated at the east bank of the Chenab River which has confluence with Jhelum at Trimmu Barrage near the town of Athara Hazari. The city was endangered in the 2014 floods but it was not flooded as the flood water was redirected towards Athara Hazari. Maghiana lies on the edge of the highlands, overlooking the alluvial valley of the Chenab, while the older town of Jhang occupies the lowlands at its foot.

Demographics

The population of city in 1998 Census of Pakistan was recorded as 293,366. According to the 2017 Census of Pakistan, the population of city rose to 414,131 with a growth of 41.17% in 19 years.

Languages

Religion

Administration

Jhang Saddar is the administrative center of Jhang Tehsil (a subdivision of the district). The tehsil itself is divided into 55 Union councils.

Notable people

Scientists

• Abdus Salam, first Pakistani Nobel Laureate (Physics).
• Yash Pal, Indian scientist.
• Har Gobind Khorana, Indian American biochemist

Politicians

• Khan Arif Khan Rajbana, former federal and provincial minister, honourable Chief Whip of All-India Muslim League and a close associate of the Quaid-e-Azam
• Syeda Abida Hussain, former Pakistani Ambassador to USA and Federal minister.
• Mian Muhammad Azam, former member of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab.
• Faisal Saleh Hayat, former Interior Minister of Pakistan and FIFA official.
• Nazir Sultan, former Member National Assembly.
• Mahboob Sultan, Federal minister.
• Ghulam Bibi Bharwana, Member National Assembly.
• Najaf Abbas, former member of National Assembly and Provincial Assembly.
• Waqas Akram, former minister of state for Labour and Manpower
• Haq Nawaz Jhangvi, Pakistani cleric, founder of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan and namesake of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi
• Azam Tariq, Pakistani politician, religious leader, member of national assembly, leader of sunni-Deoband Muslim organization 'Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan'
• Masroor Nawaz Jhangvi, Pakistani Islamic cleric and politician, Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Punjab, son of Haq Nawaz Jhangvi
• Zahoor Ahmed Sajid, former Member of Provincial Assembly.
• Syed Abid Hussain Shah, former minister of Pakistan.

Sports personalities

• Aleem Dar, cricketer and umpire
• Ghulam Shabber, UAE cricket player

Literary personalities

• Majeed Amjad, Urdu poet
• Nasir Abbas Nayyar, Pakistani Urdu language columnist
• Ishtiaq Ahmad, Urdu fiction writer

Artists

• Raghu Rai, photographer and photojournalist

Religious figures

• Sultan Bahu, founder of the Sarwari Qadiri Sufi order
• Shah Jeewna, founder of Qalandariyya Sufi order
• Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, founder of the Minhaj-ul-Quran International and Pakistan Awami Tehreek
• Zulfiqar Ahmad Naqshbandi, founder of the Mahadul-Faqir Al-Islami, Jhang

Business people

• Sheikh Waqas Akram, founder of Shalimar Transport

Sister cities

Jhang has one sister city:

• Madera, California