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Chiniot District

Coordinates: 31°43′12″N 72°58′48″E / 31.72000°N 72.98000°E / 31.72000; 72.98000
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For other uses, see Chiniot.

Chiniot District
ضلع چنیوٹ
District of Punjab
Top: Shahi Masjid, Chiniot
Bottom: Grave of Abdus Salam
Map of Punjab with Chiniot District highlighted
Map of Punjab with Chiniot District highlighted
Country Pakistan
Province Punjab
DivisionFaisalabad Division
Established1 July 2009
HeadquartersChiniot
Government
 • TypeDistrict Administration
 • Deputy CommissionerMuhammad Asif Raza
 • District Police OfficerWaseem Riaz Khan
 • CEO District Health AuthorityTariq Sohail
 • District Health OfficerDr. Shahzad Khaleel
Area
 • District of Punjab2,643 km2 (1,020 sq mi)
Population
 (2023)[1]
 • District of Punjab1,563,024
 • Density590/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
 • Urban
491,672
 • Rural
1,071,352
Literacy
[2]
 • Literacy rate
  • Total:
    (55.05%)
  • Male:
    (64.64%)
  • Female:
    (45.19%)
Time zoneUTC+5 (PST)
Area code0466
Number of Tehsils3
Websitechiniot.punjab.gov.pk

Chiniot District (Punjabi and Urdu: ضلع چنيوٹ), is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It became the district in July 2009.[3] Before this, it was a tehsil of Jhang District.

History

[edit]

Chiniot region was an agricultural region with forests during the Indus Valley civilization. The Vedic period is characterized by Indo-Aryan culture that migrated from Central Asia and settled in Punjab region. The Kambojas, Daradas, Kaikayas, Madras, Pauravas, Yaudheyas, Malavas and Kurus invaded, settled and ruled ancient Punjab region. After overrunning the Achaemenid Empire in 331 BCE, Alexander marched into present-day Punjab region with an army of 50,000. The Chiniot region was ruled by Maurya Empire, Indo-Greek kingdom, Kushan Empire, Gupta Empire, White Huns, Kushano-Hephthalites and Shahi kingdoms.

In 997 CE, Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi, took over the Ghaznavid dynasty empire established by his father, Sultan Sebuktegin. In 1005, he conquered the Shahis in Kabul in 1005, and followed it by the conquests of Punjab region. The Delhi Sultanate and later Mughal Empire ruled the region. The Punjab region became predominantly Muslim due to missionary Sufi saints whose dargahs dot the landscape of Punjab region.

After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Sikh Empire conquered Narowal District. The Muslims faced restrictions during the Sikh rule.[citation needed] The British took over Chiniot District in 1848.

The predominantly Muslim population supported Muslim League and Pakistan Movement. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the minority Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India while the Muslim refugees from India settled in the Chiniot District.

"Chiniot" name is from Chandan Khan (sister of Malik Machchhe Khan), Raja of Chiniot, a Khokhar rajput clan. Mari tappa (founded by the rajput Raja Badal Khan Khokhar) was not then populated, but Andheri was flourishing, and north of it lay the Dhaular, or abode of Rani Chandan, which was called Chandniot, now Chiniot. Or some say its name is based on as, literally "OT" (Behind/Across) of "CHIN-ab river", hence Chiniot. According to Sir Denzil Ibbetson. Panjab Castes, A glossary of tribes and castes of Punjab by H.D. ROSE. Chiniot was known for its master crafted furniture, not only in Pakistan, but all over the world. Its highly special and master craft Jharokhas are known in the whole country.[4][5][6]

On 1 July 2009, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif formally approved the creation of Chiniot as the 36th district of Punjab province on behalf of MPA IMTIAZ AHMAD LALI & Molana Ilyas Ahmed Chinioti.[3] Calls for Chiniot to be made a district date back to 2005, when a movement was a launched to elevate the former tehsil to district level. The movement died down when the public were assured the next Nazim would be from Chiniot – however this was not to be the case.[7]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1951 329,615—    
1961 396,948+1.88%
1972 570,775+3.36%
1981 694,080+2.20%
1998 965,124+1.96%
2017 1,368,659+1.86%
2023 1,563,024+2.24%
Sources:[8]

In 2023, the district had 256,660 households and a population of 1,563,024.[1]

Religion in Chiniot district (2023)[9]
Religion Percent
Islam
 
 95.35%
Ahmadiyya
 
 4.3%
Christianity
 
 0.33%
Other
 
 0.02%

Muslims are the majority community in the district. Unlike the rest of Pakistan, Chiniot district has a sizeable Ahmadi community as the location of Rabwah, the main settlement of the Ahmadis after Partition.

Religion in Chiniot District
Religion 1941[10]: 42  2017[11] 2023[12]
Population Percentage Population Percentage Population Percentage
Islam 276,745 86.98% 1,306,663 95.47% 1,490,359 95.35%
Hinduism [a] 39,219 12.33% 62 0% 132 0%
Sikhism 2,188 0.69% — — 14 0%
Christianity 23 0.01% 2,174 0.16% 5,211 0.33%
Ahmadi[b] — — 59,748 4.37% 67,223 4.3%
Others [c] 8 0% 12 0% 85 0%
Total Population 318,183 100% 1,368,659 100% 1,563,024 100%
Note: 1941 data is for Chiniot tehsil of Jhang district, which roughly corresponds to the present district.

Languages of Chiniot district (2023)[13]

  Punjabi (95.08%)
  Urdu (3.41%)
  Pashto (1.14%)
  Others (0.37%)

At the time of the 2023 census, 95.08% of the population spoke Punjabi, 3.41% Urdu and 1.14% Pashto as their first language.[14]

Fauna and flora

[edit]

The fauna and flora of the district include: Jand trees (Prosopis spicigera), Karir (Capparis aphylla), Beri (Ziziphus jujuba), Van (Salvadora abeoides), Kikar (Acacia arabica), Shisham (Dalbergia ) and Aak (Calotropis hamiltoni) are found within the district.[15]

Architecture

[edit]

The Omar Hayat Mahal (also known as Gulzar Manzil), is a 19th-century palace in Chiniot. (Badshahi Masjid) it was built by Nawab Saad Ullah Khan who was minister of Shah Jahan. It has same architecture as Shahi Masjid Lahore. Nawab Saad Ullah was minister in the cabinet of the Mughal Empire.

Important Village: Bhowana is one of the most famous towns of Chiniot District due to its ability to produce many Civil Service of Pakistan officers.

Towns

[edit]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ 1941 census: Including Ad-Dharmis
  2. ^ 2017 census: Tabled separately from Muslims
  3. ^ Including Jainism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, or not stated

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "TABLE 1 : HOUSEHOLDS, POPULATION, HOUSEHOLD SIZE AND ANNUAL GROWTH RATE" (PDF). www.pbscensus.gov.pk. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. 2023.
  2. ^ "Literacy rate, enrolments, and out-of-school population by sex and rural/urban, CENSUS-2023" (PDF).
  3. ^ a b Chiniot gets district status: Rs500m for infrastructure Dawn (newspaper), Retrieved 30 May 2021
  4. ^ Exhibition Of Furniture Under The Aegis Of Pakistan Furniture Council Was Held At Expo Center Punjab Portal, Government of Punjab website, Published 14 February 2016, Retrieved 31 May 2021
  5. ^ Furniture producers urged to explore foreign markets Dawn (newspaper), Published 7 November 2015, Retrieved 31 May 2021
  6. ^ Land of Craft: Chiniot Vimeo.com website, Retrieved 31 May 2021
  7. ^ Jhang nazim's choice sparks row in party Dawn (newspaper), Retrieved 31 May 2021
  8. ^ "Population by administrative units 1951-1998" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
  9. ^ "District Wise Results / Tables (Census - 2023)" (PDF). www.pbscensus.gov.pk. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
  10. ^ "CENSUS OF INDIA, 1941 VOLUME VI PUNJAB PROVINCE". Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  11. ^ "District Wise Results / Tables (Census - 2017)". www.pbscensus.gov.pk. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
  12. ^ "Pakistan Census 2023" (PDF).
  13. ^ "District Wise Results / Tables (Census - 2023)" (PDF). www.pbscensus.gov.pk. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
  14. ^ "Pakistan Census 2023" (PDF).
  15. ^ "Chiniot District (formerly included in Jhang District)". Punjab Gateway, Government of Punjab website. Archived from the original on 1 October 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
[edit]
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Punjab (Pakistan).

31°43′12″N 72°58′48″E / 31.72000°N 72.98000°E / 31.72000; 72.98000

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