Gujranwala - History

History

Humans settlements in Gujranwala have been present since antiquity. According to the Imperial Gazetteer of British India, the town was originally founded by Gojar / Gurjars and renamed Khanpur by the Sansi Jatts of Amritsar who settled there, but its old name has survived. Many historians also states that place was named after Gurjars, while they formerly ruled the Gurjara Pratihara Empire for centuries.

In 630, 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. Gujranwala slowly developed as medieval town and many Muslim Sufi missionaries converted the local Gurjars population to Islam. 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.

After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Sikh invaded and occupied Gujranwala. The Muslims faced severe restrictions during the Sikh rule. The Sikhs dominated Punjab after the death of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir in 1707. The town became important during the rule of the father and grandfather of Ranjit Singh, who was born in the city. Maharaja Ranjit Singh who himself was born here became the most powerful of all the Sikh rulers. It was Hari Singh Nalwa, the military commander of the Sikh army, who was credited with having built the 'new' city of Gujranwala.

The area was conquered and annexed by the British Empire in 1848. A railway line was built alongside the Grand Trunk Road in 1881 to connect Gujranwala with other cities of Punjab and made commercial trade between cities more convenient. The municipality of Gujranwala was created in 1867. The North-Western Railway connected Gujranwala with other cities of British India to the far ends of the Empire such as Calcutta as well as Karachi. The population according to the 1901 census of India was 29,224. In 1903-4 the income and expenditure were Rs. 83,100 and Rs. 67,900 respectively. The chief source of income was octroi Rs. 59,700.

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 Gujranwala district. Gujranwala developed rapidly and is now a leading industrial and commercial city of Pakistan. Gujranwala, as a district was run by a Deputy Commissioner until it became a Division. In 1951 the city was converted into the capital of the district which gave rise to new industries in the city. Many prominent civil servants worked as its Deputy Commissioners; renowned among them is Mansur Zaimur Rehman (M. Z. Rehman), who worked as the DC from 1959 to 1962. He initiated many development projects including the cantonment. He is known for his hard work, integrity and honesty. In 1991, the city hosted its first Test match at the Jinnah Stadium as well as several One Day International matches. Since then the city has continued to thrive with improved economic growth and stabilisation. Jagna one of the most famous place of Gujranwala and Pakistan, because it is one of the most beautiful places in Gujranwala.

According to City Mayors Statistics The world's fastest growing cities and urban areas, Gujranwala will rank 27th in the world with the average annual growth 2006 to 2020 3.49% and rank 1st in Pakistan ahead of Faisalabad with the average annual growth of 3.32% with rank 33rd in the world.