Etymology
Jhelum's earliest name was Vitasta. Anjum Sultan Shahbaz recorded some stories of the name Jhelum in his book Tareekh-e-Jhelum as:
| “ | Many writers have different opinions about the name of Jhelum. One suggestion is that in ancient days Jhelumabad was known as Jalham. The word Jhelum is reportedly derived from the words Jal(pure water) and Ham (snow). The name thus refers to the waters of a river (flowing besides the city) which have their origins in the snow-capped Himalayas.
However, some writers believe that when "Dara-e-Azam" reached a certain place on the river bank after winning many battles, he fixed his flag at that place and called it "Ja-e-Alam" which means "Place of the Flag". With the passage of time it became Jhelum from "Ja-e-Alam". According to tradition, Hazrat Saeed Bin Abi Waqas, brother of Hazrat Saad Bin Abi Waqas, was sent to China to preach Islam, during his journey he arrived at the city of Jhelum, he saw the reflection of a city in the river and said "هذا جهيلم" (this is Jheelum), which means "City besides the river, in full moonlight" Ahmed Shah Abdali also used "Jheelum" in place of Jhelum and "Harian" for Kharian in his diary. |
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Shahbaz, Anjum Sultan (September 2003). Tareekh-e-Jhelum. history of Jhelum (2nd ed.). Book Corner, Main Bazar, Jhelum. p. 92. http://openlibrary.org/b/OL23138105M/Tareekh-e-Jhelum.
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