Bahawalnagar District
Bahawalnagar District, is a district of Punjab province in Pakistan. Before the independence of Pakistan, Bahawalnagar was part of Bahawalpur state governed by the Nawab of Bahawalpur. The city of Bahawalnagar is the capital of the district.
Etymology
Bahawalnagar was originally known as Rojhanwali, then a small village. It was renamed by the Nawab of Bahawalpur, Bahawal Khan V, during a visit in 1904.
Geography
The boundaries of Bahawalnagar in the east and south touches the Indian territory of Bikaner and Firozpur districts while Bahawalpur district lies on its west and river Sutlej flows on its northern side. District Bahawalnagar spreads over an area of 8878 square kilometers.
History
Nawab Bahawal Khan I as second Nawab of Bahawalpur ascended the throne in 1746. Muhammad Mubarik, after ruling successfully for years, died issueless in 1772. He was succeeded by his nephew Sahibzada Jafar Khan alias Nawab Muhammad Bahawal Khan II.
Administration
The district of Bahawalnagar is spread over an area of 8,878 square kilometres comprising five tehsils and 118 Union Councils:
Demographics
Population
As of the 2023 census, Bahawalnagar district has 557,616 households and a population of 3,550,342. The district has a sex ratio of 108.27 males to 100 females and a literacy rate of 57.01%: 63.55% for males and 49.95% for females. 971,921 are under 10 years of age. 974,118 live in urban areas.
Religion
In 2023, 19,653 were from religious minorities, of which [Christianity in Punjab (Pakistan)|Punjab, Pakistan|Christians] were 14,577, Hindus 3,106, Ahmadi 1,598, Sikhs 39, Parsis 2, and 331 others.
Languages
At the time of the 2023 census, 94.08% of the population spoke Punjabi, 3.35% Urdu and 1.74% Saraiki as their first language.
Shaikh Khawaja Tajuddin Chishti, also known as Taj Sarwar Chishti, was a Sufi saint of Chishti Order. He was a grandson Shaikh Farid-ud-din Ganjshakar of Pakpattan and his descendants founded the village of Chishtian around 1265 CE. Many native tribes in Punjab region accepted Islam due to his missionary efforts. The Shrine of Shaikh Khawaja Tajuddin Chishti is located in the city of Chishtian, known as Roza Taj Sarwar.