Indus Valley civilization

Harappa, an archaeological site in Sahiwal Division, which takes its name from a small nearby village has revealed remains of a typical Indus Valley civilization (3300 BCE - 1300 BCE) fortified Bronze Age city.^[6] In about 1900 BCE, the Indus Valley civilisation began to decline. The population may have moved away due to changes in the environment. Jim G. Shaffer and Diana A. Lichtenstein stated that: "This shift by Harappan and, perhaps, other Indus Valley cultural mosaic groups, is the only archaeologically documented west-to-east movement of human populations in South Asia before the first half of the first millennium B.C.."^[7]

Ecological factors that may have been involved in the decline include drying up of the Ghaggar-Hakra River and increased aridity in Rajasthan. The Indus River also began to flow further east and floodings occurred.^[8]

Shaffer (as cited in Bryant 2001:192 harvcolnb error: no target: CITEREFBryant2001 (help)) suggested: "There were no invasions from central or western South Asia. Rather there were several internal cultural adjustments reflecting altered ecological, social and economic conditions affecting northwestern and north-central South Asia".

Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great (356 BCE - 323 BCE) came to the Sahiwal region in 326 BCE, marching with an army of 50,000 personnel in awe of targeting nearby Multan city. He conquered reigning local leaders such as Porus the Elder. During his Mallian Campaign of 326 BCE, Alexander followed his retreating opponents, the Mallians, to the city of Multan. The village of "Malli" in Kamalia Tehsil, is reminiscent in name. It is also said that Alexander got a fatal wound from Sahiwal region which later became the cause of his death.

Ashoka period

Following Alexander's departure from the region, the Punjab region was ruled by Ashoka (reign about 260 BCE to 232 BCE) of the Maurya Empire. After the decline of the Maurya dynasty, the Sahiwal region was ruled by invading forces including the Muslims, Mongols, and Lodhis.

Mughal period

From about 1524 CE, the Sahiwal region fell under the rule of the Mughal Empire. Sher Shah Suri (1486 - 1545), extended the Great Trunk Road, which ran from Delhi to Multan. Where the road passes through Gogera, it is known as the Kakhan Wali Sarak.

Sher Shah Suri also constructed a fort at Shergarh, in Okara District. The Mughals' dominance in the Sahiwal area continued until 1739 CE.

Sikh period

From the time of the decline of the Mughal Empire, Sahiwal fell under the rule of the Sikh Empire. However, as well as the Sikh Nakkais (Sandhu Jats) there were powerful Muslim Jat tribes such as the Kharrals, Sials, Wattus, and Hans in the Sahiwal region.

Between 1804 CE and 1810 CE, Maharaja Ranjit Singh held most of the Sahiwal area. However, the Nawab of Bahawalpur, on the payment of tributes to Ranjit Singh, held a strip of territory along the Sutlej river. Ranjit Singh resumed rule of this territory when Nawab defaulted on his payments. After Ranjit Singh's death in 1839 CE, the Sikh Empire declined.

British period

From 1845 CE to 1849 CE, Sahiwal was embroiled in the Anglo-Sikh wars. In 1847, Sahiwal came under control of the British East India Company. In that year, a British revenue officer was sent to Sahiwal to collect land taxes. In 1849, the Sahiwal district was formed with its headquarters in Pakpattan. In 1852, the district was expanded to include an area east of the Ravi river, the "trans-Ravi portion". The district headquarters were moved to Gogera.

In 1865, a railway was opened, and the district headquarters was moved to a village on the line called "Montgomery" after Sir Robert Montgomery, a colonial administrator.^[9] In 1967, Montgomery was renamed "Sahiwal".

Indian Rebellion 1857

During the Indian rebellion of 1857, there was an uprising of the Jat clans in Sahiwal. On 26 August 1857, prisoners rioted in an attempted jailbreak. Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal, leader of a local Kharral Jat clan, was detained at Gogera. He escaped, then was apprehended, then was released on bail, together with some other local leaders.^[10]

In September 1858 Khan led an insurrection in the Neeli Bar district. He held the jungles of Gogera and had some successes against the British forces. Kamalia Tehsil was sacked. General Sir Crawford Chamberlain (1821 - 1902) moved north from Multan with a small force. At Chichawatni he was besieged for days. The uprising continued for three months. Along with his companions, Murad Fatiana, Shujaa Bhadroo, and Mokha Wehniwal, Khan killed Lord Berkley the Commissioner for Gogera. Several minor actions followed in the open field, until the rebels, driven from the plain into the jungles, were defeated and dispersed. The British troops then inflicted severe punishment on the insurgent clans, destroying their villages, and seizing large numbers of cattle for sale.^[10]

The insurrection was centered in a wide area including Ganji Bar, Neeli Bar and Sandal Bar. The arena of conflict was bordered by the Sutlej river, the Ravi River and Chenab River. The area was thickly forested and suitable for resistance actions. For instance, Major Crawford Chamberlain was ambushed at Chichawatni.

Partition of India

Prior to 1947, Sahiwal was part of the Lahore Division of the Punjab Province of India. Then, with the Pakistan Movement for independence came the Partition of India. Sahiwal's minority Hindu and Sikh populations migrated to India. Muslim immigrants from India arrived. Sahiwal became a part of Pakistan. In 2008, the Sahiwal region, after a few changes in borders, became a "division".

Agriculture

Because there are nearby rivers, Sahiwal is a fertile zone within Punjab province. There is a canal irrigation system. Sahiwal is cultivated for the production of food. A number of types of crops are grown. This is possible because across Sahiwal there is some variation in climatic conditions. Crops farmed in Sahiwal include: wheat, sugarcane, cotton, tobacco, rice, mustard seed and maize. Plants such as rapeseed are grown for production of vegetable oil. Vegetables are cultivated including potato, onion, cauliflower, peas, carrot, turnip and Okra. Fruits grown in Sahiwal include citrus, guava, orange, lemon, mango, dates, jambul, jujube and mulberry.

Sahiwal's sandy region near the dry bed of the Dias river are used for growing cotton and peanuts. Areas in Yousuf and Arif are used to grow corn.

Forestry

Archaeologists suggest that the forests have been present in Sahiwal area since the times of the Indus Valley civilisation. Sculptures, stamps and seals depicting the animals such as bull, elephant, zebra and rhinoceros have been found. These are the animals of a humid subtropical climate.

Sahiwal has 28,956 acres (117 km2) of forested land. Some are in Chichawatni and Okara.^[4] Trees in Sahiwal include:

• Sacred fig (Peepal)
• Banyan (Bargad)
• Eucalyptus (Safaida)
• Salvadora persica (Peelu)
• Prosopis cineraria (Jundi)
• Sal
• Tecomella undulata (Okaan)
• Dalbergia sissoo (Shisham)
• Acacia nilotica (Kikar or Babul)
• Azadirachta indica (Neem), and
• Melia azedarach (Bakain)

Cattle

The Sahiwal cattle breed, a dairy breed of Zebu or "humped cattle" is grown in the region. This cattle breed is tick resistant, heat tolerant and resistant to external and internal parasites Due to their heat tolerance and high milk production, Sahiwal cattle are grown in other Asian countries, African nations such as Kenya, Burundi, Somalia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria and Caribbean nations such as Jamaica, and Guyana.^{[12][13][14][15][16]}

Other livestock types that are grown in Sahiwal include sheep, and goat. Fish and poultry are also in abundant.

The Nili-Ravi is a breed of domestic water buffalo native to the Sahiwal area.

Industry

Sahiwal's industry is cantered around products and services for its agriculture. Some industrial entities in Sahiwal include Mitchell's Fruit Farms Limited, Montgomery Biscuits and Sweets Factory, Engro Foods Limited, rice mills, sugar mills for example, Ittefaq Sugar Mills Limited, and Baba Farid Sugar Mills Limited, pharmaceutical suppliers, tobacco processing units, cotton ginning and pressing units, flour mills, fertilizer companies for example, Fauji Fertilizer Company Limited, vegetable ghee and cooking oil processing units, textile factories, soap and detergent factories, paper and paper board factories, poultry feed suppliers, seed processing units and tanneries.

Institutions

• COMSATS University, Sahiwal
• University of Education (established 2002)
• University of Sahiwal, Sahiwal
• Acute Business College.
• Sahiwal Medical College, DHQ Hospital Sahiwal.
• School of Nursing, DHQ Hospital, Okara.
• Government College of Technology, Sahiwal
• Government College Sahiwal (established 1942)^[18]
• Divisional Public School and College, Sahiwal,
• District Public School and College, Okara
• Divisional Public School, Pakpattan
• Sahiwal Public School, Sahiwal
• College of Advanced Scientific Techniques (CAST), Sahiwal
• University of Lahore (UOL), Pakpattan
• Quaid-e-Azam College of Engineering and Technology, Sahiwal
• Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF), Sahiwal
• University of Okara, Okara
• Cadet College Okara, Okara

Other notable schools are Ad Alta School Sahiwal, Beaconhouse School System, BloomField Hall, The City School, Army Public School, Sahiwal, Army Public School, Okara, Government College For Women, Sahiwal, Government High School, Sahiwal, Government Mahmoodia High School, Sahiwal, Comprehensive School, Sahiwal, Government Pilot Higher Secondary School, Government Immamia College, Muhammadan Law College, Sahiwal, Multan Law College, Sahiwal, Government Commerce College, The Educators, Punjab Group of Colleges and The Limit Group of Colleges, Okara, Leading college, Sahiwal.

Libraries

Sahiwal Division has following libraries;

• Government Jinnah Public Library, Sahiwal (established 1989)
• COMSATS Sahiwal Library
• Government Post Graduate College Sahiwal Library is the largest library in Sahiwal Division.
• Sahiwal Public library (Library Bazm-e-Adab-o-Fikr) is the oldest library of Sahiwal.

Other libraries are Baldia Library, Government College for Women library, Zila Council Library and District Bar Library.