History of Bahawalnagar

Bahawalnagar is located in Pakistan’s Punjab province’s south-east area. The town of Bahawalnagar serves as the district and tehsil headquarters. Bahawalnagar was once known as Rojanwali / Ubbha. In 1904 it was renamed Bahawalnagar after Bahawal Khan V, the monarch of the Bahawalpur empire, which included the current districts of Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, and Rahim Yar Khan. It is about 192 miles south of Lahore and around 120 miles east of Bahwalpur. The River Sutlej runs along the northern side for roughly 6 km.

History of Bahawalnagar :
Bahawalnagar, formerly known as Rojhanwali, was a small village made up of a few homes and shacks. This settlement, Rojhanwali, can still be found about 1.5 miles north of the Railway Station. In the year 1895, a railway station called Rojhanwali Railway Station was built. It was a 113-mile-long junction between Bahawalnagar and Bathinda, presently connecting branch lines Amrooka and Fort Abbas. It was a fairly busy intersection before the partition. Trains used to run between Karachi and Delhi via Bahawalnagar. Passenger trains used to run between Bahawalnagar and Fazilka, Ferozpur. There was a locomotive shed and two recreation institutes.

When Nawab Mohammad Bahawal Khan Abbasi IV, who initially reigned over Bahawalpur State, visited Rojhanwali in 1904, the locals asked him if they may rename the city after him. The Nawab granted them permission, and the city was renamed Bahawalnagar as a result. With the introduction of railways, 40-50 stores with a population of 100 dwelling units sprung out in the existing railway bazar. Though this site was not suitable for blossoming because to unfavorable topographical features and inadequate drinking water. It has been a fertile area since the introduction of the canal system. The great triumph was the Fordwah Canal, which placed practically the entire district under irrigation control. The settlement grew as a colony town south of the railway station.

The first police station post was constructed in 1900-1901, and the first primary school was established in 1902-1903. A panchayat committee comprised of nominated members was formed in 1906. In 1914, Bahawalnagar was proposed as a Tehsil, and the police post at Jweka was relocated to Bahawalnagar. In 1922, a regular municipal committee with many members was formed. The Assistant Commissioner and Tehsildar were then named Mir Majlis and Naib Mir Majlis, respectively.

Bahawalnagar was previously part of Bahawalpur and was established as a distinct district in January 1953. Following it, the city gained importance and began to develop.

Station for Trains
The Bahawalnagar railway station was important in the development of the erstwhile Bahawalpur State, particularly the Bahawalnagar district, which was founded in 1952-53, while the rail segment established in 1894 was known as the Rojhanwali Railway Station. In 1901, Nawab Muhammad Bahawal Khan renamed the station Bahawalnagar Railway Junction. However, it currently has a deserted appearance because no trains run these days. On July 26, 2011, the lone train that had been traveling through these tracks for years from Samasata to Amrooka was suspended.

Furthermore, railway assets are being stolen and land is being taken. Aside from that, the majority of the Railway quarters and officers’ quarters have been held by powerful people. The Southern Punjab Railway Company launched the rail service between Delhi on a 257-kilometer track. The west segment of the rail track was constructed between Samasata and Amrooka on the Pakistan-India border. It connected the railway stations at Baghdad-ul-Jadeed, Khairpur, Tamewali, Qaimpur, Hasilpur, Chishtian, Bahawalnagar, and Mandi Sadiq Ganj to Ferozpur and Amrooka via several lines. Similarly, the second railway track in Indian state was established between Bathinda and Hindumalkote railway station.

Prior to the subcontinent’s split, the rail line was critical for connecting Dehli and Karachi. It was used to transfer personnel and their goods from India to Karachi in 1947. Darbar Lines were state railway lines, and all expenses were borne by the individual governments. It was under the administration of Northern Western Railways. In 1928, the then-Bahawalpur state put down the 112 km Darbar line between Bahawalnagar and Fort Abbas. On the way, new grain markets were created in Khichiwala, Faqirwali, Haroonabad, and Donga Bonga. However, rail service on the route has been discontinued for some time, and a renowned Mandi Dhab Sanateka railway station has been swamped in filthy water.

In 1935, the Bahawalnagar Railways Junction reached its pinnacle. Hundreds of railways used to travel daily between Karachi, Delhi, and Lahore via Ferozepur, Amrooka, and Bahawalnagar to Samma Satta, with freight trains from Quetta to Delhi in particular. The hustle and bustle of travelers on the station was a constant feature, and it was regarded as one of the key railway intersections of the subcontinent at the time.

In 1938, a power substation was built to provide direct current (DC) power using a diesel engine, however currently, the railway portion is without electricity due to nonpayment. The well-equipped junction maintained its reputation as a business center after the partition until 1980. It was more crucial than the town. It took shape in 1935 and 1938, when 500 staff quarters were built, including the railway officers’ quarters, railway hospital, DC electricity power station, dak bungalow, playgrounds, graveyard, dance club, workshop, and Railway police. It was transformed into a magnificent location after all railway criteria were met. Hundreds of people complete their tasks at the end. The junction’s stunning overhead bridge was a one-of-a-kind experience for its guests. Unfortunately, such a magnificent railway junction has succumbed to corruption.

Sector of Education :
Bahawalnagar’s literacy rate is less than 25%, and the unemployment rate is substantially higher. Although this city’s literacy rate is not quite adequate, government-owned institutions are volunteering their services to help raise the literacy rate. Islamia University’s sub-campus is also in Bahawalnagar, where students receive higher education with up-to-date curriculum. Students from the Government College of Commerce Bahawalnagar consistently rank among the top ten at Islamia University and the Punjab Board of Technical Examinations.

Colleges and Universities
Islamia University’s sub-campus is located here. This subcampus currently offers restricted disciplines for postgraduate study and graduation, whereas there is only one post-graduate degree college for males with an area almost equal to 75 acres, founded in 1945, and one for ladies.

Haider Stadium is the largest stadium in both Bahawalnagar City and the Bahawalnagar District.

Demographics
According to the Pakistani Census of 1998, the population of Bahawalnagar was 2,061,000 people.

Languages According to the national census of 1998, the district’s major first language was Punjabi, which was spoken by 94.6% of the people, followed by Urdu at 3.7% and Saraiki at 1.2%.

Administration
The administrative center of the Bahawalnagar District is Bahawalnagar. The district covers an area of 8,878 square kilometers and is divided into five tehsils and 118 Union Councils.

District outlines
Bahawalnagar’s boundaries touch Indian territory to the east and south, while the Bahawalpur district sits to the west and the Sutlej River runs to the north.

The climate in Bahawalnagar is hot desert, with hot summers and mild winters. Precipitation usually falls during the monsoon season, which lasts from June to August, while some rain falls from February to April as well. Global climate change has touched Bahawalnagar as much as any other place on Earth throughout the years, and the comparison charts below from Weather-base and NOAA indicate the difference in rainfall and low temperatures between 1990 and 2015.