Muzaffargarh District

Muzaffargarh ({{literally|Fort of Muzaffar}}) was founded by the Saddozai Nawab of Multan, Nawab Muzaffar Khan, in 1794. Muzaffargarh district was annexed by the British from its former Sikh rulers after the Second Anglo-Sikh War of 1848–1849.{{Cite book |last=Banerjee |first=Abhijit |url=https://eml.berkeley.edu/~webfac/bardhan/e271_sp03/2_18.pdf |title=History, Institutions and Economic Performance: The Legacy of Colonial Land Tenure Systems in India (BREAD Working Paper No. 003) |last2=Iyer |first2=Lakshmi |date=January 2003 |publisher=Bureau for Research in Economic Analysis of Development |pages=39 |chapter=Appendix Table 1: Districts of British India, With Dates and Mode of Acquisition by the British}} In 1861 it became the separate Muzaffargarh District. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the minority Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India while the Muslim refugees from India settled in the Muzaffargarh District. Muslim refugees from East Punjab, Haryana, Jammu started arriving and crossed the border into Pakistan; many were given land in Muzaffargarh District to settle.{{Cite web |title=Muzaffargarh District |url=https://gazetteers.punjab.gov.pk/muzaffargarh |access-date=2024-09-29 |website=Government of the Punjab: District Gazetteers|first=Ehtasham |last=Anwar |date=2019}}

The district is administratively divided into the following three tehsils (subdivisions), which contain a total of 93 Union Councils:[http://www.nrb.gov.pk/lg_election/union.asp?district=22&dn=Muzaffargarh Tehsils & Unions in the District of Muzaffargarh – Government of Pakistan] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209043319/http://www.nrb.gov.pk/lg_election/union.asp?district=22&dn=Muzaffargarh |date=2012-02-09 }}

{{Historical populations

|align=center

|percentages=pagr

|1951 |446038

|1961 |532015

|1972 |756221

|1981 |1048243

|1998 |1827465

|2017 |2981048

|2023 |3528567

|footnote= Sources:{{cite web |title=Population by administrative units 1951-1998 |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/1998/administrative_units.pdf |publisher = Pakistan Bureau of Statistics}}

}}

As of the 2023 census, present Muzaffargarh district has 552,926 households and a population of 3,528,567.{{cite web |title=7th Population and Housing Census - Detailed Results: Table 20 |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/punjab/dcr/table_20.pdf |website=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics}} The district has a sex ratio of 104.18 males to 100 females and a literacy rate of 43.74%: 51.38% for males and 35.74% for females.{{cite web |title=7th Population and Housing Census - Detailed Results: Table 1 |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/punjab/dcr/table_1.pdf |website=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics}}{{cite web |title=7th Population and Housing Census - Detailed Results: Table 12 |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/table_12_punjab_district.pdf |website=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics}} 1,185,064 (33.60% of the surveyed population) are under 10 years of age.{{cite web |title=7th Population and Housing Census - Detailed Results: Table 5 |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/punjab/dcr/table_5.pdf |website=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics |publisher=}} 662,975 (18.79%) live in urban areas.

{{Pie chart

|thumb = left

|caption = Languages of Muzaffargarh district (2023)

|label1 = Saraiki |value1 = 93.40 |color1 = firebrick

|label2 = Punjabi |value2 = 3.65 |color2 = red

|label3 = Urdu |value3 = 2.50 |color3 = green

|label4 = Others |value4 = 0.45 |color4 = grey

}}

At the time of the 2023 census, 93.40% of the population spoke Saraiki, 3.65% Urdu and 2.50% Punjabi as their first language.{{cite web |title=7th Population and Housing Census - Detailed Results: Table 11 |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/punjab/dcr/table_11.pdf |website=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics}}

The most famous tribes and races are as under; Khar (offshoot of Kharal tribe), Khokhar, Dasti, Qureshi, Jatoi, Hinjra, Langrial, Thahim, Gopang, Bukhari, Gilani, Rajput, Jat and Arain.{{Cite journal |last1=Fiaz |first1=Hafiz Muhammad |last2=Akhtar |first2=Dr Sohail |last3=Rind |first3=Ayaz Ahmad |date=2021-12-31 |title=Socio-cultural Condition of South Punjab: A Case of Muzaffargarh District |url=http://www.irjei.com/index.php/irjei/article/view/27 |journal=International Research Journal of Education and Innovation |language=en |volume=2 |issue=3 |pages=15–34 |doi=10.53575/irjei.v2.03(21)2.15-34 |doi-broken-date=1 November 2024 |issn=2710-0448}} The major ethnic group are the Saraiki-speaking Jat forming the majority, with Saraiki-speaking Gujjar, Baloch, Rajputs and Pathan groups in minority.{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eaNLAQAAIAAJ&q=muzaffargarh+tribes&pg=PA67|title=Gazetteer of the Muzaffargarh District|date=19 June 1884|publisher=Punjab Government Press|via=Google Books}}{{Cite book| title = 1998 District Census report of Muzaffargarh| location = Islamabad| publisher = Population Census Organization, Statistics Division, Government of Pakistan| series = Census publication | volume = 120| date = 2000| pages = 21–22}}

{{Climate chart

|Muzaffargarh

|4.5|21.0|7.2

|7.6|23.2|9.5

|13.5|28.5|19.5

|19.5|35.5|22.9

|24.4|40.4|59.8

|28.6|42.3|92.3

|28.7|39.2|131.3

|28.0|38.0|72.6

|24.9|37.2|40.8

|18.2|34.6|1.7

|10.9|28.5|2.3

|5.5|22.7|6.9

|source=[http://www.worldweather.org/047/c00899.htm World Meteorological Organization]

|float=left

|clear=none

}}

Muzaffargarh spreads over an area of 8,249 km2 and forms a strip between the Chenab River on its east and Indus River on its west, which pass along the Eastern and Western boundaries respectively of the district and a triangle at Alipur tehsil of the district. The district is bounded on the north by district Layyah, on the south by Bahawalpur and Rahimyar Khan districts across the river Chenab.

Districts Multan and Khanewal are on the eastern side of district Muzaffargarh, across the river Chenab. District Jhang touches it on the northeast. Dera Gahzi Khan and Rajanpur districts lie on the western side across the river Indus. It is one of oldest districts of Punjab. According to the 1998 census of Pakistan, the population of the district was 2,635,903, of which 12.75% were urban.{{cite web|url=http://www.urckarachi.org/Population%20Table-5.htm|title=Urban Resource Centre|work=urckarachi.org|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060513113007/http://www.urckarachi.org/Population%20Table-5.htm|archive-date=2006-05-13}} Muzaffargarh is one of oldest districts of Punjab.

2010 floods

Muzaffargarh was especially hard hit by the 2010 Pakistan floods, given its position between the Chenab and Indus rivers It is spread over an area of 8,249 km². Muzaffargarh District lies in the strip between the rivers Chenab and Indus.

The city of Muzaffargarh is located in southern Punjab province at almost the exact centre of Pakistan. The closest major city is Multan. The area around the city is a flat, alluvial plain and is ideal for agriculture, with many citrus and mango farms. There are many canals that cut across the Muzaffargarh District providing water from nearby farms. This makes the land very fertile. However usually land close to the Chenab are usually flooded in the monsoon season.

Climate

Muzaffargarh features a semi arid climate with very hot summers and mild winters. The city witnesses some of the most extreme weather in the country. The highest recorded temperature is approximately {{Convert|54|C}}, and the lowest recorded temperature is approximately {{Convert|-1|C}}. The average rainfall is roughly {{convert|427|mm|in}}. Dust storms are a common occurrence within the city.

The district's towns include Basti Malik Wala, Taliri, Mauza Bahadur Dawana, Dawana Bahadur Peer Rajan Bukhsh, Kot Addu, Khangarh and Hayat Nagar.

Although Muzaffargarh is one of the oldest and largest districts of Pakistan by area and population, it still has only a single campus of Virtual University of Pakistan. The literacy rate is one of the lowest in the country.{{cite web|title=Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement Survey 2014–15 Report|url=http://www.pbs.gov.pk/node/1650}} District Muzaffargarh has a total of 1,072 male and 1,009 female public sector schools.{{cite web|access-date=16 August 2016|title=Punjab Annual Schools Census Data 2014–15|url=http://schoolportal.punjab.gov.pk/schoolInfoNew.asp?distId=323--Muzaffargarh|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816225210/http://schoolportal.punjab.gov.pk/schoolInfoNew.asp?distId=323--Muzaffargarh|archive-date=16 August 2016|url-status=dead}} According to the School Education Department's data, a total of 5,023 male and 4,130 female teachers are employed in public school education sector of the district.{{citation needed|date=May 2019}}

An area of 100,864 acres is forested in the district biggest Lashari wala Forest. There is also linear plantation of 1250 A.V. mile the roads/rails/canals in the district. Trees grown in the area are kikar, shisham, millbury, eucalyptus, bamboo and coconut.

• Milkha Singh, a famous track and field athlete

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{{Administrative divisions of Muzaffargarh District}}

{{Districts of Punjab (Pakistan)}}

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Category:Districts of Punjab, Pakistan

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