Mithankot facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mithan Kot مِٹهّن كوٹ
Town
The tomb of Khawaja Ghulam Fareed is located in Mithankot
Mithan Kot مِٹهّن كوٹ Location in Pakistan
Country	Pakistan
Province	Punjab
District	Rajanpur
Division	Dera Ghazi Khan Division
Population  (2017 census)
• Total	37,500
Time zone	UTC+5 (PST)
Postal code	33600
Calling code	0604

Mithankot (also called Kotmithan) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. People sometimes call it 'The Land of Five Rivers'. It sits on the west bank of the Indus River. It's not far from where the Panjnad River joins the Indus. Most people living here are Saraiki and Baloch. Mithankot is famous for being the home of the tomb of Khawaja Ghulam Fareed, a well-known Sufi poet. It's also where all five major rivers of Pakistan come together.

The Name of Mithankot

The name 'Mithankot' likely comes from a person named Mithan. People believe that Mithan Khan founded the city. He belonged to the Jatoi family. He came from a small town called Paray Wali in Seet Pur.

A Look at Mithankot's History

Some historians think that Alexander the Great founded a city here in 325 BCE. This city was called Alexandria. It was located on the Indus River. This was where the Punjab rivers joined the Indus for the last time.

However, other historians have different ideas. They believe that Uch was an older city. They think that Mithankot or Chacharan Sharif might have been the real Alexandria.

How Rivers Changed the Land

Alexander Cunningham wrote about how rivers changed the area around Multan. He noted that the paths of large rivers often change. For example, in the time of Timur and Akbar, the Chenab and Indus rivers met near Uchh. This was about 60 miles (97 km) upstream from where they meet today.

This meeting point stayed the same for a long time. It was still the same in 1788 and 1796. But in the early 1800s, the Indus River slowly changed its path. It moved away from its old channel. It then rejoined the old channel at Mithankot.

Important Religious Leaders

H.A. Rose wrote about four main leaders of a religious group. One of these leaders was Muhammad Aqil. His shrine was in Kot Mithan. Later, his descendant, Khawaja Khuda Bakhsh, moved to Chacharan Sharif. This place became a religious center for the Bahawalpur State.

Muhammad Aqil was known for doing many amazing things. When he was old, he had no shadow because of his spiritual power. So, he would only go out on dark nights. This helped him keep his special abilities a secret. People still keep a cloth that is said to have passed through his body.

Climate and Economy

The weather in Mithankot is dry and desert-like. It gets very little rain, only about 4 inches (100 mm) per year. Temperatures can change a lot between seasons. The large Indus River is to the south of the city.

Farmers in Mithankot grow crops like wheat, sugarcane, cotton, and rice. They can do this because canals bring water from the Indus River to their fields.

Places to Visit

• The Tomb of Khawaja Ghulam Farid
• The Indus Queen ship

Images for kids

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  A boat on the banks of the Indus River in Mithankot