Sahiwal Division Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Sahiwal Division ساہیوال
Division
Location of Sahiwal (in red) in Punjab, Pakistan and (inset) Punjab in Pakistan.
Country	Pakistan
Province	Punjab
Capital	Sahiwal
Established	2008
Districts	3
Government
• Type	Divisions
Area
• Total	10,302 km² (3,978 sq mi)
Population (2017)
• Total	7,380,386
• Density	716.40/km² (1,855.48/sq mi)
	Combined population of all Districts of Sahiwal
Main language(s)
Time zone	UTC+5 (PST)
Postal code	57000
Dialling code	040

Around 327 BCE, Alexander the Great fought against Porus, a local king. Porus ruled the area between the Jhelum and Chenab rivers. He fought bravely against Alexander's army.

Sahiwal Division (in Punjabi, Urdu: ساہیوال) is an important area in Punjab province, Pakistan. It is one of the nine main divisions in Punjab. In 2017, about 7.3 million people lived here.

Sahiwal Division was created in 2008. It is made up of three smaller areas called districts. These are Sahiwal District, Okara District, and Pakpattan District. The city of Sahiwal is the main city for both Sahiwal District and the entire Sahiwal Division.

Ancient History and Early Times
The British Era and Independence Fight
Changes in Names
Location
Images for kids
See also

Ancient History and Early Times

Sahiwal Division has a very old history. About 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Sahiwal city is Harappa. This was a big city of the Indus Valley civilization, one of the world's oldest civilizations.

Around 325 BCE, Alexander the Great came to this region. He captured a city called Malli, near what is now Kamalia township. Alexander stayed in this part of Punjab for two years. There were many battles during this time.

The British Era and Independence Fight

In 1849, the Pakpattan administrative district was formed. This area was located between the cities of Lahore and Multan. In 1851, the main office of Pakpattan was moved to Gogera. The district was then renamed "Gogera" district.

In September 1858, a local leader named Rai Ahmed Nawaz Khan Kharal fought against the British Raj. This was during India's First War of Independence. His friends, Murad Fatiana, Shujaa Bhadur, and Mokha Wehniwal, joined him. Khan fought for freedom, but he and the British officer for Gogera, Berkeley, both died.

The fight for independence happened in a large area. This included places like Ganji Bar, Neeli Bar, and Sandal Bar. Rivers like the Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab bordered this area. The land was covered in thick forests. This made it a good place for resistance fighters to hide and fight. For example, Major Crawford Chamberlain was attacked by surprise at Chichawatni.

Changes in Names

In 1854, a railway line was built between Lahore and Multan. A train station was built in Gogera. The area was later renamed "Sahiwal." This name came from the Sahi Clan of the Kharal tribe, who were Jat people. They were the traditional people living in this area.

In 1865, the name was changed again. It became "Montgomery" after Sir Robert Montgomery. He was the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab at that time. However, in 1966, the name "Sahiwal" was brought back.

Location

Boundaries of Sahiwal Division

Sahiwal Division is in the east-central part of Pakistan's Punjab region. It is located at about 30.6 degrees north latitude and 73.1 degrees longitude. The division is on Pakistan's national highway N-5. It is roughly halfway between Lahore and Multan.

Sahiwal Division shares its borders with several other areas. To the west is Faisalabad Division. To the north is Lahore Division. To the east, it borders Bahawalpur Division and India. To the south, it is next to Multan Division.

The division is on the floodplain of two rivers. The Ravi River is to the west. The Satluj River is to the east. A dry riverbed, the Khushak Bias, also runs through Sahiwal Division. It separates the Sahiwal District from the Pakpattan District.

About 28,956 acres of the division are covered by forests. Sahiwal Division is about 500 feet (152 meters) above sea level.