Chakwal is the capital of Chakwal District, Punjab,
Pakistan. It is located
90 km south-east of the federal capital, Islamabad[1] and is named after
Chaudhry Chaku Khan,[2] chief of the Mair Minhas tribe from Jammu, who founded
it in 1525 CE during the era of the Mughal Emperor, Zaheerudun Babur. It
remained a small but central town of the Dhan Chaurasi Taluka for many
centuries. In 1881, during the British era, it was declared the Tehsil
Headquarters. It was finally upgraded to district status in 1985. The area of
Chakwal city is about 10 square kilometres.
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| A view of Dharabi Dam |
Chakwal is located in the Dhanni
region of the Pothohar Plateau in northern Punjab,
Pakistan. The Pothohar
Plateau (also spelled Potwar or Potohar) was the home of the ancient Soan
valley civilization, which is evidenced by the discovery of fossils, tools,
coins, and remains of ancient archaeological sites. The Indus
Valley civilization flourished in
this region between the 23rd and 18th centuries BC. Some of the earliest Stone
Age artefacts in the world have been found on the plateau, dating from 500,000
to 100,000 years ago. The crude stone recovered from the terraces of the Soan
testify to human endeavour in this part of the world from the inter-glacial
period.[3]
The Stone Age people produced their equipment in a
sufficiently homogeneous way to justify grouping the inhabitants of this area
into one. Around 3000 BC, small village communities developed in the Pothohar
area.[4]
For much of its early history, Dhanni was an uninhabited
part of the Jammu state of the
Dogra Rajputs, and Khokhar Rajputs, held as a hunting ground for the Rajas of
Jammu.[5]
Chaudhry Sidhar settled villages named after his sons Chaku,
Murid and Karhan and as Chaku Khan became the chief, he decided to settle in
Chakwal, the village named after him and make it the center of administration
of the Taluka. Kassar chiefs founded the villages of Bal-Kassar and Dhudial.[6]
Awans,Waince, Mair Minhas, Khokhar Rajputs, Mughal Kassar
and Kahut Quriesh were probably the Six landowning tribes that were originally
settled in this tehsil by the Mughal Emperor Zaheerudin Babur. The main
concentration of the Mair-Minhas and Rajputs was in the center
(Haveli-Chakwal), North-East (Badshahan), West (Rupwal) and South West
(Thirchak-Mahal). The Kassars in the northern part of the tehsil, the area
called 'Babial' and 'Chaupeda' and the Kahuts in 'Kahutani' in the South
East.[citation needed]
These tribes, particularly the Mair-Minhas Chaudhrials of
Chakwal, rose to further prominence during the short rule of Sher Shah Suri who
handed them control over the adjoining territories, as far as Swan
River in Potohar and the Pind Dadan
Khan plains in the South.[citation needed]
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| The Katasraj Temple |
After the Mughal ruler, King Humayun, returned to India
with the help of the Persians, he handed over Potohar, including Dhanni, to the
Gakhars, who had helped him escape from India
during Sher Shah's revolt and reign. The Gakhars moved the capital of the
taluka from Chakwal to a neighbouring town, Bhon, and stationed their Kardars
there.[citation needed]
The Mair-Minhas and Mughal Kassar tribes again rose to power
after King Aurangzeb's death. They had supported his son Moazzam Shah in his
quest for power and, in return, he re-appointed the Mair-Minhas chief Gadabeg
Khan as the Taluqdar and Chaudhry of the entire 'Dhan Chaurasi', whereas the
rule of the Kassar Chaudhrys was confirmed in Babial and Chaupeda
'illaqa'.[citation needed]
Their rule over Dhanni continued during the Sikh era;
Chaudhry Ghulam Mehdi had invited Sardar Mahan Singh to this side of Jhelum
River. It was during that era that
the Dhanni breed of horses became popular; even Maharaja Ranjeet Singh's
personal horses were kept in the stables of the 'Chakwal Chaudhrials'. Maharaja
Ranjeet Singh was very kind to Chaudhrials of Chakwal due to their obedient
services.[citation needed]During the Independence War of 1857 Chaudhrials of
Chakwal strengthened the hand of the British Raj by escorting the treasury from
Chakwal to Rawalpindi and got the khilats and Jagirs.[7]
Chakwal's non-Muslim minorities departed during partition of
the subcontinent in 1947. In April 2009 a terrorist attack on the mosque killed
more than 30 people.
