Charsadda is a district of province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is bordered with district Malakand in the north, districts of Peshawar and Nowshehra in the south, district Mardan in the east and district Mohmand in the west. The area of the district is 996 square kilometres. The distance from Charsadda to Peshawar is 29 kilometres.
The coordinates of the region are 34’09 to the north and 71’44 to the east. Pushkalavati (meaning “Lotus City”) is considered to be the first name of this district. It is primarily divided into two parts: Do Aaba (Duava) and Hashtnagar. Do Aaba used to be the capital city of Pushkalavati and is known for ancient Gandharan Civilization.
The city is famous for Shoes making, Khaddar and Agriculture. This article contains all the information about the city, including Charsadda History.
| Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Location: | Pakistan |
| City Council: | Government of KPK |
| Type: | Town and headquarters of Charsadda District |
| Local Language Name: | چارسده |
| Province: | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
| Coordinates : | 34°09″N 71’44″E |
| District: | Charsadda District |
| Region: | KPK |
| Language | |
| Official Language: | Urdu |
| Native Language: | Hindko, Potohari |
| Other Languages: | Urdu,Hindko,Potohari,English |
| Government | |
| Type: | Government of KPK |
| Area | |
| Total Area: | 996 km2 (385 sq mi) |
| Population | |
| Density: | 1,026/km2 (2,660/sq mi) |
| Total Population: | 1,626,000 |
| Time zone | |
| Time zone: | PST (UTC+5) |
| Codes | |
| Postal code: | 24420 |
| Dialling code: | 0525-0921 |
| Vehicle registration: | Three letters beginning with C and random four numbers |
Table of Contents
Charsadda History
Charsadda was a part of Gandhara Kingdom. In 516 BC, Gandhara paid tribute to Persian Darius the Great and became a part of an Achaemenid Empire province. The region was invaded by Alexander the Great in 4th BC. Bactrian Greek also ruled the region from 25- BC to 125 BC who were invaded by the Kingdom of Indo Greeks and ruled the region till 10 AD.
Chandragupta Maurya (Indian Emperor) occupied the region and one of the Indian Emperors. Ashoka built his stupas in the region mentioned by Hieun Tsang (Chinese Buddhist Pilgrim) who visited Gandhara in 630 AD. According to Buddhist legends, Buddha preached the LAW in a Brahminical temple and Monastery.
Mehmood Ghaznavi invaded Gandhara in 1026 AD, and the people of the region were converted to Islam. The region remained abandoned and a political part of District Peshawar (Pushpapura).
Administration
The district is administratively divided into three tehsils including Charsadda, Tangi and Shabqadar. The tehsil of Charsadda comprises thirty-four union councils while Tangi and Shabqadar contain twenty-four union councils, twelve union councils each.
Population
According to the 2017 census of Pakistan, the district had a population of 1,616,698 among which 19 per cent were urban, and 81 per cent were rural.
Charsadda Postal Code and Area Code
Postal Code: 24420
Area Code: 0921 – 0525
Natural Resources
Agriculture
The district has fertile land, and the main crops of the region are wheat, maize, sugarbeet, sugarcane and tobacco.
Fruits
Main fruits grown in the district are Citrus, Mangoes, Grapes and bananas.
Vegetables
Vegetables grown in the district include cabbage, tomato, onion and potato.
Industries
The district contains many different industries including flour mills, ghee mills, dairy industries and footwear industries. Leather footwear is famous all over the world.
Rivers
Three rivers are flowing in the region including River Kabul, River Jindi and River Swat. These rivers are the primary source of irrigation in the district. These rivers join River Indus, making it one of Asia’s largest rivers with 1,980 miles (3180 kilometres).
The river flows through Laddakh, Gilgit Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and finally merges with the Arabian Sea in Sindh (near the city of Thatta).
Transportations
By Road
The district is connected with all other cities of Pakistan through National Highway and other minor roads.
By Air
Bacha Khan International Airport is the nearest airport to the people of the region.
By Rail
Peshawar’s railway station is considered the nearest railway station linked with all other major cities of Pakistan.
Charsadda Climate
The climate is an oceanic one as the region has rainfall in about all months of the year. The summer temperature varies from 29 degrees centigrade to 36 degrees Celsius, while the region’s lowest recorded temperature is 3 degrees centigrade.
Education
Most people are well educated, and the literacy rate is almost 69% which is considered a good one among other cities. The district has a famous university and many colleges and schools. Some of the renowned institutions of Charsadda are given below.
- Bacha Khan University (named after Abdul Ghaffar Khan)
- Government Degree College Tangi
- Govt. Post Graduate College Charsadda
- Govt. Girls Degree College Charsadda
- Govt. Degree College Shabqadar.
Culture
The district people are very hospitable, and the men wear Shalwar Kameez with a topi on their head while the women wear trousers and a shirt with a “Chaadar”. Hujra is the primary social centre of men while the public and private affairs settled in the “Jirga” system of Pakhtun Culture. Traditional dance of the people is “Bhangra” while the classic song is “Tapa”.
Tribes
Eighty per cent population are the pure Khan families of Muhammadzai which further divided into subtribes. Powerful tribes of the district are given below.
- Parich Khel
- Bati Khel
- Kanan Khel
- Ghani Khel
- Muhammadzai Khas
- Khwazi Khel
- Daulat Khel
- Shamozai
- Shabaz Khel
- Oryaz Khel
- Hassan Khel
- Piran Khel
Places of Interest
It is considered a historical site, and there are many exciting places to visit in the region. Some of them are as follow:
- Shabqadar Town (Burnt by Mohmands in 1897)
- Palatu Dheri
- Bibi Syeda Dheri
- Charsadda City
- Bala Hissar of Charsadda
- Shar -i- Napursan
Sports
The region’s people play many sports include cricket, football, snooker, table tennis and badminton. Guli Danda, Nakhay, Kabaddi and Chandru are the important sports of the district’s rural people.
Notable People
Haji Tarangzai Baba Jee, Abdul Ghani Khan (poet), Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Mian Nadir Shah Kaka Khel, Bibi Naik Bakhta, Ludha Ram Das and Waqiyaa Bibi Payari are the famous personalities of Charsadda.
Charsadda Language
Pashto is the primary native language of the people spoken by 99 per cent of the population. Urdu is also spoken by 1 per cent of the people in the offices, schools, colleges, and universities.