Dera Ghazi Khan is a district situated in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the 19th largest city of Pakistan and has four tehsils divided into sixty-one union councils. The city is located geographically in the centre of Pakistan and joints the all the provinces.
The region named after a Nawab Ghazi Khan Mirani, who was the son of Balochi chieftain, Nawab Haji Khan Mirani, who declared independence from Dera Fateh Khan and Langhi Ismail Khan. Due to its geographical importance, the city once proposed as the Capital of Pakistan.
It has a unique and beautiful landscape including green fields, the Sulaimaan Mountains, Pachad Desert and Indus River. The Sultanate of Dehli and later Mughal emperors ruled the District of Dera Ghazi Khan. The article contains all the information about the region, including Dera Ghazi Khan History.
| Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Location: | Pakistan |
| Name: | Dera Ghazi Khan |
| In Urdu: | ڈیرہ غازی خان |
| City Council: | Government of Punjab |
| Nickname: | Ghazi Khan |
| Type: | The central city of Pakistan |
| Local Language Name: | Punjabi, Urdu |
| Province: | Punjab |
| Coordinates : | 30°03 |
| District: | Dera Ghazi Khan District |
| Region: | Punjab |
| First settled: | 1910 |
| Founded by: | 1474 |
| Website: | http://dgkhan.gop.pk/ |
| Union councils: | 61 |
| Language | |
| Official Language: | Urdu |
| Native Language: | Punjabi |
| Other Languages: | Urdu, Punjabi, English |
| Government | |
| Type: | Government Of Punjab |
| Population | |
| Total Population: | 190,542 (1998) |
| Time zone | |
| Time zone: | PST (UTC+5) |
| Summer (DST): | +6 (UTC) |
| Codes | |
| Postal code: | 32200 |
| Dialling code: | 064 |
| Vehicle registration: | Three letters beginning with D and random four numbers |
Table of Contents
Dera Ghazi Khan History
Sikh and Hindus
The city was founded on the western bank of Indus River in 1476 and named after Nawab Ghazi Khan Mirani, who declared independence from Langah Dynasty. After Mughals, Sikh invaded the District where Muslims faced strict restrictions from Sikhs.
The city had a significant population of Sikhs and Hindus who either migrated to India or converted to Islam due to Sufi Saints’ missionary, after Independence of Pakistan.
British Rule
After the Sikh War in 1849, Dheraaj eventually occupied by British rulers and divided into districts: Dera Ismail Khan and Dera Ghazi Khan. The flood destroyed Dera Ghazi Khan’s original city in 1098 and built again around 10 miles away from the town near Drahma.
Canals dug in the region during the period of British rulers. The people supported the Muslim League and Pakistan Movement till Independence. Most Sikhs and Hindus migrated to India and Muslim refugees came from India and settled in this region.
Post Independence
After the independence of Pakistan, the region expanded towards south and north as well as east. Due to the lack of transportation and communication facilities, the development from 1947 to 1958, remained slow. The region linked though a boat bridge on Indus River, with the other areas of Punjab.
Taunsa Barrage on River Indus completed in 1953, and slow development of the area got started. The District further divided into two districts in 1982, District of Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur. Due to the lack of transportation and communication facilities, the development remains slow from 1947 to 1958.
Geography
It is located at 30’03″North and 70’38″East, having an area of 5,306 square miles.
Dera Ghazi Khan Climate
The climate is often dry with a little rainfall. The average highest temperature during summer is about 46°C, while the average lowest temperature during the winter season is approximately 4 °C. The sandy windstorms are very common in summer. The temperature of the region in summer is amongst the highest of Pakistan.
Population
According to 2017 census of Pakistan, the District had a population of 399,064.
Administration
The district has four tehsils which are further divided into sixty-one union councils. The names of four tehsils are as follow;
- The De-Excluded area of Dera Ghazi Khan
- Dera Ghazi Khan
- Taunsa
- Kot Chutta
Agriculture
The district has rich agricultural land which produces:
- Cotton
- Wheat
- Sugarcane
- Rice
- Tobacco
- Dates
Vegetables
Different vegetables grown in the region are:
- Onion
- Turnip
- Spinach
- Cucumber
- Tomatoes
- Potatoes
Fruits
Different fruits of the region are:
- Mangoes
- Bananas
- Citrus
- Guavas
- Ground Nut
Interesting and Historic Places
A few worth visiting places in this city include:
- Taunsa Barrage
- Tomb of Hazrat Sakhi Sarwar
- Church Yard
- Tomb of Ghazi Khan
- Shah Bagh Mosque
- Fort Munro
- Jamia Masjid
Dera Ghazi Khan Institutes
Leading educational institutions of the district are;
- Ghazi University
- Ghazi Medical College
- The Govt. Postgraduate College
- FAU Agriculture College
- Allama Iqbal Open University campus
- Government Post Graduate College of Commerce
- University Commerce College
Festivals
Sangh Mela is considered the main and centuries-old festival of District Gujar Khan’s people held during March and April. It is celebrated by people of Faisalabad and Jhang in Sakhi Sarwar. Hindus and Muslims celebrated this festival at the time of wheat harvesting. It is also termed as Basant.
Parks
Well-known playing areas are:
- D.C Garden
- Company Bagh
- Ghazi Park
- The River Bank of River Indus
- Wild Life Park
Shopping Centers
Main shopping centres of the region are;
- Grain Market
- Rani Bazaar
- Cloth Market, Saddar Bazaar
- Garments Market, Block 10
- Electronic Market, City
- Medicine Market, Civil Hospital
Dera Ghazi Khan Postal Code
Postal Code: 32200
Area Code: 064
Languages
The languages that people usually speak includes:
- Saraiki
- Punjabi
- Urdu
- Pashto