Kamalia
Kamalia
کمالیہ | |
---|---|
City | |
Kamalia Location in Pakistan Kamalia Kamalia (Pakistan) | |
Coordinates: 30°44′N 72°39′E / 30.733°N 72.650°E | |
Country | Pakistan |
Province | Punjab |
Division | Faisalabad |
District | Toba Tek Singh |
Tehsil | Kamalia |
Union Council | 12 |
Area | |
• City | 486 km2 (188 sq mi) |
• Metro | 55 km2 (21 sq mi) |
Elevation | 160 m (524 ft) |
Population (2023) | |
• City | 166,617 |
• Rank | 67th in Pakistan and 42nd in Punjab and 1st in Toba Tek District |
• Density | 340/km2 (890/sq mi) |
Time zone | PKT |
Postal code of Kamalia City | 36350 |
Area code | 046 |
Kamalia (Punjabi: کمالیا, Urdu: کمالیہ) is a city in the Toba Tek Singh District of Punjab Province, Pakistan. It is the administrative center of Kamalia Tehsil.[1] It is the 67th most populous city of Pakistan.
Location
Kamalia is located at approximately 30.725°N latitude and 72.645°E longitude, in the southern part of the Toba Tek Singh District, Punjab, Pakistan.
To the northwest lies Toba Tek Singh (approximately 30 km away), while Rajana is situated about 20 km to the north. Mamu Kanjan lies about 20 km northeast of Kamalia. Toward the east are Harappa (30 km) and Sahiwal (70 km by road). Chichawatni is located to the south at a distance of about 25 km, and Pir Mahal (25 km) lies to the west.
The city is situated near the Ravi River. Kamalia lies within the fertile plains of the Sandal Bar, an area once covered by forest and known for its rich grazing lands. It is connected to surrounding towns by a network of regional roads and a branch railway line running between Shorkot and Sheikhupura.
History
Kamalia is an ancient city, existing at least before 325 BC. According to Alexander Cunningham, Kamalia was likely a settlement encountered by Alexander the Great in his campaign against the Malli.[2]
The modern settlement of Kamalia was founded in the 14th century by Kamal Khan, a chief of the Kharal Tribe. It was situated 60 km from Jhang, where the Sials lived. The Lekhari or Kamalia Kharals of the lower Ravi quarreled with the Upera Kharals of the upper Ravi. Kamalia was under Kharal rule until Walidad Khan, the thirteenth chief of Jhang took possession of Kamalia from Sadaat Yar Khan, and ruled it till his death in 1747. His successor Inayat Khan restored Kharal rule, which lasted a generation and then Kamalia fell into the Sikh Confederacy under Nakai Misl.[3][4]
When Shah Zaman of the Durrani Empire invaded Punjab, Muzaffar Khan, Governor of Multan taking advantage of the situation marched to Kamalia and expelled the Sikhs and reinstated the Kharal leader Sadaat Yar Khan II, but he did not hold his position for very long. In 1803, Ranjit Singh annexed Kamalia to the Sikh Empire, although he was reinstated by Ranjit Singh who gave him proprietary rights to 40 villages, which were then passed to his son, Muzaffar Khan.[3]
Muhammad Sarfraz Khan, the brother of Muzaffar Khan was loyal to the British. During the Second Anglo-Sikh War, he gave assistance to the British and attacked the Sikhs. During September 1857 Sarfraz Khan informed the British of the activities freedom fighters of Rai Ahmed Khan Kharal in Montgomery District, which acted crucial in his defeat. During the war, Kamalia was seized under the control of the freedom fighters twice, but the British reoccupied it both times. Kamalia was thoroughly sacked during the Indian Revolt of 1857.[4] Muhammad Sarfaraz Khan was succeeded by his son Sadaat Ali Khan.[3][5]
In the early 20th century, Kamalia remained under the influence of the Kharals, under the British Rule, and was situated in Montgomery District. The municipality of Kamalia was constituted on 29 July 1868.[4] By January 1907, due to heavy debts incurred by the Kharals, the government advanced a loan of one lakh rupees and placed the Kamalia estate under the Court of Wards. This arrangement continued until 1916, after which the estate was released and then partitioned. Following the partition, members of the Kharal family continued to hold proprietary rights in Kamalia and its surrounding villages, with some also serving in administrative roles. [3]
A number of archaic and archaeological sites exist in Kamalia which include a Shamshan Ghat, Prem Sati Gurduwara located inside of a Girl's Highschool, and many ancient havelis. It is one of the oldest cities in the Punjab Province having an old mosque from the Jahangiri period and many historical places like the Shrine of Hazrat Baba Fazil Dewan.
Etymology
The present name of the city Kamalia is derived from its 14th century ruler Kamal Khan Kharal.[1] It was originally known as 'Kot Kamalia' or 'Kot Kamal'.
Climate
Kamalia has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). Summers are long and intense, with average highs from April to July routinely surpassing 40 °C, and extreme peaks reaching 50 °C. Winters are brief and mild, with daytime temperatures between 15–25 °C and occasional night lows around 5 °C.
Annual rainfall averages 250–300 mm, with the majority falling during the monsoon season (July–August). Dust and sand storms are common in the pre-monsoon and monsoon months (April–August), due to the region’s arid nature.
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Known for
Kamalia is famous for many things including the hand-woven or machine-woven cloth called "Khaddar", poultry, sugarcane crop and the okra crop.[1] Although the land is fertile and many other crops are also cultivated around the year which include wheat, cotton, maze and rice. Such variety of crops make it an important place for the agriculture market.
Demographics
Population
Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
---|---|---|
1868 | 5,695 | — |
1881 | 7,594 | +2.24% |
1891 | 7,490 | −0.14% |
1901 | 6,976 | −0.71% |
1911 | 8,237 | +1.68% |
1921 | 8,916 | +0.80% |
1931 | 13,220 | +4.02% |
1941 | 14,295 | +0.78% |
1951 | 28,636 | +7.19% |
1961 | 35,248 | +2.10% |
1972 | 50,934 | +3.40% |
1981 | 61,107 | +2.04% |
1998 | 97,324 | +2.78% |
2017 | 135,641 | +1.76% |
2023 | 166,617 | +3.49% |
Sources: [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] |
According to 2023 census, Kamalia had a population of 166,617.
Religion
Religious group |
1868[15] | 1881[16] | 1891[17] | 1901[18] | 1911[19] | 1921[20] | 1931[21] | 1941[22] | 1951[23] | 1998[24] | 2017[25] | 2023[26] | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
Islam | 2,706 | 47.52% | 4,227 | 55.66% | 3,670 | 49% | 3,358 | 48.14% | 4,114 | 49.95% | 4,221 | 47.34% | 5,940 | 44.93% | 6,011 | 42.05% | 28,457 | 99.37% | 124,897 | 97.9% | 134,443 | 99.09% | 164,520 | 98.74% |
Hinduism | 2,953 | 51.85% | 3,295 | 43.39% | 3,701 | 49.41% | 3,516 | 50.4% | 2,476 | 30.06% | 4,379 | 49.11% | 5,625 | 42.55% | 6,903 | 48.29% | 0 | 0% | 8 | 0.01% | 6 | 0% | 2 | 0% |
Sikhism | 36 | 0.63% | 66 | 0.87% | 119 | 1.59% | 102 | 1.46% | 1,644 | 19.96% | 316 | 3.54% | 1,646 | 12.45% | 1,302 | 9.11% | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0% | 2 | 0% |
Christianity | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 3 | 0.04% | 0 | 0% | 9 | 0.07% | 75 | 0.52% | – | – | 2,521 | 1.98% | 1,196 | 0.88% | 2,083 | 1.25% |
Ahmadiyya | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 152 | 0.12% | 29 | 0.02% | 7 | 0% |
Others | 0 | 0% | 6 | 0.08% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 4 | 0.03% | 179 | 0.63% | 3 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 3 | 0% |
Total population | 5,695 | 100% | 7,594 | 100% | 7,490 | 100% | 6,976 | 100% | 8,237 | 100% | 8,916 | 100% | 13,220 | 100% | 14,295 | 100% | 28,636 | 100% | 127,581 | 100% | 135,674 | 100% | 166,617 | 100% |
References
- ^ a b c Miraj, Muhammad Hassan (16 September 2013). "The Kot of Kamalia (For whom the bell tolls)". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 4 June 2021.
- ^ Cunningham, Alexander (1871). The ancient geography of India. London : Trübner & Co.
- ^ a b c d Superintendent, Government Press (1940). Chiefs And Families Of Note In The Punjab. pp. 359–363.
- ^ a b c Fagan, P. j (1900). Gazetteer Of The Montgomery District. pp. 36, 228, 48.
- ^ Sargana, Turab ul Hassan (2020). Punjab and the war of independence 1857-1858: from collaboration to resistance. Karachi: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-070184-0.
- ^ Punjab (India) (1870). Report on the Census of the Punjab Taken on 10th January, 1868. Lahore: Indian Public Opinion Press. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ Ibbetson, Denzil; Punjab (India) (1883). Report on the Census of the Panjáb Taken on the 17th of February 1881. Vol. 2. Calcutta: Superintendent of Government Printing. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ Maclagan, Edward (1892). The Punjab and Its Feudatories, Part II—Imperial Tables and Supplementary Returns for the British Territory. Vol. 2. Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ Census of India 1901. Vol. 17, The Punjab, Its Feudatories and the North-West Frontier Province. Pt. 1, The Report on the Census. Government of India. 1902. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ Census of India 1911. Vol. 14, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables. Government of India. 1912. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ Census of India 1921. Vol. 15, Punjab and Delhi. Pt. 2, Tables. Government of India. 1922. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ Census of India 1931. Vol. 17, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables. Government of India. 1933. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ India. Census Commissioner (1941–45). Census of India, 1941. Vol. 6, Punjab. [Calcutta?]: [publisher not identified]. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
- ^ "Population by administrative units 1951-1998" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ 1868 Census
- ^ 1881 Census
- ^ 1891 Census
- ^ 1901 Census
- ^ 1911 Census (The sudden increase and decline in the Sikh population is likely due to differing definitions between census.
- ^ 1921 Census
- ^ 1931 Census
- ^ 1941 Census
- ^ 1951 Census
- ^ 1998 Census
- ^ 2017 Census
- ^ 2023 Census