History of Bahawalpur

History of Bahawalpur

History of Bahawalpur according to the Abbassi Historians. The city was founded in 1748 by Nawab Muhammad Bahawal Khan Abbasi I, whose descendants ruled the area until it joined Pakistan in 1947. The Bahawalpur (princely state) was one of the largest states of British India, more than 451 kilometres long, and was ruled by Nawab Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V Bahadur,[2] who decided to join Pakistan at the time of independence in 1947.

The Royal House of Bahawalpur is said to be of Arabic origin citation needed] and claim descent from Abbas, progenitor of the Abbasid Caliphs of Baghdad and Cairo. citation needed] Sultan Ahmad II, son of Shah Muzammil of Egypt left that country and arrived in Sind with a large following of Arabs ca. 1370.[citation needed] He married a daughter of Raja Rai Dhorang Sahta, receiving a third of the country as a dowry. Amir Fathu'llah Khan Abbasi, is the recognized ancestor of the dynasty.[citation needed] He conquered the Bhangar territory from Raja Dallu, of Alor and Bahmanabad, renaming it Qahir Bela. Amir Muhammad Chani Khan Abbasi entered the imperial service and gained appointment as a Panchhazari in 1583. At his death, the leadership of the tribe was contested between two branches of the family, the Daudputras and the Kalhoras. Amir Bahadur Khan Abbasi abandoned Tarai and settled near Bhakkar, founding the town of Shikarpur in 1690. Daud Khan, the first of his family to rule Bahawalpur, originated from Sind where he had opposed the Afghan Governor of that province and was forced to flee.[citation needed] The Nawab entered into Treaty relations with the HEIC, 22 February 1833. The state acceded to the Dominion of Pakistan on 7 October 1947 and was merged into the province of West Pakistan on 14 October 1955.Daud farooq is one the great personalities of the city.

Bahawalpur has only one railway bridge, the Adamwahan (Empress) Bridge, over the Sutlej River, and also has rail links with Peshawar, the capital of North-West Frontier Province and Karachi, the capital of Sindh (which is 899 km from Bahawalpur), making it an important rail centre. The surrounding area is mostly agricultural, which allows agricultural exports to many parts of the world. There is also a large market town for mangoes, dates, wheat, sugarcane, and cotton that bring in continuous demand all year round. In addition, it has soap making and cotton spinning factories, as well as enterprises producing silk and cotton textiles, carpets, and pottery. Bahwalpur has also sugar mill near a drive of 40 mins.Punjab is Pakistan's most fertile province, rich in both agriculture and ancient history. It's also one of the more stable of the country's regions. The prosperous and hospitable town of Bahawalpur is a gentle introduction to the area. From here you can journey into Cholistan - a sandy wasteland dotted with nomadic communities and wind-swept forts - or the Lal Suhanra National Park, an important wildlife reserve. Further north is Harappa which is, after Moenjodaro, the second most important site of the Indus Valley civilisation. Bahawalpur is the most southerly town in the Punjab. There are daily flights from Islamabad about 555 km (344mi) away. Most of the major destinations in the Punjab can be reached by bus, mini bus, and train.

A recent report on the agro-economy of Bahawalpur and a number of its districts, which includes an agro-economic survey, investment climate review and economic growth diagnostic provides a comprehensive overview of the local agrarian economy, its interface with the national economy and the main drivers and constraints to growth. The report Agro-Economic Survey & Investment Climate Diagnostic: Bahawalpur, Bahwalnagar & Rahim Yar Khan by Middlebrook et al. also provides a comprehensive assessment of the major policy and institutional challenges to future economic development. At the moment Bahawalpur Economy is ruled by Chaudhry Family.

Keeping in view the availability of raw-material, skilled labour, industrial units, local / national / international demand, future industrial potential of district Bahawalpur is discussed hereunder:-It would, however, be kept in mind that though the above mentioned factors facilitate the success of any industrial unit, yet the entire success depends upon the investors / entrepreneurs and the capabilities of the personnel having the managerial control. Therefore, it is advisable that detailed feasibility of industrial project must be carried out before making final decision for investment.

Main crops and fruit of the district are cotton, wheat, sugarcane, Rape/Mustard Seeds, dates, mangoes and citrus. The average annual production of cotton over the period 1998-2001 was 1003 thousand bales and of remaining crops/fruit i.e. Wheat, Sugarcane, Rape/Mustard Seed, Dates, Mangoes and Citrus was 666, 435, 20, 2.26, 96 and 274 thousand M. Tons respectively .At present, five textile spinning mills, one sugar mills, 22 flour mills, a number of cotton ginning/pressing factories and oil expelling units are already operating in the district. In view of the above, there seems little scope for more flour mills and another sugar mill due to limited production of wheat and sugarcane. However, there exists wide scope for cotton based industries i.e. textile spinning, weaving, processing/printing. More solvent oil extraction plants can be established as besides cotton seed, cotton oil cake and Rape/Mustard seeds can also be used as raw material.Besides, fruit juice, pickles, squashes and dates processing / packing units possess good prospects. In addition, Dates based vinegar unit can also be established.

As per Livestock Census 1996, the population of cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats was 288, 464, 158 and 714 thousand heads respectively. The annual availability of hides and skins is estimated at 95500 pieces. As regards poultry, there are 316 broiler and 17 layer poultry farms having rearing capacity of 1826 and 150 thousand birds ( Chapter - 3, Section 3.3 ).There is already three Feed Mills operating in the district, which leaves little scope for additional unit. However, a leather products unit and a hatchery/breeding poultry farm can be established. Besides, estimated production of wool i.e. about 158 M. Tons annually reflect good potential for wool processing and weaving unit.

District Bahawalpur possess vast forest potential. An area of about 15 thousand acres is under forest (Chapter - 3, Section 3.2). Therefore, there exists good prospects for wood seasoning / processing units and modern furniture units.

n view of developing textile industry, oil expelling and solvent extraction plants in the district, there seems bright scope for paper cones unit and sizing units.

There seems good prospects for consumer products manufacturing industries i.e. shoemaking, biscuits and confectionery, hosiery and knitting unit, readymade garments, aluminium utensils, melamine tableware, etc

Source;thebahawalpur